True Reconciliation by Jody Wilson-Raybould

Author:Jody Wilson-Raybould [Wilson-Raybould, Jody]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Published: 2022-11-08T00:00:00+00:00

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As described earlier, Indigenous Peoples, for thousands of years, have had their own sophisticated systems of government. These systems are diverse—different First Nations have different governing traditions—but they have always existed in one form or another. While these governing systems are different in many ways from, for example, contemporary models of liberal democracy (like our parliamentary system) or European monarchies, at their core Indigenous systems of governance have always played the same roles and upheld the same responsibilities as any other governing system. In essence, these systems are how a society makes decisions on behalf of the collective, to provide for well-being, safety, and order. Decisions are made in accordance with certain practices, protocols, and laws. Individuals, and groups of individuals, hold certain authorities and responsibilities, which they must fulfil in particular ways. There are also established mechanisms and processes through which those in leadership positions may be replaced.

For many Indigenous Peoples, traditional systems of governance have a “hereditary” dimension, meaning that certain roles and responsibilities are carried forward over time through different families and groups. Many of our Indigenous systems also operate through communal forms of decision-making, meaning that rarely do individuals possess much “power” themselves. Decisions typically require consensus among many. As well, many traditional Indigenous systems are grounded in a worldview that emphasizes balance, including between men and women. While men and women have different governing roles, all of these roles are essential, critical, and valued.

After Canadian Confederation, there was a deliberate effort to destroy these traditional Indigenous systems of governance, mainly through the Indian Act. It outlawed our systems of governance and imposed a system of Band Council governance that was totally different from how decisions had been made in the past—including what decisions could be made about, who made them, and how leaders were chosen. The Big House, for example, was banned, and replaced by a decision-making structure devised in accordance with a statute, written in Ottawa and based on common-law administrative practices, that reflected European modes of decision-making.

The results of these efforts to destroy our governance system remains with us in very real ways today. Take, for example, the conflict in Wet’suwet’en territory—the Wet’suwet’en Yintah—in central British Columbia about pipeline development. The roots of this conflict are often portrayed as a struggle within the Wet’suwet’en between “hereditary” and “elected” forms of government. But whatever internal conflict there may be among the Wet’suwet’en is a symptom—not the root—of the challenge. There was one governing system for the Wet’suwet’en People for countless generations prior to contact with Europeans. Canada outlawed that system, divided the nation and its people into smaller units, and created and imposed multiple governing bodies. Now, the Wet’suwet’en, like First Nations across the country, are in midst of the hard work of rebuilding their governing system for all their people after more than a century of colonial division and control. That does not happen overnight. It will not be easy. And we should not be confused about how we ended up

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