Abstract
Government and First Nations leaders have tended to operate within two different systems of knowledge and perception regarding treaty rights issues in Canada. While First Nations emphasize the original spirit or intent of an agreement, government stresses the letter of the agreement. The Spirit of the Alberta Indian Treaties has long been acknowledged as an authoritative source for both oral and documentary perspectives on Alberta treaties. It has been twice cited in landmark decisions by the Supreme Court of Canada since its original publication in 1979. Expanded, and with a new introduction by Richard Price, this third edition supports a growing understanding between leaders of government and First Nations people in Alberta and Canada.