WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF PURSUING NATIONAL SELF DETERMINATION? SS 20-1

At Issue What is self-determination? What forms does it take? How do Indigenous peoples pursue self-

determination within a nation-state?

What is self-determination? The right for people to determine their

political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development

To whom does the right of self-determination apply? According to the UN – it applies to anyone who

shares: A common history, racial or ethnic identity, cultural

homogeneity, linguistic unity, religious or ideological unity, territorial connection, national self-determination

What implications does the UN criteria have for determining the right of national self-determination?

Why does national self-determination present a problem?

Fast Fact!!! Canada finally achieved self

determination when it patriated the Constitution Act from Great Britain in 1982

Previous to that, Canada was the only nation in the world to have its constitution resting in another country

Can you think of any groups that might be interested in their own form of self-determination in Canada?

Forms of Self-Determination Decolonization India was once controlled by Britain India gained its independence in 1947 – and was

partitioned into 2 independent states Each state had its own dominant ethnic nation – one was

Muslim; the other Hindu Eventually, these states became the nations of Pakistan

and India Conflicts exist today between these countries over territory

and wars have occurred – ie - Kashmir Both nations have waged a nuclear arms race which has

lead to instability and fear in the region

Decolonization – cont’d The African Continent was also a busy

landmass for decolonization! As European countries dissolved their

empires in the 20th Century – many new African nations were born

Decolonization has been the most important reason for creating the largest number of new countries after World War 2

Forms of Self-Determination Successor States – 2 examples: The Ukraine is a nation that gained independence after the

breakup of the USSR This offered the Ukraine the opportunity to regain its culture

which had been oppressed under Communist rule Some minorities inside of the Ukraine seek their own

independence – ie – Ethnic Tartars, Hungarians, and Crimean Russians – recently, Crimea was annexed by Russia

Ukraine continues to be in crisis due to the struggle between Ethnic Russians and the Ukrainians. Russia supports the Ethnic Russians and their quest for unification with Russia

What complications does this raise for the Ukraine?

Chechnya – declared its sovereignty from Russia in 1991 - Russia rejected this claim

Russia invaded in 1994 – many thousands of Chechen civilian deaths occurred

War continues to this day

The Ukraine and Chechnya show that the efforts of people to achieve self-determination can have both positive and negative effects

Referenda for self-determination Quebec staged 2 public votes (referenda) for

sovereignty association with Canada The idea for separatists was to have political

autonomy, but to retain an economic relationship with the rest of Canada

1980 – the idea was rejected 1995 – the idea nearly passed What should the Canadian gov’t do in the

face of referenda seeking change?

Canada’s Clarity Act The Clarity Act (known as Bill C-20

before it became law) is legislation passed by the Parliament of Canada that established the conditions under which the Government of Canada would enter into negotiations that might lead to secession following such a vote by one of the provinces.

Clarity Act Main Points Giving the House of Commons the power to decide whether a

proposed referendum question was considered clear before the public vote;

Specifically stating that any question not solely referring to secession was to be considered unclear;

Giving the House of Commons the power to determine whether or not a clear majority has expressed itself in any referendum, implying that some sort of supermajority is required for success;

Stating that all provinces and the First Nations were to be part of the negotiations;

Allowing the House of Commons to override a referendum decision if it felt the referendum violated any of the tenets of the Clarity Act;

The secession of a province of Canada would require an amendment to the Constitution of Canada.

A question of independence! Would the Clarity Act make it easier or

more difficult for a province to become independent?

Will including the rights of First Nations’ Peoples fast track or hinder the process of succession for a province? What could the implications be of including them?

Third Party Involvement Negotiation, dialogue and the creation of legal

agreements through consensus are viable ways of achieving self-determination in the world

Third party involvement (someone “from the outside” such as the UN) can result in agreements between sides

However – success has been mixed – the process rarely has international force or a proper system of resolving matters

Conflict between sides can result in conflict

Self-determination and Indigenous Peoples For Native peoples, self-determination is tied to cultural

vitality and the bond between the people and the earth Nunuvat – inhabitants have achieved self-determination

while remaining in the political structure of Canada Although the Nunuvat Gov’t manages the environment, it

is still subject to the rules and regulations set down by the Federal Gov’t

Nunuvat is a territory and not a province – therefore, they do not have control over land and natural resources

What implications therefore exist for the people of Nunuvat given their “territory” status?