Pierre Elliot Trudeau was undoubtedly one of the most lively and charismatic prime ministers Canada has ever seen. He wore capes, dated celebrities and always wore a red rose buttonhole. He looked like a superhero and often behaved like one. Some of the defining events in Canadian history all occurred during the Trudeau era, such as the patriation of the Constitution, the creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the Quebec referendum of 1980. However, it is Trudeau's 1969 "White Paper" and the legal challenge against Calder that many consider one of his most influential contributions to Canadian history. Trudeau himself was a Liberal. One of the core beliefs of liberal ideology is that of individual rights, meaning that individuals can claim rights on their behalf. Trudeau was, however, very opposed to claiming special status or granting rights to an entire group/collective entity, as he outlined in The Just Society. Collective and group rights mean that you claim a right on behalf of the group to which you belong, usually in reference to cultural groups. Due to the emphasis on individual freedom in the liberal school of thought, Trudeau could never accept this idea. This also resonates throughout the Quebec conflict, where Trudeau is unable to recognize Quebec's special status. It is for this reason that in 1969, he presented his white paper. In Canadian politics, a policy document is called a “white paper.” This doesn't imply anything race-related, as many people initially think. This 1969 white paper proposed the abolition of the Indian Act because it created circumstances that resulted in indigenous people being treated differently from others in Canada...... middle of paper ......special status for Quebec and any other province, but he was ready to recognize the historical rights of indigenous peoples provided that this recognition did not result in the granting of a special status. Like any politician, Pierre Elliot Trudeau made his mistakes. The natives also have their reasons to criticize him. The initial perception of the White Paper was that it was an attempt at assimilation. However, Trudeau's intention was to state that if you want to succeed and be as happy as the rest of Canada, you will be treated like the rest of Canada. This man had the vision of a united Canada despite its cultural fragmentation which sometimes seems to divide our country. Trudeau ushered in an era of settled land claims, self-determination and recognition of First Nations rights like no other prime minister has done to date..