"These comments express concerns of First Nations about their status in the economy, society and polity of Canada. Status may refer to a number of things: particular cultures or lifestyles; entitlement to or enjoyment of rights, privileges, legal capacities or powers granted by the state; or the awarding or denial of social honour or prestige. All three have been prominent in the North American Aboriginal experience."
"....document, examine, and reflect on the transitions in Aboriginal society that I see going on around me. As a society, we are starting to move away from the time of great pain and to lay the foundations for what I have come to call "modern Aboriginal society." Across the country, I see a strong desire to build Aboriginal communities on a foundation of Aboriginal tradition, custom, and ideas. Accomplishing this goal is difficult as a result of our position as Aboriginal peoples as a small minority within an environment dominated by western ideas.
