Indigenous Governance: Questioning the Status and the Possibilities for Reconciliation with Canada's Commitment to Aboriginal and Treaty Rights

Producer
Centre for First Nations Governance
Year

Indigenous peoples have always had governance. This fact has been a matter of great debate among Canadian politicians and scholars for many years, but there is little doubt that Indigenous Nations had developed for themselves complex systems of government prior to colonization. The important questions that need to be asked today do not concern the pre-existence of Indigenous government but instead raise questions of the existence of Indigenous government today. Are Indian Act band councils governments? What about "traditional" governments? What about self-government? This paper responds to such questions concerning the status of Indigenous governments as governments and considers their place in the federal and constitutional order of Canada.  

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Ladner, Kiera L. "Indigenous Governance: Questioning the Status and the Possibilities for Reconciliation with Canada's Commitment to Aboriginal and Treaty Rights". Research Paper for the National Centre for First Nations Governance. The National Centre for First Nations Governance. Canada. September 15, 2006. Paper. (https://fngovernance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/kiera_ladner.pdf, accessed July 25, 2023)

Related Resources

Thumbnail

Indian Pride, an American Indian cultural magazine television series, spotlights the diverse cultures of American Indian people throughout the country. This episode of Indian Pride features John Echohawk, Executive Director of the Native American Rights Fund, and focuses on understanding Indian…

Image
The Crown's Constitutional Duty to Consult and Accomodate Aboriginal and Treaty Rights

The Crown’s duty to consult and accommodate Aboriginal and treaty rights is a fundamental matter of social justice that invokes very solemn legal obligations. Reconciliation and win-win situations can be achieved with good faith negotiations if the federal and provincial Crown immediately…

Image
The Indian Act and the Future of the Aboriginal Governance in Canada

The Indian Act is no longer an uncontestable part of the Aboriginal landscape in Canada. For decades, this controversial and intrusive piece of federal legislation governed almost all aspects of Aboriginal life, from the nature of band governance and land tenure systems to…