What occurred with the First Nations in 1980 before the constitution was patriated?

• A. Entrench treaty and Aboriginal rights within the constitution
• B. Dissolve treaties
• C. Return authority to the Crown
• D. Derecognize Aboriginal rights

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that Indigenous rights were protected by the constitution. In 1980, as Canada moved to patriate the constitution, First Nations pressed to have their treaty rights and other Aboriginal rights recognized and safeguarded within the constitutional framework. This push laid the groundwork for what would become Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which explicitly recognizes and affirms existing Aboriginal and treaty rights. By placing these rights in the constitution, they gain strong, lasting protection that cannot easily be removed by ordinary laws, shaping Canada’s legal and political relationship with Indigenous peoples going forward. The other options would undo or dilute these rights instead of protecting them, which is not what happened during that period.