treaty rights

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the specific rights and entitlements guaranteed to indigenous peoples through formal agreements negotiated with colonial or settler-state governments, including rights to hunt, fish, gather, access traditional territories, receive health and education services, and govern internal affairs; in Canada, treaties are constitutionally protected under section 35 of the Constitution Act and are understood by First Nations as sacred, nation-to-nation agreements; treaty rights are frequently contested and violated, requiring ongoing litigation and political advocacy by indigenous nations to defend entitlements their ancestors negotiated