Brian Slattery

The Hidden Constitution: Aboriginal Rights in Canada

Most countries have a national myth-an account that purports to relate the central events of a countrys history in compressed form, that explains how the country has come to be and what it stands for. National myths are useful and perhaps indispensable ways of making the complex past relevant to the perplexing present. They provide the framework for much historical writing, and subtly influence lawyers and judges on constitutional issues. All national myths involve a certain amount of distortion. But some at least have the virtue of broad historical accuracy, roughly depicting the major forces at work. The myth that underlies much legal thinking about the history of Canada lacks that redeeming feature.