THE ABORIGINAL SEARCH FOR “SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES”
SOCIOLOGICAL FACT: STATISTICS CANADA – THE AVERAGE INCOME OF FIRST
NATIONS PEOPLE IS ABOUT 56 PER CENT OF THE CANADIAN AVERAGE, AND ROUGHLY 40 PER
CENT LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, COMPARED WITH 12 PER CENT OF THE REST OF
CANADIANS
=====> {WHAT ABOUT?} LIFE
CHANCES/ OPPORTUNITY STRUCTURE: ONE IN 10 ABORIGINAL CHILDREN
IS IN FOSTER CARE, COMPARED TO ONE IN 200 NON-ABORIGINAL CHILDREN, AND
THE AFN ARGUES THE PROBLEM IS EXACERBATED BECAUSE CHILD-WELFARE AGENCIES
FOR FIRST NATIONS GET 22 PER CENT LESS MONEY THAN THOSE THAT DEAL WITH
NON-ABORIGINAL CHILDREN, DESPITE DEEP POVERTY IN MANY ABORIGINAL
COMMUNITIES.
APPLIED SOCIOLOGY PROBLEM: TOOLS FOR THE CREATION
OF SOCIAL ARRANGEMENTS, SOCIAL FORMS, AND SOCIAL CONTEXT THAT ENCOURAGE SYNERGY
{WIN-WIN} IN LIFE ====> CREATING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES IN
WHICH PEOPLE FLOURISH.
SUSTAINABILITY [DEF'N] ======> A STRATEGY BY WHICH COMMUNITIES
SEEK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES THAT ALSO BENEFIT THE LOCAL
ENVIRONMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE. FOR A COMMUNITY TO BE TRULY SUSTAINABLE,
IT MUST ADOPT A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH THAT CONSIDERS ECONOMIC,
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES. COMMUNITIES MUST CONSIDER
THESE NEEDS IN THE SHORT TERM AS WELL AS THE LONG TERM
(SOURCE: SMART
COMMUNITIES NETWORK =============>
{{{WWW.SACTAQC.ORG/RESOURCES/PRIMERS/GLOSSARY_LAND_USE.HTM}}})
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY ======> 1) TRANSPARENCY, 2) ACCOUNTABILITY, AND 3) SELF-DETERMINATION.
{WHAT PREVENTS
SUSTAINABILITY IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES?}
CONTEMPORARY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ABORIGINAL AND NON-ABORIGINAL
RELATIONSHIP IN CANADA {INHIBITING SUSTAINABILITY}
1) INEFFECTUAL
GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE AND PATERNALISTIC HANDOUTS.
2) THROWING
MONEY AT A PROBLEM ====> EXPANDING LEGIONS OF EXPERTS IN HOPE OF
FOSTERING ASSIMILATION THROUGH SELF-SUFFICIENCY.
3) RHETORIC
OF SELF-GOVERNMENT AND A “NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT” ======> IN REALITY MOST
INITITATIVES SIMPLY REFORM/ TWEEK THE OLD ONE AND REFUSE TO RELINQUISH ANY
SUBSTANTIVE POWER.
SO, WHEN WE TALK OF THE “ABORIGINAL
PROBLEM” WE NEED TO TALK IN A WIDER DISCOURSE THAT PUTS THE BURDENS
ON INSTITUTIONS SO THAT WHAT COMES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE ARE THE POLITICS, THE
CULTURE, AND THE ECONOMICS OF DOMINATION
THE PUBLIC POLICY FORUM REPORT FOR 2005
“INDIAN ACT THWARTS FIRST NATIONS DEVELOPMENT”
...
THE PUBLIC FORUM REPORT THESIS: THE INDIAN
ACT IS "A PERVASIVE AND INVASIVE PIECE OF LEGISLATION," THE
GOVERNMENT WOULD BE BETTER TO REPLACE IT WITH A SELF-GOVERNING ALTERNATIVE. IN
TINKERING WITH THE ACT, OTTAWA IS TRYING TO FIX WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY THE
COLONIAL THINKING OF 1860.
THE INDIAN ACT IS THWARTING DEVELOPMENT AMONG FIRST
NATIONS AND MUST BE SCRAPPED IF THEY ARE TO CLOSE THE DRAMATIC ECONOMIC GAP
BETWEEN THEM AND THE REST OF CANADIANS, A NEW REPORT SAYS.
THE
REPORT, A RESULT OF CONSULTATIONS CONDUCTED BY THE PUBLIC POLICY FORUM WITH
FIRST NATIONS AND GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES, SHEDS LIGHT ON REASONS BEHIND THE
VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT ECONOMIES OF FIRST NATIONS.
THERE
IS A STRONG DESIRE AMONG FIRST NATIONS "TO COME OUT FROM UNDER THE SMOTHERING
CULTURE OF DEPENDENCY," BUT THE INDIAN ACT POSES THE MAJOR BARRIER
TO THIS, THE REPORT SAYS.
{1} THE ACT SYSTEMATICALLY RESTRICTS THESE COMMUNITIES FROM USING THEIR
PROPERTY TO GUARANTEE BANK LOANS — A CRUCIAL FIRST STEP IN A BUSINESS ENDEAVOUR, {GORDON SHANKS, EXECUTIVE IN RESIDENCE FOR THE
PUBLIC POLICY FORUM}
{2} THE ACT ALSO FORCES NATIVES TO LEASE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT FROM THE
CROWN, A CONVOLUTED PROCESS THAT IS FRAUGHT WITH UNCERTAINTY AND DOES NOT KEEP
UP WITH THE PACE OF BUSINESS, MR. SHANKS SAID, ADDING THAT THIS HAS RESULTED IN
AN ANTI-RESERVE BIAS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
THE REPORT ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT THE GOVERNMENT:
{1} MAKE LEADERS LEGALLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR FINANCES SO THAT THEIR
COMMUNITIES SEE THE BENEFITS WHEN BUSINESSES PROSPER.
{2} CO-ORDINATE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AND DEPARTMENTS THAT DEAL WITH
FIRST NATIONS (I.E. INDIAN AFFAIRS, HUMAN RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRY
CANADA) TO MAKE THEM MORE USER-FRIENDLY.
(THE CURRENT PATCHWORK FORCES PEOPLE TO SCRATCH FOR INFORMATION AS THEY TRY TO
COBBLE TOGETHER BUSINESS PROPOSALS.)
{3} DEVELOP INFRASTRUCTURE. MANY OF THE RESERVES ARE IN REMOTE AREAS
NORTH OF THE 55TH PARALLEL, WHERE THERE IS NO ACCESS TO ROADS OR ELECTRICITY
GRIDS.
{4} AVOID CLAWING BACK PROFITS AS BUSINESSES THRIVE. {THIS IS A BIG CONCERN AMONG NATIVE COMMUNITIES, WHO
FEAR THAT SUCCESS WILL LEAD THE GOVERNMENT TO REIN IN FUNDING.}
====================================================
{{{SOCIOLOGICAL QUESTION {POSED BY THE REPORT FOR LOCATING THE SOURCE OF
ABORIGINAL AND NON-ABORIGINAL DISPARITIES}: IS THE SO-CALLED “INDIAN PROBLEM”
IN ACTUALITY A “CANADIAN PROBLEM”?
SOCIAL FACT: ABORIGINAL PEOPLES DEFINE THEMSELVES AS
DESCENDENTS OF THE ORIGINAL OCCUPANTS WHOSE COLLECTIVE AND INHERENT RIGHTS TO
SELF-DETERMINATION OVER INTERNAL JURISDICTIONS HAVE NEVER BEEN EXTINGUISHED BUT
REMAIN INTACT AS A BASIS FOR ENTITLEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT.
SOCIOLOGICAL QUESTION(S): [1] DO
NON-ABORIGINAL CANADIANS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS DEFINTION? [2] DO
NON-ABORIGINAL CANADIANS HAVE A PROBLEM ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
“DISENFRANCHISEMENT”{DEF: A CONTEXT OF
DEPRIVATION AND STATE-INITIATED VIOLENCE OF THEIR LIVES}
OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLE?
{FLERAS & FOSTER: IT IS
CONVENIENT TO TALK ABOUT THE “INDIAN PROBLEM” OR REFER TO THE “GAP[S]” BETWEEN
ABORIGINAL AND NON-ABORIGINAL LIFESTYLE AND ATTAINMENT === BUT === WE
NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS IN A WIDER DISCOURSE OF “DISENFRANCHISEMENT” AND
CREATED DEPENDENCY AND LEARNED HELPLESSNESS [FLERAS] === AND ===
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT IN A WAY THAT PUTS BURDENS ON
INSTITUTIONS SO THAT WHAT COMES UNDER THE MICROSCOPE ARE THE POLITICS, THE
CULTURE, AND ECONOMICS OF DOMINATION}
{{{SOCIOLOGICAL SOLUTION {FOR
REDRESSING DISCRIMINATION AND PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY}:
========> THE “ABORIGINALITY” MOVEMENT =======>
{{{THE CONTEMPORARY POLITICS OF “ABORIGIALITY”
REVOLVES AROUND THE KEY ISSUE OF SELF-DETERMINATION ======> OR MORE
ACCURATELY, ABORIGINAL MODELS OF SELF-DETERMINING AUTONOMY =======>
MEANS THE “DEVOLUTION” OF REPONSIBILITY AND FEDERAL JURISDICTION OVER
ABORIGINAL LANDS AND AFFAIRS, AND THE TRANSFERENCE OF RIGHTS AND AUTHORITIES TO
ABORIGINAL PEOPLE ====> IN SHORT, LAND, IDENTITY AND POLITICAL VOICE}}}
THE DEBATE TODAY (FOR MOST PART) REVOLVES AROUND THE MAGNITUDE OF THESE RIGHTS
RATHER THAN THEIR LEGITIMACY. THE CHALLENGE LIES IN FINDING A WORKING
BALANCE BETWEEN ABORIGINAL RIGHTS TO SELF-DETERIMINING AUTONOMY WITH CANADA'S
RIGHTS TO IMPOSE RULE OF LAW IN ADVANCING NATIONAL INTEREST [FLERAS, SP
PP.323].
FEDERAL AND
PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES TENDANCY TODAY IS TO SEE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE AS JUST ANOTHER “SPECIAL-INTEREST”
GROUP (AND THEIR ASPIRATIONS AS CONTINGENT) TO BE CONTROLLED, APPEASED, AND
ADMINISTERED
SOCIOLOGICAL NOTE: ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES HAVE A DISTINCTIVE ETHNICITY EVEN THOUGH THE FIRST NATIONS REJECT LABELING AS A ETHNIC MINORITY – THEY ENDORSE THE STATUS OF A PEOPLE OR NATION. ====> {NOT AN INDEPENDENT NATION-STATE, BUT RATHER COLLECTIVES (1) WITH A RIGHT TO GOVERN SELVES, AND (2) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CANADA}
{{{SOCIOLOGICAL ASIDE: ALL IN ALL, ABORIGINAL LIFE “TODAY” IS AN “OPPOSITIONAL PUBLIC
SPHERE” {WITH OPPOSITIONAL DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES} ====> ENGAGED IN A CONCERTED
CRITIQUE OF THE STRUCTURES OF DOMINATION THAT SHAPE THEIR LIVES AND SUPPRESS
THEIR ASPIRATIONS =====> [THIS ENTAILS RADICAL RESTRUCTURING OF SOCIETY
ALONG CONSTITUTIONAL LINES, CHANGING THE DISTRIBUTION OF POWER WITHIN A RECONSTITUTIONALIZED
STATE]
Levels of
Aboriginal Self-Governance
|
Statehood*absolute (de jure) sovereignty *internal + external jurisdiction *complete independence with no external interference |
Nationhood*de facto sovereignty *self-determining control over multiple yet interlinked jurisdictions within a framework of shared sovereignty *nations within/province-like |
Community/Municipality-based*conditional sovereignty *community-based autonomy *internal jurisdictions, limited only by interaction with similar bodies and higher political authorities |
Institutional*nominal sovereignty *decision-making power through institutional accommodation *parallel institutions |