Governance Secretariat
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"In order to regain our freedom we must establish our own control, and return to our traditional philosophy of life." - Excerpt from the NAN Declaration of Principles and Rights as declared on July 6, 1977.
The Mandate For Nation-Building At Nishnawbe Aski Nation
The Self-Governance Sectoral Negotiation Process Goal
In 1997 the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Chiefs-In-Assembly mandated, by resolution, the NAN Executive to enter into a sectoral negotiation process with Canada to:
- Establish and carry out negotiations on behalf of the First Nations of NAN with the Government of Canada under the federal Inherent Right Policy;
- Negotiate jurisdiction in several areas including, but not limited to, governance, education, justice, economic development, social services and health. Currently NAN is negotiating in two areas Governance and Education jurisdiction. Other sectors to be negotiated could be added later.
The goal of the sectoral negotiation process is to achieve self-governance agreements in areas that affect the lives of the members of the First Nations of NAN. Through this process the First Nations of NAN can create a vision for how they wish their communities to be governed and how they would like their education systems to work. The sectoral negotiation process is one way for NAN First Nations to exercise their inherent right to self-governance and to regain jurisdiction over matters that are integral to their communities.
It is also important to understand that First Nations are not making a commitment to exercise self-governance just by participating in this process. Each NAN First Nation will decide for itself whether it wishes to remain under the Indian Act or be governed by the self-governance agreements negotiated. Any First Nation can take part in the entire sectoral negotiations process and still decide at the end whether they want to sign the Final Agreement or not.
The Self-Governance Sectoral Negotiation Process Direction
The governance negotiations are co-directed by two steering committees and by the NAN Executive Council. The Governance Steering Committee and Education Jurisdiction Steering Committee are made up of representatives from each of the NAN Tribal Councils and Independent First Nations. The Steering Committees meet regularly with the Negotiating Team and with the NAN Governance Secretariat.
Since 2000, each of the NAN Tribal Councils have engaged Regional Governance Coordinators or RGCs, (formally Community Research Coordinators or CRCs) to supported the process
The Governance Secretariat supports the RGCs, the negotiating team and the Steering Committees by doing research, the collection of data from NAN First Nations, creating materials, coordinating negotiator and committee meetings, providing RGC training, and providing communications. As coordinated by the RGCs, members of the Governance Secretariat have been travelling to NAN First Nations to hold information sessions to create awareness about the governance process and to gather vital information to be used during the negotiations.
