The Indian Specific Claims Commission (ICC) was formed in 1991 in response to the Oka crisis. Its purpose was to resolve and expedite specific claims arising out of promises made to Indigenous nations in treaties, the federal Indian Act, and within other Crown obligations.

This book traces the history of Indigenous claims in Canada and the work of the ICC from 1991 until it was decommissioned in 2009. An insider’s account, it is written by long-standing ICC commissioner Jane Dickson, who draws upon the records of the commission and a wealth of research and experience with Indigenous claims and communities to provide an unflinching look at the inquiry process and the parties involved.

By Law or In Justice provides a balanced, careful analysis of Canada’s claims policy, the challenges faced by Indigenous claimants, and the legacy of the commission. By documenting the promises made and broken to Indigenous nations, this book also makes a passionate plea for greater claims justice so that true reconciliation can be achieved.

Jane Dickson's profile page

Jane Dickson has a long and well-respected history of research, teaching, and grassroots activism in the furtherance of social, legal, and cultural justice for Indigenous peoples within Canada. She has served as an advisor to the Mohawk Nation at Kahnawake on traditional justice and has two decades of service as an advisor to the Department of Justice and Corrections of the Cree Nation Government. Currently an associate professor of law and legal studies at Carleton University, Jane Dickson served as an Indian Claims Commissioner from 2002 to 2009.