First Nations Given Control of their Land and Resources
I can‘t hide my happiness and pride in the Misipawistik Cree Nation—a Cree community in the north of Winnipeg—400 km away—is looking have power of the administration of their reserve land. This would give the First Nation control over its land and resources. The Misipawistik Cree Nation is on 1,800 hectares and has a little over 2,000 members. The members will have to agree and sign the land code in order get on the government’s First Nations Land Management Regime. This happening will exempt the community from 32 sections of the Indian Act pertaining to the administrating of land.
What is the Indian Act?
The 140 year old legislation has been used by the federal government to manage everything from the laws, electing and membership in the First Nation communities.
This piece of legislation is widely used in most First Nation communities nationwide.
The land management regime came into effect 18 years ago to hand the responsibility of administrating land over to the First Nations once the tribes’ land codes becomes operative.
The Misipawistik Cree Nation has attempted to create a economic zone along the Manitoba Highway 6 where there cul-de-sac cuts into the First Nation, for the past decade!
So why has it taken so long for it to be approved?
Under the Indian Act, the land had to be studied be appraised and 2 community votes to were needed. After which, the Indigenous affairs minister would have the last say.
After the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation went with the regime and signed their very own land code in 2014, it was just a matter of months before they began putting businesses in place. A brand new grocery store, clinic and pharmacy were started almost immediately.
The land & resources manager of Ojibway First Nation—Gord Bluesky—says that other communities look up to his community and that he gets called all the time. He most recently traveled to the province of Alberta to aid the First Nations there.
It is a wonderful historic happening that almost all of the First Nations will now have input and control when it comes managing their own economies and land instead of simply accepting what the government forces on them.
As of now, there are 95 First Nations nationwide that have created land codes or in the process of doing so. This is according to the Indigenous Affairs’ online site.
So, what does the Misipawistik land code state?
The draft states that the reserve land cannot be sold nor can it be subject to seizure; there will also be no tax on it.
There can be exchanging of land but that will not be able to be done without approval from the First Nation’s members.
Councilor Heidi Cook of Misipawistik Cree Nation is confident in her peoples ability to govern themselves and says that they will be okay once they stick to the rules.
The community will take a vote on the land code between the 6th and 10th of next month. Members that do not reside on the reservation are also called to vote online.
You gotta love the inclusiveness!
