"The monarchs of France and Britain had no legal claim to it."

True. But neither did the aboriginal inhabitants of this land, who had no legal system under which such claims could exist. My point is, it's silly to insist on legal claims as a mark of legitimacy. Especially since legal claims (when they did exist) were typically constructed in ways that served the powerful, at least in practice. Much of the legal tradition everywhere is mere window dressing over "might makes right" if you go back far enough.

Mr. Saganash gets it half right by questioning the state's "assumed sovereignty" and its "legitimate authority to make laws and policies". Yet one has to wonder how Indigenous partnership would somehow bridge that gap. If parliament was filled with Indigenous MPs, then would might make right?