According to the Pathway Forward Agreement 2.0, funds for governance allocation are intended use under section 7.11 Governance Work:
- Revitalize and enhance CSFN governance processes and potentially build new ones, which may contribute to the development of constitutions and citizenship codes for CSFNs;
- Strengthen inter-governmental relations, which may support resolving shared territory issues;
- Enhance relationships between CSFN governance processes and provincial decision-making processes, including consent-based decision-making to be developed pursuant to section 7.7; and
- Governance work required to move to self-governance under a Comprehensive Reconciliation Agreement (together, the “Governance Work”).
These listed commitments provide funding for nations to revitalize our governance systems, and ensure that our elected and traditional systems are working in together in the ways that we want. It also enables CSFNs to build processes according to community needs to meaningfully engage in Government-to-Government negotiations with community representation. This includes the need for communities to incorporate traditional governance systems such as hereditary customary groups like Keyoh into the decision-making process. Ultimately, the goal of self-governance will take time but is a shared goal.
The colonial state previously outlawed traditional processes, and laws excluded the role of women as leaders and imposed the band chief and council system as the only acceptable governance system recognized. We are now at a time for communities to find the way forward to reclaim traditional governance processes and rebuild our ways in a way that will allow us to navigate the path ahead. CSFNs also recognize that there is a still a role for the Chief and Council system to play here. Some examples of community implementation include:
Nadleh’s governance funds are dedicated to developing a hybrid governance model that incorporates elements of traditional governance and elected governance.
Governance activities have included:
- Community engagement sessions to determine which aspects of hereditary governance and elected governance are most desired.
- Hired consultants to help inform what a hybrid governance model could look like.
- Invested funds into finding and documenting hereditary leaders and entering the information into Nadleh’s system.
- Nadleh has also used governance funds to fund overlap discussions at technical tables with Stellat’en.
Saik’uz is focused on integrating traditional governing systems into elected governing systems and governance funds were used to fund the following activities:
- The creation of an oversight committee is the bridge between the issues that the community is facing, and the opportunities being presented. This committee provides guidance to Saik’uz Chief and Council on decision-making.
Stellat’en
- Implemented the Yinka Dene Water Law in such projects as Endako Mine, Blackwater Mine, Coastal Gas Link and Rio Tinto.
- Held monthly community meetings for all Stellat’en First Nation members to provide updates and receive input and feedback on moving forward toward self-governance.
- Conducted surveys as a means of gathering important information for governance purposes during the pandemic.
- Stellat’en is currently developing a position for a governance director as well as an assistant to help complete the next phase of advancing self-governance.
- Stellat’en is currently working closely with Nadleh Whut’en First Nation as there is an overlap in the traditional territory between the two Nations.
Takla is working on a master vision that incorporates western and First Nation models to build capacity toward self-governance.
- The Nation’s Health and Education departments have built the capacity to move towards self-governance and jurisdiction, including supporting the ongoing development of a Land Code and additional capacity within the Nation.
All CSFNs are actively working to develop internal work on the processes of governance, reclaiming and integrating traditional systems, and building capacity to engage on a G2G level.