Gitanyow Nation Constitution
Location: British Columbia
Population: 802
Date of Constitution: 2009
Additional Information
Gitanyow Nation. 2009. "The Gitanyow Ayookxw: Constitution of the Gitanyow Nation." Kitwanga, BC.
Location: British Columbia
Population: 802
Date of Constitution: 2009
Gitanyow Nation. 2009. "The Gitanyow Ayookxw: Constitution of the Gitanyow Nation." Kitwanga, BC.
Gitanyow citizens, a nation with a strong system of hereditary chiefs, talk about the impacts of development on their traditional lands and how their land use plan has helped protect their territories.
"Gitanyow Nation: Land Use Planning to Protect their Territories." Bear Image Productions. National Centre for First Nations Governance. Canada. Film. 2011. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTytpgFeofQ&feature=plcp, accessed May 16, 2023).
Chiefs, Administrators and Advisors discuss the importance of constitutions and the work involved in developing their own nation's constitution.
"Developing a First Nation Constitution." Bear Image Productions. National Centre for First Nations Governance. Canada. 2011. Film. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c5yNli1Xkk&feature=plcp, accessed April 3, 2023).
This paper is a report on traditional governance and constitution making among the Gitanyow people prepared for the Gitanyow and for the First Nations Governance Centre. The Gitanyow are well along in the development of a national constitution based on traditional governance, and this paper will tell the story of that development. For the First Nations Governance Centre the focus will be on drawing out some of the critical issues for First Nations in constitutional development.
Peeling, Albert C. Traditional Governance and Constitution Making among the Gitanyow. A Paper for the National Centre for First Nations Governance. The National Centre for First Nations Governance. October 11, 2004. Paper. (https://fngovernance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Constitution_Making_Among_the_Gitanyow.pdf, accessed February 15, 2024)
Self-governance negotiations are an integral part of British Columbia’s modern day treaty process. At some treaty tables, impasses have resulted from differences on how to include traditional First Nations governance within treaty. Although some First Nations are determined to pursue traditional structures, inflexible negotiation mandates and fundamentally different understandings of good governance have been barriers to achieving this end. Emphasizing the value of culturally matched governance as integral to effective governance and genuine self-determination, this capstone uses a literature review, case studies, and stakeholder interviews to analyse why some First Nations place a priority on traditional governance and what the benefits of these structures are. The capstone analyzes obstacles preventing inclusion of these traditional structures in treaty and identifies opportunities for alleviating the barriers to their adoption. Policy options are identified and evaluated based on a multiple-criteria analysis, and a recommendation is made on next steps for addressing this policy issue.
Hoffman, Kaitlin S. Valuing Tradition: Governance, Cultural Match, and the BC Treaty Process. School of Public Policy. Simon Fraser University. Burnaby, British Columbia. Canada. April 10, 2014. Master's Thesis. (http://summit.sfu.ca/item/14012, accessed May 23, 2014)
WE are the Gitanyow peoples. We have a long-standing and rich oral tradition which speaks to all aspects of our lives. This written Constitution must be interpreted and understood in the context of our oral history and oral traditions...
THEREFORE, by virtue of our inherent right to govern ourselves and in order to more transparently record our customs, institutions and obligations to each other and to those who come to live as part of our community and in order to guide our relationships with other governments, we, the Gitanyow Nation adopt this written Constitution.
Gitanyow Nation. The Gitanyow Ayookxw: The Constitution of the Gitanyow Nation. Gitanyow Nation. Kitwanga, British Columbia. Canada. 2009. (http://www.gitanyowchiefs.com/media/constitution, accessed May 6, 2014)