Resolution is Ongoing

A revised specific claims process should craft solutions that reflect the ongoing nature of the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and Canada that was harmed by the breach of trust. This means that the range of resolution open for consideration must extend beyond a “one-time payment and legal release” model.

In Indigenous law, an agreement or settlement may be just the starting point; it addresses past harm and starts the process of going forward on a different basis. Implementation happens through the establishment and tending of an ongoing relationship. The Numbered Treaties’ reference to the notion that the agreement entered will last “as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the river flows” shows the intent that the agreements be living.

“They are living relationships”

Kukpi7 Judy Wilson discusses how historical ancestral agreements like the 18th-century Fish Lake Accord continue to guide relations between Tk'emlups and Sylix. The accord reflects how the Secwempmc people’s connection to the land reflects a living relationship to the land and to future generations.