A Common Hunger: Land Rights In Canada And South Africa

The impact of colonial dispossession and the subsequent social and political ramifications place a unique burden on governments having to establish equitable means of addressing previous injustices. The effects of colonial exploitation on the lives of indigenous people in Canada and South Africa bear uncanny resemblance, especially when considering the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, and Canada's Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. The responses from these governments demonstrate clearly the importance of an effective means of dealing with the issue of aboriginal land claims. In both cases, the fundamental issues of isolation, economic marginalization, and discrimination have left deep wounds that society must attempt to heal.