Can the two worldviews represented by the Gitxsan and Western governing systems depicted in the exhibit be reconciled by rulings like the Delgamuukw decision?
Gitxsan hereditary chiefs have promoted negotiation over confrontation from the first incursion of European explorers and settlers into the traditional territories from the 1850s onward. The unwillingness of successive BC and Canadian governments to negotiate on topics involving aboriginal title lead to non-violent civil disobedience and court actions such as Delgamuukw. Although the precedent-setting ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada has aided in reconciliation of the two worldviews, legal decisions will never be enough on their own. This is one reason why the Gitxsan hereditary chiefs decided to rejoin the BC Treaty Process with the province and Canada in 2002. It is also why the Gitxsan Chiefs’ Office, on behalf on the hereditary chiefs, also pursues bilateral agreements with both levels of government and with companies who wish to conduct resource extraction activities on the traditional territories. The hereditary chiefs continue to favour negotiation as the best method to rec
