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Social Science Native American Studies

An Ethic of Mutual Respect

The Covenant Chain and Aboriginal-Crown Relations

by (author) Bruce Morito

Publisher
UBC Press
Initial publish date
Oct 2012
Category
Native American Studies, Native American
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780774822442
    Publish Date
    Oct 2012
    List Price
    $90.00
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780774822459
    Publish Date
    Jul 2013
    List Price
    $32.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780774822466
    Publish Date
    Oct 2012
    List Price
    $32.95

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Description

Over the course of a century, until the late 1700s, the British Crown, the Iroquois, and other Aboriginal groups of eastern North America developed an alliance and treaty system known as the Covenant Chain. Bruce Morito offers a philosophical rereading of the historical record of negotiations, showing that the parties developed an ethic of mutually recognized respect. This ethic, Morito argues, remains relevant to current debates about Aboriginal and treaty rights because it is neither culturally nor historically bound. Real change is possible, if efforts can be shifted from piecemeal legal and political disputes to the development of an intercultural ethic based on trust, respect, and solidarity.

About the author

Contributor Notes

Bruce Morito is a professor of philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Athabasca University.

Editorial Reviews

Bruce Morito gives vibrant voice to an important yet long-ignored topic. He makes a compelling argument for the existence of the Covenant Chain’s moral framework, using historical evidence to inform present-day indigenous–settler relations. This is an engaging and original book.

Douglas Sanderson, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto