LANDS ADVISORY BOARD REGAINING CONTROL OF OUR RESERVE LANDS & RESOURCES A GUIDE TO THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON FIRST NATION LAND MANAGEMENT 2017/2018 EDITION WWW.LABRC.COM CONTENT 1. THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT 2. SIGNATORY COMMUNITIES 3. ULTIMATE GOALS 4. THE LANDS ADVISORY BOARD 5. THE RESOURCE CENTRE 6. FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT SUCCESS 7. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS “ I am proud of my people for wanting to take back management of the land because it has been too long that we didn’t have a say in what happened on our land. We voted yes because we want to go back to managing our land and traditional territories. If you look back at our past, there were only native people here and we had to look after our land, so that’s what we did. So now we have that chance again to manage our land and teach our children. Land is everything to us.” Chief Veronica Waboose Long Lake 58 First Nation, Longlac, Ontario Shutterstock/Sergei Bachlakov THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT ON FIRST NATION LAND MANAGEMENT The road to the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management (Framework Agreement) began in the late 1980’s, launched by a small group of First Nations Chiefs, looking for a way for First Nation communities to leave the paternalistic constraints of the Indian Act behind. The purpose of the Framework Agreement was to recognize the inherent right of First Nations to resume control over their lands and resources for the use and benefit of their members without Government interference, by replacing the land provisions of the Indian Act with First Nation made laws. Why is the Framework Agreement so important? The Framework Agreement was signed by the Minister of Indian Affairs and In the past, some have asked why the creation of the Framework Northern Development and 13 First Nations on February 12, 1996. Agreement was so important. The answer lies in the shortcomings of the Indian Act. The Framework Agreement sets out the principal components of reserve land governance. It is not a treaty and does not affect treaty or other Under the Indian Act First Nations were considered wards of the state aboriginal constitutional rights of the First Nations. and not governments. The Framework Agreement was ratified by Canada through the enactment The Indian Act gave the government of Canada the authority to of the First Nations Land Management Act on June 17, 1999. legislate all matters concerning “Indians and lands reserved for Indians”. First Nations lands were “administered” by Indian Agents and members of Government with little consideration to First Nations The Framework Agreement provides First Nations with the option to govern environment, culture or people. their reserve lands outside the Indian Act. The option to regain control of their lands and resources can only be undertaken with the consent of the The Indian Act was legislated without the involvement, consultation community. or consent of First Nations peoples. It enabled the government to exercise control over children, families and communities by imposing A signatory First Nation to the Framework Agreement creates its own foreign systems of governance, education, health, and religion. land code, community ratification process, and enters into an Individual Agreement with Canada. The Indian Act made it virtually impossible for First Nations people to continue to trade, or seek other ways of economic sustainability. First Once the Land Code and Individual Agreement are approved by the Nations were required to have a permission from the Indian agent, to community, the land management provisions of the Indian Act cease to sell things as basic as firewood. Cultural celebrations and traditions apply. The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development will no were also prohibited. longer be involved in the day-today management of the First Nation’s The legacy of the Indian Act is not a good one and continues to reserve lands. The Land Code does not have to be approved by the Minister. cause significant ongoing problems. Ellesmere Island First Nations Land Management Gestion des terres des Premières nations January 2018 Edition / Édition janvier 2018 ck tri Pa e d Produced by Surveyor General Branch, Natural Resources Canada. inc an SIGNATORY COMMUNITIESPr Isl Préparé par la Direction de l’arpenteur général, Ressources naturelles Canada. To Order Additional Copies / Pour obtenir ce produit contactez : Melville Surveyor General Branch, Geomatics Canada, Natural Resources Beaufort Sea Island B KALAALLIT NUNAAT aff Canada. Telephone: (780) 495 - 7664, email: [email protected] Mer de Beaufort in B B ay (DENMARK) or visit our website at http://sgb.nrcan.gc.ca aie de B affin To the Framework Agreement on FirstBanks Nation Land Management Direction de l’arpenteur général, Géomatique Canada, Ressources naturelles Island Parry Channel Canada Téléphone (780) 495 - 7664, Courriel: [email protected] ALASKA ou voir le site web http://dag.rncan.gc.ca (U.S.A) Somerset Island © 2018. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Prince of © 2018. Sa Majesté la Reine du chef du Canada, Ressources naturelles Canada. Wales Island Scale 1:18 000 000 or one centimetre represents 180 kilometers Victoria Island Ba ffi Échelle 1: 18 000 000 ou un centimètre représente 180 kilomètres n I sla nd 180 0 180 360 540 KM D D a é v tr i o s i S t d tr e a Lambert Conformal Conic Projection, Standard Parrallels 49° N and 77° N D it a Projection conique conforme de Lambert, parallèles d'échelle conservés à 49° N et 77° N v is YUKON LEGEND LÉGENDE Foxe Basin Developmental First Nations Text Premières nations - En développement Whitehorse NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Iqaluit Operational First Nations Text Premières nations - En opération *Operational date to be determined *Date opérationnelle à déterminer TERRITOIRES DU NORD-OUEST Fo xe C NUNAVUT ha nn Indian Reserves Réserves indiennes Southampton el Island Hu D dso Ville étro n City it Stra d'H it Tah uds ltan on Provincial, Territorial Boundary Limite provinciale ou territoriale Yellowknife International Boundary Frontière internationale Iskut BRITISH COLUMBIA K'atl'Odeeche 200 Mile Limit Limite de 200 milles Ungava Bay N COLOMBIE-BRITANNIQUE Baie d'Ungava EW F La O br Fort Nelson T U ad Haisla E N M or R D e Se R L r d a Metlakatl E AN e L a McLeod Lake -N ab Wei Wai Kum E D rad ALBERTA U AN or VE D Nak'azdli Whut'en Hudson Bay -E L Tseil-WPaAuCtIFuICth Kitsumkalum T AB OCEAN Baie d'Hudson -LA R Kwantlen Fort McMurray #468 BR AD We Wai Kai Loon River A OR OCÉAN Kitselas DO K'oPmACoIFkIQsUE Yakweakwioose SASKATCHEWAN R Lheidli T'enneh Williams Lake MANITOBA Musqueam Fort McMurray English River T'it'q'et Ts'kw'aylaxw Snaw Naw As St. John's Skowkale Alexis Flying Dust QUEBEC 'Namgis Nisichawayasihk Miawpukek Nanoose Aitchelitz One Arrow Lac La Ronge QUÉBEC Homalco Stz'uminus Lower Nicola Mistawasis Enoch Muskeg Lake Edmonton r Penelakut Lytton e Opaskwayak James iv t Neskonlith R n SAINT-PIERRE ET Wahpeton e re Gulf of Bay c u ?aqam n a Ditidaht Kamloops Prince Albert re St. Lawrence w t-L MIQUELON Baie a in Okanagan Nor L way House ONTARIO . Golfe du Sa Vernon James Listuguj St e v Saint-Laurent (FRANCE) Lake Cowichan Tsuut'ina Muskoday u Vancouver Baie-Comeau le Victoria Splatsin Saskatoon Misipawistik F P.E.I Sydney Cowichan Calgary Animbiigoo Zaagi'igan Anishinaabek Penticton James Smith Î.-P.-É. Chawathil ?akisq'nuk Kinistin Chemawawin Mashteuiatsh Madawaska Membertou Tsartlip Chicoutimi Penticton Whitecap George Gordon Long Lake No. 58 Wôlinak N.B. Medicine Hat Moncton ATLANTIC OCEAN Malahat Lethbridge N.-B. YellowMo oQse Jaw Regina Osoyoos uill Brokenhead Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek Fredericton OCÉAN ATLANTIQUE Tsawout Québec Halifax Dartmouth Shxw'ow'hamel Carry the Kettle Winnipeg Temagami Paq'tnkek T'Sou-ke Brandon Trois-Rivières Saint John Brunswick House Timmins Atikameksheng Anishnawbek N.S. Sq'ewá:lxw Shuswap Sakimay Swan Lake Odanak N.-É. Scia'new Lak e S Mattagami La up Chca S pleeraio u Cree Seabird Island Kahkewistahaw upé r Woodstock Songhees Long Plain rier North Bay Nipissing Fort William M'Chigeeng Sudbury Pikwakanagan Matsqui Sts'ailes Sault Ste. Marie D Ottawa UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Fisher River okis Cornwall Sumas Cheam Rainy River Mississauga Magnetawan Moose Deer Point ÉTATS-UNAISn Dis'AhMiÉnRaIQaUbEeg of Naongashiing Peterborough Katzie Sq'éwlets Serpent River Hiawatha Big Grassy ario Barrie Ont Lake Huron Lake rio Onta Squiala Sheshegwaning Lac Huron Lac Soowahlie Toronto Scugog Island Shxwhá:y Village Wikwemikong Henvey Inlet Georgina Island Sources / Références: Kwaw-kwaw-Apilt Lake Michigan Tzeachten Lac Michigan Department of Natural Resources Canada, Geomatics Canada, GeoAccess Division, 1992. rie E Wasauksing Shawanaga First Nation ke rie 1 : 7 500 000 and 1:30 000 000 base map. La É Leq'a:mel ac Saugeen L Rama Surveyor General Branch, 2012. Canada Lands Administrative boundary. Beausoleil Le ministère des Ressources naturelles Canada, Géomatique Canada, Division GéoAccès, 1992. Kettle and Stony Point Carte de base 1: 7 500 000 et 1: 30 000 000. Chippewas of the Thames Direction de l’arpenteur général, 2012. Limites administratives des terres du Canada How many First Nations are currently a part of the Framework Agreement? Signatory participation in the Framework Agreement has increased from the original 14 signatories to an astounding 153, with wait listed First Nations bringing the number to 207! This number accounts for almost 1 in 3 First Nations in Canada! Today there are 80 First Nation communities who have ratified their community land codes under the Framework Agreement, with numerous other First Nations in various stages of land code development.