In 1969, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau introduced the White Paper, a policy paper intended to end any recognition of special status for Indians. After a year of angry protest from Aboriginal leaders, the White Paper was shelved. In 1982, Prime Minister Trudeau presided over the signing and repatriation of Canada's Constitution, which included recognition of aboriginal and treaty rights.
Two quotations from Pierre Trudeau:
'As for aboriginal rights, this means saying "We were here before you: You came and you took the land from us and perhaps you cheated us by giving us some worthless things in return for vast expanses of land and we want to reopen the question. We want you to preserve our aboriginal rights and to restore them to us." Our answer is no. We can't recognize aboriginal rights because no society can be built on historical 'might have beens.' Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, 1969
'Clearly our aboriginal peoples each occupied a special place in history. To my way of thinking, this entitles them to special recognition in the Constitution and to their own place in Canadian society, distinct from each other and distinct from other groups.' Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, 1983
These are the opinions of Trudeau on Aboriginal rights in 1969 and 1983. Which opinion do you agree with? Why do you think Trudeau shifted his opinion so drastically?
