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Welcome to Land Decolonized! This Indigenous podcast explores the practical side of the Framework Agreement on First Nations Land Management. Created for First Nations communities and anyone interested in learning more about land governance outside of the Indian Act. The Land Decolonized podcast is brought to you by the First Nation Land Management Resource Centre and supported by the First Nation Land Advisory Board.
Send us Fan Mail Andrew Beynon is on a mission to support Land Code First Nations who want to overhaul Canada's flawed Additions-to-Reserve process. Mandated by Lands Advisory Board leadership, Beynon is working through layers of provincial and federal contacts to impress upon them the economic value of Nations moving more quickly to add lands to their reserve base. The system can be painfully show, often taking years, if not decades, to add land that would drastically improve a Nation's economic development, environmental stewardship and cultural protection. If you would like to support our efforts by taking part in case studies proving the economic value of a better ATR process, please contact Andrew (email below.) LINKS: Andrew Beynon's email: andrew.beynon@labrc.com First Nations Land Management Resource Centre
Sara Lehman, Additions-to-Reserve Policy,Ep.57
Send us Fan Mail It's encouraging to see young professionals learning to manage the complexities of Canada's additions-to-reserve policy. And to join the cause promoting a new, more timely approach. Take Sara Lehman for example. This Laurentian University graduate ( Masters in Fisheries Ecology ) is the Lands Director at Wahnapitae First Nation, just east of Sudbury, Ontario. This small community of about 790 members is working through a land claim involving 20,000 acres of its traditional land. Much of it is now used for mining and forestry operations. Sara says the plan is to reclaim governance over the land to provide additional housing and to manage the land sustainably so members can enjoy it for future generations. She spoke with host Richard Perry at a recent FNLMRC event in Toronto. LINKS: Wahnapitae First Nation FNLMRC website Additions-to-Reserve Policy Redesign (Canada)
Desmond Peters, Additions-to-Reserve Policy,Ep.56
Send us Fan Mail In our continuing series on Canada's broken Additions-to-Reserve (ATR) policy, we speak with Desmond Peters , Lands Manager at Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation in British Columbia. The path to reclaiming land governance isn't easy, but Peters believes the process can be improved to better positions First Nations for success. Reform is drastically needed so Nations can expand their land bases – for reasons that are unique to each community. As a former Chief and Band Councillor, he brings a much-respected voice to our continuing discussions on fixing Additions-to-Reserve. LINKS: Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation website First Nations Land Management Resource Centre Additions-to-Reserve Policy Redesign (Canada)
Send us Fan Mail Land sovereignty. What does it mean to a First Nation? How can it be achieved? Chief Gerry Duquette Jr. leads his community of Dokis First Nation in Ontario. He has hands-on experience with Canada's flawed Additions-to-Reserve policy. There's a huge backlog of communities that have to get federal approval before adding lands to their reserves – even tiny parcels that could be added in hours, or even days – not decades as is often the case. Chief Duquette sat down with host Richard Perry to share his concerns about the current ATR process and how it can be improved to the benefit of Nations. LINKS: Dokis First Nation First Nation Lands Management Resource Centre Additions-to-Reserve Policy Redesign (Canada)
LAB Director Phil Goulais on Additions-to-Reserve Policy,Ep.54
Send us Fan Mail Phil Goulais has strong opinions about the need to radically redesign Canada's flawed Additions-to-Reserve policy. He knows the process well. Goulais is a respected former chief of Nipping First Nation, Grand Chief of the Robinson-Huron Territory and former Indian Commissioner of Ontario. He has seen first-hand how Nations are hindered, even blocked from adding critical new land to their reserves – land needed for economic growth, new housing, cultural protection and many other kinds of development. He spoke with host Richard Perry about his connection to the land and how the federal ATR policy is failing First Nations communities. LINKS: Nippissing First Nation First Nation Lands Management Resource Centre Additions-to-Reserve Policy Redesign (Canada)
Grand Chief Willie Charlie, Additions-to-Reserve Policy,Ep.53
Send us Fan Mail Grand Chief Willie Charlie of Sta'ailes First Nation says a much faster Additions-to-Reserve process will help communities prosper. He has seen the cost of long delays. Politicians have always promised to make ATRs go faster, but he says it's the bureaucracy at different levels that ruins the process. He spoke recently with host Richard Perry . We apologize that the sound quality is less than optimal but the conversation is a definite must-listen! LINKS: Sts'ailes First Nation First Nations Land Management Resource Centre Additions-to-Reserve Policy Redesign (Canada)
Send us Fan Mail Join us in our continuing series on Canada's Additions-to-Reserve policy and how it's failing our First Nations communities. If you’re unfamiliar with Additions to reserve - or ATR - it’s the process through which Canada allows land to be added to a First Nation’s reserve. But it’s often a long, frustrating, and inefficient journey. In this episode with Melissa MacDonald of Membertou (NS) we’ll explore why ATRs matter to First Nations, the opportunities they bring, and the challenges posed by a policy that Canada itself has acknowledged as broken. Please comment, provide a rating and share with your personal networks! LINKS: Membertou First Nations Land Management Resource Centre Additions-to-Reserve Policy Redesign (Canada)
Joseph Tootoosis, Flying Dust First Nation Additions-to-Reserve Policy Ep.51
Send us Fan Mail Joseph Tootoosis is a lands and economic strategy advisor with a special interest in sovereignty, land restitution and redress. He also sees the need for a drastic overhaul in Canada's Additions-to-Reserve policy, a complicated process that hurts First Nations trying to add to their reserve land base. Why do ATRs matter to First Nations? What opportunities are Bands missing out on? How does adding land relate to Indigenous sovereignty? We address those questions in this podcast episode. Joseph and host Richard Perry begin by making the connection between land and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. LINKS: Joseph Tootoosis on Linkedin Flying Dust First Nation Kekwetlem First Nation First Nation Lands Management Resource Centre Additions-to-Reserve Policy Redesign (Canada)
Chief Derek Epp, Ch’íyáqtel First Nation Additions-to-Reserve Policy Ep.50
Send us Fan Mail In this special series we’re diving into Canada’s Additions-to-Reserve policy — a crucial yet complex issue for First Nations communities across the country. If you’re unfamiliar with Additions to reserve - or ATR - it’s the process through which Canada allows land to be added to a First Nation’s reserve. But it’s often a long, frustrating, and inefficient journey. In this episode, Chief Derek Epp of Ch’íyáqtel (formerly Tzeachten First Nation) in B.C. talks about an exciting pilot project that shows the process can happen much more quickly. It's a tool that can help Nations grow socially and economically. LINKS: Tzeachten First Nation First Nations Land Management Resource Centre Additions-to-Reserve Policy Redesign (Canada)
Chief Kelly LaRocca, Scugog First Nation Additions-to-Reserve Policy Ep.49
Send us Fan Mail The path to reclaiming land governance is far from easy, but adding lands to a First Nation's land base is essential for a community's long-term sustainability. In this special series, we explore why the federal Additions-to-Reserve policy matters to First Nations. We unpack the intricacies of land rights in conversations with leaders demanding change to an often slow and complex process..which even the Government of Canada admits is broken. In this episode, host Richard Perry speaks with Chief Kelly LaRocca of Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation in Ontario. LINKS: Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation website First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website Federal Additions-to-Reserve Policy Redesign (Canada)
Chief Scott McLeod, Nipissing First Nation Ep. 48
Send us Fan Mail Chief Scott McLeod of Nipissing First Nation says his communty and most other First Nations have been disrupted by the process of colonization and are trying to find their way back. This includes what has been described as a crisis – the lack of enforcement of First Nations laws. He told host Richard Perry that so-called "Crown' land, where his people have been sustained for centuries, can no longer continue to be withheld from the true rights holders. Links: Contact Chief McLeod by email: scottm@nfn.ca Nipissing First Nation website 2023 Conference on Enforcing First Nation Laws website for updates and resources First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website
Tim Raybould, Principal, JWR Group Ep.47
Send us Fan Mail Tim Raybould is one of Canada's leading consultants in First Nations policy and governance. For over twenty-five years Tim has provided professional advice to First Nations and Indigenous organizations in Canada and has been directly involved in a number of Indigenous–led sectoral and comprehensive governance initiatives. Tim was Westbank First Nation’s self-government negotiator and remains active in title and rights issues for Westbank including participating in reconciliation negotiations with the Crown as part of the Okanagan Nation. He has been a senior advisor to the BC Assembly of First Nations and co-authored the BCAFN governance toolkit: a guide to nation building. Tim is the senior policy advisor to the First Nations Finance Authority and has worked with the First Nations Tax Commission, the First Nations Land Management Board and the former National Centre for First Nations Governance. He is also a faculty member for the Banff Centre’s Aboriginal Leadership and Management program. Raybould encourages First Nations leaders to keep fighting for self-government and the establishment of First Nations courts within their own Indigenous justice systems. He sat down with host Richard Perry prior to delivering his address at the 2023 National Conference on the Enforcement of First Nation Laws. Links: Tim Raybould on LinkedIn 2023 Conference website for updates and resources First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website
Jackie Lombardi, Director of Justice, Chiefs of Ontario Ep.46
Send us Fan Mail Jackie Lombardi graduated from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law on the Dean's Honour List with a Distinction in Aboriginal Law and Indigenous Legal Traditions. She brought her valuable perspective to the 2023 National Conference on the Enforcement of First Nation Laws, hosted by the First Nations Lands Advisory Board and First Nations Land Management Resource Centre. She joined host Richard Perry for a conversation about her role with the Chiefs of Ontario and why solutions are required to overcome gaps in law enforcement in First Nations. Links: Conference website for future follow-up materials and updates – https://www.2023firstnationenforcementconference.com/ Jackie Lombardi on LinkedIn Chiefs of Ontario website
Murray Long, Director of Self-Government, Whitecap Dakota First Nation Ep.45
Send us Fan Mail Whitecap Dakota First Nation, near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has been a leading example of a community taking back control of law enforcement. Murray Long, Director of Self-Government, joins host Richard Perry to explain how this progressive First Nation is working with government partners to make significant progress. The conversation was recorded in June 2023 at the National Conference on the Enforcement of First Nation Laws. Links: Conference website for updates and resource materials Whitecap Dakota First Nation website Murray Long on LinkedIn Land Management Resource Centre website
Melissa Tokarek, Director of Lands, Malahat Nation, BC Ep.44
Send us Fan Mail Melissa Tokarek shares her community's interest in law enforcement from its perspective as a nation with its own land code. She takes a particular interest in environmental laws, no doubt due to her background as an Environmental Cooordinator with Defence Construction Canada and an Environmental Scientist with then-Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. She earned her Master of Science in Environmental Practice at Royal Roads University. She sat down with host Richard Perry at the 2023 National Conference on the Enforcement of First Nation Laws, hosted by the First Nation Lands Advisory Board and the First Nations Lands Advisory Board. Links: Conference website for updates, resources and follow-up materials. Malahat Nation website Melissa Tokarek on LinkedIn First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website
Deputy Police Chief Lee-Ann O'Brien, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service Ep.43
Send us Fan Mail Lee-Ann O'Brien has a unique view of First Nation law enforcement, which she shared in this conversation with podcast host Richard Perry. O'Brien is deputy chief of the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service , a stand-alone First Nation police service with a very unique and complex jurisdiction. Today, the force has 42 sworn officers and 11 civilian members, including six full-time public safety dispatchers. It has jurisdiction and authority in Quebec and Ontario. The Mohawk territory of Akwesasne includes portions in Ontario and Quebec within Canada and New York State of the United States of America. It is situated along the St. Lawrence River and spans approximately 25,000 acres of land, including 37 km of waterways and 57 islands. No other First Nation community in Canada has this unique jurisdiction and geographic features. Links: Lee-Ann O'Brien on LinkedIn Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service website Mohawk Council of Akwesasne website 2023 Conference website for updates and resources First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website
Hon. Steven Point, Chancellor – University of British Columbia Ep.42
Send us Fan Mail Few have such a deep understanding of Indigenous justice issues than Hon. Steven Point , a former judge and Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. From 1975 to 1999, Point served as Chief of the Skowkale First Nation . From 1994 to 1999 he served as Tribal Chair of the Stó:lō Nation . He brought a positive, hopeful message to 600 delegates attending the 2023 Conference on the Enforcement of First Nation Laws, held in June 2023. He spoke with host Richard Perry about the simplicity (but effectiveness) of traditional Indigenous conflict resolution and its relevance to the search for modern day solutions among First Nations in Canada. Links: Hon. Steven Point on Wikipedia Hon. Steven Point, Chancellor of UBC 2023 Conference website for updates and resource materials First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website
Grand Chief Garrison Settee, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) Ep.41
Send us Fan Mail Grand Chief Garrison Settee has a bold vision for improved law enforcement in the member communities of MKO. He tells an impassioned story about helping a community grapple with non-existent enforcement during the Covid outbreak and the fortitude it took by a team of committed leadership to find a solution. He joined host Richard Perry at the 2023 Conference on the Enforcement of First Nation Laws, hosted by the First Nations Lands Advisory Board and the First Nations Land Management Resource Centre. Links: 2023 Conference website updates and resources Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) website First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website
Preview: National Conference on First Nations Law Enforcement Ep.40
Send us Fan Mail SHOW NOTES Andrew Beynon, Director of Land Governance, gives us a sneak preview of the first national conference to be held on solving the crisis of ineffective law enforcement in our land code communities. The National Conference on Enforcement of First Nations Laws will be held June 6-8, 2023 in Ottawa-Gatineau. More than 500 participants are expected. 00:50 - Why it is critical to bring together this national conference on enforcement of First Nations laws. 2:20 - There is more recognition of self-government, but what good is it without the ability to enforce laws enacted under new land codes? We must fix this legacy of failure, a real gap. 4:20 - Theme for day one: federal/provincial action plans . Is anything really happening on the ground? Andrew mentions progress being made in some jurisdictions such as Saskatchewan and Manitoba. 6:07 - Theme for day two: success stories . What has to happen next? How are pilot projects proceeding? 7:25 - Theme for day three: First Nations policing . Many communities rely on the RCMP or provincial policing, and they are overstretched already. Some laws however do not require a police element. How should they be dealt with? 11:45 - Possibility of a national coalition? This will be discussed at the conference due to the degree of interest in solving enforcement issues. It is up to First Nations leadership to consider this as a positive next step. There are common issues across the country. Andrew mentions specific communities doing interesting things. 15:03 - Andrew hopes that participants leave the conference with enthusiasm and optimism. Solutions in policing, prosecution and the courts can be found. LINKS Andrew Beynon's email: andrew.beynon@labrc.com First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website Conference event website Conference agenda (tentative) Collaborative Approaches to Enforcement of Laws in Indigenous Communities: Report of House Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs
Elvis Thomas and Lawrence Lamouche, Woodland Cree First Nation Ep.39
Send us Fan Mail Lawrence Lamouche and Elvis Thomas share the unique and inspirational story of how both contribute to land management at Woodland Cree First Nation in Treaty 8 territory in northern Alberta. It is the first Alberta nation to enact its own land code. Lawrence manages the traditional land portfolio while Elvis is the go-to contact for land code on the reserve proper. Woodland Cree is a 'young' band, having been created in 1989, and it just voted to enact its own land code in November 2022. It is refreshing to hear how both men, with leadership from Chief and Council, helped get the nation out of more than 30 land-related provisions of the Indian Act so their community could start to grow at the 'speed of business'. CONTACT INFORMATION: Woodland Cree First Nation Website: https://www.woodlandcree.net/ Woodland Cree Facebook videos: https://www.facebook.com/wcfn474/videos Woodland Cree 'A vision for the future' video: https://youtu.be/2IVQgNi5cOE Lawrence Lamouche (traditional lands) email: lawrencejr_8@hotmail.com Elvis Thomas (Reserve Land Code) email: elvis@woodlandcree.net First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website: https://www.labrc.com
