Aboriginal Law in Canada

Aboriginal law is that part of our legal system that regulates the relationship between the Aboriginal people of Canada, the Canadian government and the rest of the Canadian society. It has many components. Treaty negotiations and rights, natural resources harvesting rights, land and fisheries use, residential and school abuse, are all part of this multidimensional area of law.  It also influences traditional areas of law, such as taxation, commercial development, oil and gas rights, labour law, criminal law and family law that need to be regarded in the context of Aboriginal law if they involve Canada's Aboriginal people.

The identification of the most relevant legal resources in this area of law is a complex activity. Accordingly, this guide is intended only as an introduction to independent research that outlines the main concepts and identifies the most commonly used and authoritative sources available to the University of Toronto community.

1. Start with secondary sources (legal dictionaries, encyclopaedias, treatises and law reviews) to identify the legal issues, establish the jurisdiction that controls  them and determine whether they are regulated by statutes or case law
2. Use the information and citations from step one above to find the relevant and current law (statutes and regulations and/or case law)
3. Search non-legal resources (newspapers, journals and net resources) for investigative and supporting information                                              

Follow the tabs in the left side menu bar to access appropriate resources for each step