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Yes, you read that right—1982. Canada became a self-governing nation on July 1, 1867, with the British North America Act, and its independence increased over the years with full legal freedom granted in 1931 by the Statute of Westminster. But it was only on April 17, 1982, when the Constitution was repatriated, that Canada achieved full independence. That meant changes to the Constitution no longer needed to be approved by the British Parliament.
Though an independent country, Canada maintains ties to both France and the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II holds the title of Queen of Canada, and her picture is on Canadian stamps, money, and in government offices. The country has two official languages: French and English (which makes this curse word OK to say on the radio in Canada).
Canada is also one of the 88 members of La Francophonie and one of the 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, respectively about 12 and 25 percent of the world’s population. In Singapore in 1971, Commonwealth countries pledged to pursue a set of principles including world peace, equal rights, free trade, international cooperation, and democracy, as well as to combat racial prejudice and oppression, injustice, poverty, ignorance, and disease. Canada can now pick and choose the ties it wants to maintain with its former colonizers.
Indigenous Peoples in Canada have had a more challenging road to independence, equal rights, and other Commonwealth principles. Long before European explorers arrived, Indigenous Peoples had their own forms of government. The agreements and treaties that Europeans forged with Indigenous nations were not based on equal relationships, and colonialism eroded Indigenous independence over the centuries.
Canada’s Constitution Act, 1982 guarantees Indigenous Peoples the “inherent right to self-government.” Negotiations to define and implement that have taken decades and continue to this day. Self-government agreements are different for each First Nation; only 25 exist involving 43 different Indigenous communities, though 50 more are in various stages of negotiation. One day, everyone who lives in what is now called Canada may proudly proclaim that they are “True North, strong and free.”
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