Land Decolonized Podcast

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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: [email protected]
• Nipissing First Nation website
• 2023 Conference on Enforcing First Nation Laws website for updates and resources
• First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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: [email protected]
• 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

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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: [email protected]

Elvis Thomas (Reserve Land Code) email: [email protected]

First Nations Land Management Resource Centre website: https://www.labrc.com