Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples collection

The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples was established on 26 August 1991. The Commission's mandate was to investigate the evolution of the relationship of Aboriginal Peoples with the Canadian government and Canadian society. The commission was mandated to propose specific solutions to the problems confronting Aboriginal Peoples. The Commission undertook four years of consultations, research, and reflections. The Commission concluded that the problems with impact Aboriginal People's relationships with government and society cannot be addressed as exclusively Aboriginal issues. Additionally, the Commission determined that defining something as an Aboriginal problem placed the blame upon the Aboriginals, which was not truly the case. The Commission's final report proposed that the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people be restructured and grounded in ethical principles. The Commission maintained that Canada must work out fair and lasting terms of co-existence with Aboriginal Peoples. The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples included René Dussault, j.c.a. and Georges Erasmus as co-chairs. The Commissioners were Paul L.A.H. Chartrand, J. Peter Meekison, Viola Robinson, Mary Sillett, and Bertha Wilson.