The British Columbia Treaty Process was established in 1992 with the aim of resolving the outstanding land claims of First Nations peoples in British Columbia. Since that time, two discourses have been prominent within the treaty negotiations taking place between First Nations and the governments of Canada and British Columbia. The first, that of justice, asks how we can remedy the past injustices that were imposed on BC's First Nations through the removal of their lands and forced assimilation. The second, that of certainty, asks whether this historical repair can occur in a manner that provides a better future for all British Columbians. In Between Justice and Certainty, Andrew Woolford examines the interplay between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal visions of justice and certainty in the first decade of the BC Treaty Process and poses the question: Is there a space between justice and certainty in which modern treaties can be made?
Through interviews, field research, and an overview of archival and modern treaty documents, he argues that the goal of certainty is overriding the demand for justice in the treaty process, and suggests that greater attention to justice is necessary if we are to initiate a process of reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in BC. Between Justice and Certainty is recommended reading for sociologists, anthropologists, historians, political scientists, and legal scholars interested in how we deal with past injustices, as well as for anyone wishing to learn more about the BC Treaty Process.