First Nation Land Management: Reserve Land

Private Property Dept: In the grand vision statement that was the 2012 budget, the government announced its intention to allow private property ownership on reserves. In the meantime, Conservative back-bencher Rob Clarke has tabled a private member's bill that would reform some other aspects of the Indian Act, according to Vancouver Sun. Many first nations have opted out of the Indian Act and established their own land codes under the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management, which is at least a step away from colonial dependence. There are some arrangements in place that allow aboriginal people on reserves to get some of the benefits of property ownership. But actual private property - the foundation of a successful economy - is still viewed with skepti-cism by many chiefs. They fear it could threaten aboriginal control of reserve land and the Indian Act and the reserve sys-tem are overdue for substantial reform. If the Conservative government is ready to start, that's great. But the job would be a lot easier - and more likely to succeed - if that government had a better relationship with first nations. Under the Indian Act, reserve land belongs to the Crown, and aboriginal people just get to use it. Not only is that racist and imperialist; it also results in a default economic model that's not very different from a social-housing project. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.