Governance and Administration

BANFF SYMPOSIUM 2012
Wise Practices in Indigenous Community Development

“Governance and Administration”

September 15, 2012
The Banff Centre - Banff, AB

WWW.BCAFN.CA

A new beginning...

Moving Towards the Door…
• After years of litigation, lobbying,
negotiations, and persistence First
Nations in BC are rebuilding our
institutions of governance and re-
establishing jurisdiction, both on our
existing reserves and within our
traditional territories
• We are in an exciting period of change
• But change is not easy… We must share,
communicate and build on our success in
order to open the post-colonial door

BRITISH COLUMBIA ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS /// WWW.BCAFN.CA SEPTEMBER 2012 2

An holistic approach to decolonizing

BC First Nations are working together focusing on four key and interrelated areas:
1. Strong and Appropriate Governance to take advantage of our opportunities in implementing
our Aboriginal title and rights, including treaty rights, and grow our economies by providing
stable and sound governance that is transparent and accountable to our Citizens;
2. Fair Land and Resource Settlements to ensure our peoples and our governments have access
to the resources required to support our societies including both our traditional and modern
economies;
3. Improved Education to ensure our Citizens can participate in our growing economies and our
governments and are able to make informed decisions about change; and,
4. Individual Health to address the colonial health legacies to ensure our Citizens are strong and
can actually benefit from and enjoy their title and rights


Strong & Appropriate Governance

• First Nations’ success stories show that strong and appropriate
governance is necessary if we are to reach our full potential and
maximize the opportunities created as a result of advancements in the
recognition of Aboriginal title and rights, including treaty rights
• Societies that govern well simply do better economically, socially and
politically than those that do not.
• The quality of governance, much more than its specific form, has a huge
impact on the fortunes of any given society. Ours are no exception.
• “Governance” and “government” come in many forms but are always needed.
• Effective governance increases a society’s chances of meeting the needs
of its people: is demanded by our citizens, our leaders, the Federal and
Provincial governments and industry partners

Moving Beyond the Indian Act

• Since colonization systems of governance have been imposed on our Nations. First
Nation’s peoples, lands and economies have been governed separate and apart from
non-Aboriginal Canada under federal administrative authority in accordance with the
Indian Act.
• The Indian Act is neither an appropriate governance framework for First Nations’
people – nor for any people.
• There is an impoverished notion of governance under the Indian Act – imposed
institutions of governance and limited powers (jurisdiction) – which means our
Nations follow the rules of others (we deliver federal programs and services under
federal policy not under our own)
• The status quo is having a negative impact on our societies ability to achieve success
and our Nations are unequivocal and united in the call for change
• The work is well underway in our Nations and support is required. It is no small task
to decolonize and rebuild. There is a lot of fear.


Understanding where we have come from

• In order to begin to address the challenges of deconstructing our colonial
reality, moving past the Indian Act and rebuilding our Nations we need to:
1. Have a common understanding of where we have come from as an
historically self-governing peoples (how did we live pre-contact?), and
2. Understand our current reality and governance today under the Indian Act
• This learning process is the first step in building a collective vision for our
future and creating a movement for social change to support the
implementation of that vision – a vision that includes an improved quality
of life for our people, with practising and thriving cultures
• What was the impact of colonization on…? (our ancestors? / our institutions
of governance? / our culture, language and traditions? / our community?)


“No community left out or behind…”

Opening the Door…
• BCAFN is committed to ensuring all First
Nations’ communities in BC have the
opportunity to re-establish strong and
appropriate governance and to benefit
from recognition of Aboriginal title and
rights. This means engaging in
governance reform and development
• This process of reform must start at the
community level and be based on each
Nation’s vision, leadership and culture
• Governance must be developed from the
ground up. Each Nation needs to engage
its citizens and develop a common vision

A Community Development Approach

• If ultimately our goal is to once again be “self-governing” then our citizens
will need to be fully involved in order for the process of decolonization be
successful. We need to take a community development approach

• Our Citizens should be involved: As citizens we know our community best.
Any governance reform we undertake will be more reflective of our needs
and stronger if we develop it ourselves. Every person has a role to play, can
help and is needed to build a strong, healthy and sustainable community

• Our Citizens expect be involved: We have a tradition of “consensus building”
and our rights are held collectively

• Our Citizens have to be involved: In order to remove some or all of the
application of the Indian Act we will need to “vote the colonizer (Canada)
out.”


The power of working together

• Our people are our greatest resource and we need everyone to be
engaged during this period of transition

• The objective of our community development work and engaging all
our citizens is to ensure we can move beyond our colonial past and
make our lives better, take advantage of our hard fought for
opportunities, and improve the quality of life with practising and
thriving cultures

• We are stronger when we work together and help one another. If we
do not we will not move forward


Developing an Indian Act “exit strategy”

• To help advance First Nations’ governance and in accordance with our
Building on OUR Success action plan, BCAFN has developed a
“Governance Toolkit” that is practical and relevant drawing on the
experience of First Nations in BC and wise practices in governance

• Toolkit takes a community development approach to governance
reform
• Can be used by leaders, staff and citizens to help develop their own
governance critical path and work plan
• A hard copy of the Toolkit has been provided to each First Nation and
Tribal Council in BC. Web version with links to documents referenced
in the Toolkit can be accessed through BCAFN website: www.bcafn.ca


BC Assembly of First Nations – Governance
Toolkit: A Guide to Nation Building (Structure)

The Toolkit is in a number of Parts:

Part One: Part Two: Part Three:
The Governance Governance A Guide to Community
Report Self-Assessment Engagement


PART 1 – THE GOVERNANCE REPORT

The Report is divided into four sections:
• Section One – Options for Governance Reform
History of evolving First Nations’ governance & the development
of options under the Indian Act, Sectoral and Comprehensive
Governance Arrangements

• Section Two - Core Institutions of Governance
Focusing on the structure of First Nations’ Government and its
institutions of the Citizens, the Governing Body, and the
Constitution

• Section Three - Powers (Jurisdictions) of the First
Nation Explores 33 unique jurisdictions to First Nations and
provides background, governance structures & comparatives, BC
First Nations laws/by-laws/activities, & resources

• Section Four - Financing First Nations’ Governance
Review of costing our Nations’ governance, First Nations’
revenues, public debt financing, transfers from other
governments, principles of fiscal financing relationship, and Own
Source Revenue impact on federal transfers


PART 2 – THE GOVERNANCE SELF-ASSESSMENT

The Self-Assessment is divided into two
modules:
• Module One - The Governing Body -
Establishing Effective Governance
• Guide
• Survey/Questionnaire
• Report
• Module Two - The Administration -
Establishing Effective Organization
• Guide
• Survey
• Report


Part 3 – A Guide to Community Engagement: Navigating
Our Way Through the Post-Colonial Door

The Guide is divided into three sections:
• SECTION 1: Moving Towards the Door: Social
Change and Governance Reform
• Social Change—Tools
• SECTION 2: Opening the Door: Community
Engagement and Organizing for Change
• Community Engagement—Tools
• SECTION 3: Walking Through the Door:
Exploring Governance Options, and
Implementing Change
• Governance Options—Tools


Exploring Governance Options and Implementing
Change – Walking Through the Door…


BCAFN GOVERNANCE TOOLKIT

If you have any questions, concerns or
additional feedback please feel free to
contact us:
BC Assembly of First Nations
Suite 507 – 100 Park Royal South
West Vancouver, BC V7T 1A2
Ph: 604 922 7733, Fax: 604 922 7433
www.bcafn.ca
regionalchief@bcafn.ca

Gilakas’la,
Jody Wilson-Raybould
Regional Chief


Governance and Administration

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