The Trapping Rights of Aboriginal Peoples in Northern Alberta

Abstract

This paper investigates the legal nature of the trapping rights of treaty beneficiaries in Alberta, with a focus on Treaty 8, signed in 1899. It examines different interpretations of the right adopted by the courts, by Aboriginal peoples, by government and by various experts and documents the erosion of the right resulting from government regulation and resource development. Finally, it suggests a more generous interpretation of the trapping right as a right to sustain a moderate livelihood.