Joseph Quesnel: Indigenous peoples have a chance for real progress—If they grasp it – The Hub
July 28, 2023
Reflecting on the evolution of federal policy, it should be obvious in the third decade of the 21st century that one significant mistake made by the federal government in history was to federalize every issue involving Indigenous peoples.
For better or worse, the British set out on the federalizing policy path starting with the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which determined that the Indigenous inhabitants of this land would be treated as collectives and negotiated with through signed treaties that set out rights and responsibilities. From the start, though, it was the central government and it alone that dealt with First Nation communities.
As with most top-down approaches that exist far from local conditions, Indigenous policy in Ottawa became rigid and inflexible in meeting changing needs and circumstances. It forced onto Indigenous people a “one-size fits all” system of governance. Not only this, but the Indian Act did not keep up with the rapidly evolving changes taking place in Canada.
For example, as provinces began to create education and health care systems, First Nations on reserve found themselves islands of federal jurisdiction within the provinces. Programs and services delivered by local or provincial governments to other Canadians were instead delivered by distant federal civil servants to First Nations.
