Indigenous self-governance an important key to reconciliation: policy expert

TORONTO -

Since 1877, the Indian Act has governed First Nations communities, allowing the federal government to control everything from land to resources, education, even an Indigenous person’s own status in the eyes of the law.

Some say one of the important keys to moving forward on the journey towards reconciliation is for Indigenous peoples in Canada to govern themselves.

While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, Indigenous people in Canada have an inherent right to self-determination.

“I think fundamentally it means that we would be making our own laws, managing our own land as we have for thousands of years in terms of self-governing,” explained Bob Watts, adjunct professor at Queen’s University Watts said it is a right that was disrupted by colonization and confederation.

“If we just take the premise and you ask the average Canadian, ‘what do you think about reconciliation?’ Most say ‘It’s something we need to do,’ and you say, ‘you know, the constitution says there are two founding nations - the French and the English. Indigenous people aren’t even mentioned. What do you think about that?’ I think most people would say that doesn’t sound right.”

Watts has worked in high-level positions with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission looking at residential schools, the Assembly of First Nations and the federal government.

“As long as we have this power inequality between Indigenous people and other governments, and really an unwillingness to share power, to share resource management, to share our lands, to share the benefits of this country so we don’t have so many Indigenous families and communities growing up in poverty, then we don’t achieve reconciliation,” Watts said.

Sault Ste. Marie human rights lawyer Naomi Sayer says there are ways to make systems more democratic for Indigenous people to better control their own lives.

“Government, hospitals, education, the justice system has a long history and practice of not listening to their concerns and you know adopting, ‘this is the way we’ve always done it, and we are going to continue doing it,’” she said.

Sayer said the pandemic has made the justice system more accessible to First Nations people who might not live near the courts.

“In terms of COVID, now we see the justice system where individuals can call in directly from their home, they don’t have to travel especially in Sault Ste. Marie. The court is far for some people and for some people, the court is even farther because you have to fly in, so it’s just listening to people,” she said.

Watts said Ottawa should take a bit of humility and a backseat.

“To say, we’re not going to impose decolonization. The schedule will be set by Indigenous people, and Ottawa can say, ‘we stand ready to be part of this reformation. We stand ready to imagine a different constitutional, a different structure,’” he said.

Both Watts and Sayer said while the structures can make the process towards reconciliation seem daunting, we can all work towards it starting now, to change the relationship between Indigenous people and the rest of Canada.

“It’s really simple, right? It can be ‘okay, I’m going to read the TRC report today and then maybe I’m going to commit to donating $10 a month to the Indian Friendship Centre here,” Sayer said.

“Everybody can educate themselves. Read the 94 calls to action. Read books by some Indigenous authors. Talk to your local representative and say, ‘I want fundament change.’ What are you prepared to do?’” Watts said. 

If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419

Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.