First Nation-Local Government Agreements: A Pathway Toward Reconciliation
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Date
2017
Authors
Fiss, Adam
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Abstract
Across Canada, Indigenous leaders and organizations are working with mayors and councils to establish and maintain respectful relationships. This research considers how intergovernmental agreements between First Nations and local governments present opportunities to expand and improve upon the national effort to pursue truth and reconciliation at the local level. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with practitioners and policy-makers to identify characteristics of successful relationship-building and determine how they align, or misalign, with the theory and practice of reconciliation. Protocol and service agreements, guiding documents, policies, and regulatory texts were analyzed to consider which of these characteristics are put into action and which are left out. Findings suggest that there is a pressing need for guidance on how First Nations and local governments can improve policy and practice to enhance and sustain relationships consistent with reconciliation. Recommendations are presented that address these fundamental limitations, which constrain the capacity for both parties take part in equitable planning practices that build relationships. Despite reconciliation efforts generally pursued by the Crown, this research suggests that there is a broadening potential for these intergovernmental agreements at the local level to support the spirit of reconciliation.
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Keywords
reconciliation, Indigenous, First Nation, agreements, protocol, urban reserve, services