Role of the Province

The 1996 RCAP final report recommended that provincial governments must practice an effective role in treaty implementation. The treaty relationship is fundamentally bilateral, but now has emerged as a trilateral relationship whereby First Nations territory falls in part with municipal geographic boundaries. One of the remaining uncertainties of the province's role is the nature and scope of the role of provincial representatives. First Nations have evolved into a more complex political entity than at the time of the signing of the treaties. The participation of the province is important in modern constitutional context to make treaty implementation feasible. Developing a political and legal strategy for the province will involve a comprehensive review of all its current activities to assess their relevance and role, in the pursuit of treaty implementation.