[MUSIC] Governance is generally understood to describe the social structures that determine how decisions are made and how individuals are represented in societal decision-making. Think about how Members of Parliament are elected to represent individuals at the federal level. And how decisions are made in the House of Commons. This is the Canadian State’s governance model. We have learned about Indigenous world views which are foundational in the development of Indigenous governance structures, And how concepts of law in Indigenous principles differ from European models. Our laws and worldviews determine how we govern ourselves. That being said, we have also begun to understand that through pieces of legislation, including most notoriously the Indian Act, the Canadian government has imposed state governance practices upon Indigenous Peoples. This means that the way most First Nations and Inuit communities currently govern themselves is based on a model that imitates the Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial systems. We will not discuss the various Indigenous governance models here, but we will talk about how some of the urban Indigenous organizations in Canada are governed and who they represent. The governance of urban Indigenous communities has been challenging. There's not a clear structure or idea of what levels of government, federal, provincial or municipal, should be involved. There are a few ways that the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples identified for the improvement of urban Indigenous governance. First, we could change existing public institutions to accommodate urban Indigenous residents who want to be more involved in urban governance and decision making. Second, options based in Indigenous self-government would be considered, including the objectives of Indigenous self government and how they might be achieved given the diversity of urban Indigenous populations. Some suggest that reforming existing governance structure to be more inclusive of Indigenous representation could help to close the policy gaps for urban Indigenous residents. Some possibilities highlighted by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples for addressing issues at the municipal level include: one, having Indigenous members for school boards, boards of health, hospital boards, police commissions and other institutions whose work affects the lives of urban Indigenous peoples. Two, having permanent Indigenous affairs committees for municipal councils, school boards and other agencies. And three, looking at co-managing urban initiatives, particularly in areas where federal, provincial, or territorial legislation has recognized a role for Indigenous governments. Changing existing institutions alone will not address the complex challenges in urban Indigenous communities. The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples also outlines a model that would collectively represent diverse Indigenous communities in urban spaces, communities that would create themselves through voluntary association. The Urban Community of Interest Model is discussed in detail in the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples as a possible way forward in urban Indigenous governance that would work with existing levels of municipal, provincial, territorial, and federal governments. There are two types of urban reserves: those that already existed with urban centres, having grown up around them, and those that have been newly created within the boundaries of cities. We'll talk a little more about the differences between these two types of urban reserves and give some specific examples from across Canada. In some instances, reserves have been encroached upon by urban sprawl. For example, the Tsuut'ina Nation is located just southwest of the Calgary city limits. As the city has grown over the last number of decades, the distance between the edge of the city and the reserve has reduced so that the reserve is located at the city limits. The urban growth has, in some cases, created conflict between these expanding municipalities and First Nations. In the Calgary example, there was a long and somewhat contentious negotiation over the development of the ring road that needed to pass through the Tsuut’ina Nation. In 2013, a final agreement between the Government of Alberta and the Tsuut’ina Nation for the transfer of 428 hectares of reserved lands to allow for the construction of road and utility corridor, was approved. The total cost for the land and compensation for the impacts of the road was, 340.7 million dollars. The province has until 2022 to build the road under these terms. This deal was not necessarily supported by all band members, although there was a referendum on the decision. Each band member will receive approximately $60,000 as a portion of the sale. These payouts to individual band members, are viewed by many non-Indigenous Calgarians as just another hand out, Playing into the stereotyping of Indigenous peoples, as living on government support. The mid 1980s saw the creation of a number of new urban reserves in Canada. The primary driver behind this creation of new reserves was federal policy developed in 1987 and consolidated in 1991 called the Additions to Reserves Policy, and in western Canada, the Treaty Land Entitlement Process. The Additions to Reserves Policy is intended to fulfill existing legal obligations including treaty land entitlements and negotiated settlements. The Treaty Land Entitlement Process acknowledges that land allocations agreements in treaty have not always been honoured. Some First Nations that have established land entitlement through this process have sought out urban locations for their land holdings for economic development purposes. This process allows First Nations to buy parcels of land with federal funding based on treaty entitlement. This does not automatically make it a reserve though. In order for the land to become a reserve, the First Nation and the Federal Government have to go through a process that may take many years. This process includes environmental assessments prior to the land being designated as a reserve. Usually, the creation of an urban reserve is not for Indigenous urban residents. It is a territorial extension of an existing band's parent reserve in a rural area. In Winnipeg, the Long Plain First Nation, located approximately 100 kilometres west of the city, now has a 1.4 hectare urban property with reserve status. We can see that in this case, the urban reserve is an extension of the parent band governed by the rural chief and council. Providing an urban land base and urban economic opportunities for its members. In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for example, Muskeg Lake First Nation has entered into a business relationship with the municipality of Saskatoon through the creation of a urban reserve that contains a number of different business interest. By developing a relationship with municipal leaders in Saskatoon, Muskeg Lake First Nation was able to extend their economic potential to a large investment space despite being located more than 130 kilometres northwest of the city itself. We are now able to see how urban places have become hubs in the development of modern Indigenous culture, identity and economic growth. We have outlined how urban Indigenous identity can be seen as distinct from other forms of Indigenous identity while remaining connected to foundational elements of cultural practice, history, and cultural norms grounded in Indigenous world view. There are so many Indigenous people in urban places that are connected through informal networks, extended family, urban-based Indigenous institutions, and social media networks, such as Twitter and Facebook. These connections make communication and mobilization around social issues easier. Indigenous people are connected better than ever before, sharing common worldviews, common experiences of racism and marginalization, and many are highly motivated to stand up against their continued oppression. The concentration in urban centres also allows for the reclaiming of certain areas in the city, making the Indigenous presence in the city more visible. Urban spaces as hubs and engines of Indigenous cultural power have influenced the extent to which Indigenous peoples have become increasingly engaged in social movements and protesting in urban spaces. There are countless examples from the last two decades of urban protest led by Indigenous community groups and individuals, such as objections to proposed legislation, the flashpoint for the Idle No More movement, which we will discuss in more detail in the next lesson. [MUSIC]
