Postcolonial Sovereignty?: The Nisga'a Final Agreement

In 1999 the Nisga'a First Nation in northwestern British Columbia signed a landmark agreement which not only settled their land claim but outlined significant powers that could be exercised by its government. The Nisga'a Final Agreement granted powers over land, resources, education, and cultural policy to the Nisga'a government, a major departure from previous land claims agreements. However, it was not without opposition and Scott also outlines the opposition, including two court challenges, mounted against the agreement. This book concisely examines the major terms of the agreement then deeply analyzes the impact the agreement has on federal/provincial/First Nations relations.

Table of Contents:
Introduction How far have we come? How far we have to go 1: Postcolonial Sovereignty? A Very Canadian Liberalism Postcolonial sovereignty? 2: Land Land and Sovereignty in the Nass: the Historical Context Land Provisions in the NFA 3: Rights Forest Resources Fisheries Wildlife and Migratory Birds Mines and Minerals 4: Power The Nisga'a Nation, Sovereignty, Self-Determination, and Self-Government Nisga'a Lisims Government: Structure and Constitution Social Jurisdiction of the NLG 5: The Courts The Campbell Case The Chief Mountain Case 6: Conclusion: Postcolonial Sovereignty? The Limits of Liberalism? Postcolonial Sovereignty? Notes; Glossary; Bibliography

About the Author :
Tracie Lea Scott grew up in Hythe, a small town in Northern Alberta. After graduating high school she completed her Bachelors degree in English and History at the University of Alberta. Tracie completed her LLB in 2002. After receiving a scholarship, she continued on to the LLM program where, under the supervision of Bruce Ziff, she wrote a dissertation entitled "The Indian, the Law and the Land: An Analysis of the Chippewas of Sarnia Case Using P. W. Kahn's Cultural Approach to the Rule of Law," examining the legal anxiety around Aboriginal land claims in the Chippewas of Sarnia case. After successfully defending, she accepted an Overseas Research Scholarship to do her PhD at Birkbeck College, University of London. While studying for her PhD, she was a member of the British Association for Canadian Studies, acting as graduate student representative for several years. She also worked as a policy official for the Ministry of Justice in 2008-09, where she supported the Perpetuities and Accumulations Bill through Parliament. The author successfully defended her dissertation entitled, "The Meaning of Sovereignty in a Multinational State: The Implications of a Postcolonial Legal Analysis of the Nisga'a Final Agreement." After completing her PhD, she returned to Edmonton to article with the Department of Justice, Canada. The author is now continuing her research into cross-cultural legal studies in the United Arab Emirates.