Abstracts
Abstract
In 1996, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, the Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan embarked on an ambitious project: they wanted to abandon the colonial legacy of the Indian Act and instead develop a governance framework based on partnerships between self-determining nations. Grounding negotiations in treaties, this “made in Saskatchewan” solution proposed to develop a province-wide system of First Nation governance representing over 115,000 members and seventy communities. Despite efforts to build a novel treaty-based governance framework, negotiations eventually failed. In assessing the gap between the dream and the reality of treaty-based governance in Saskatchewan, this article argues that the failure of the “made in Saskatchewan” solution lies in the parties’ inability to break away from Canada’s colonial path and fully embrace the reality that “we are all treaty people.”
Keywords:
- Aboriginal self-government,
- First Nations,
- Treaties,
- Colonialism,
- Indian Act
Résumé
En 1996, la Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, le gouvernement du Canada et le gouvernement de la Saskatchewan ont entrepris un projet ambitieux : abandonner l’héritage colonial de la Loi sur les Indiens et développer un cadre de gouvernance fondé sur des partenariats entre nations autonomes. En s’inspirant de l’esprit des traités, les partis ont tenté de négocier un système de gouvernance autochtone représentant plus de 115 000 membres et soixante-dix communautés sur l’ensemble de la province. Cet article se penche sur l’échec de ce projet et l’écart entre le rêve et la réalité d’une gouvernance fondée sur les traités. À partir d’une analyse des négociations en Saskatchewan, il révèle que, malgré les efforts d’établir un nouveau cadre de gouvernance, les partis n’ont pas pu se départir de la logique institutionnelle du colonialisme qui gouverne la relation entre l’État et les peuples autochtones.
Mots-clés :
- gouvernance autochtone,
- Premières nations,
- traités,
- colonialisme,
- Loi sur les Indiens
Appendices
Appendices
Bibliography
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