The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday, July 27, edition that indigenous Canadian communities have unique rights under Section 35 of the Constitution. A Globe editorial says these protections, covering pre-existing rights and those acquired by treaty, are extensive -- but some are also limited. That is the takeaway from a pair of Supreme Court rulings released Wednesday. One considered the National Energy Board's approval of an oil and gas exploration project, over the objections of an Inuit community. The Court struck the project down. The other case looked at the NEB's approval of Enbridge's Line 9 reversal. The court said that, even though an affected indigenous community was opposed to the project, the NEB had properly consulted and properly approved it. At issue in both cases is the Crown's "duty to consult." The court wrote, "The duty to consult is rooted in the need to avoid the impairment of asserted or recognized rights." For a consultation to pass constitutional muster, it cannot just be about collecting complaints and suggestions, and then ignoring them. The indigenous community must be fully informed of the project's details and consequences, and given the opportunity to respond.