First Nations' Right to Self-Governance in Canada - Essay Sample

Introduction

The First Nations had self-governed earlier before the Europeans arrival in Canada. The traditional governance systems were highly dismantled in 1876 by the Indian Act, which imposed strict rules and regulations on the lives of the indigenous people. According to section 35 of the 1982 constitutional Act, the indigenous people are recognized to be inherent and protected by the constitutional right to self-government (Rice 1-100). This means that people have a right to managing their affairs. Self-determination is a significant aspect of the self-government principle administered and established through a treaty in Canada. The self-government in Canada enables the first nation to free them from the Indian Act and take control of their lives. In this context, it is regarded as a critical element in government modern treaty-making. First nation self-government in Canada is narrowed down to the issue of economy in this context.

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Much has been said and written concerning the underdevelopment of Indian reserves situated in Canada due to poverty issues and lack of wealth among the First Nation. The performance of Canada was judged solely on the social and economic well-being of the people of the first nation (Rice 1-100). Since it is at level seven of the United Nations Human Development Scale, it would drop to 48 out of 174 countries according to research carried out. Poverty is normal for many of the First Nations of Canada regardless of the effort that has been put for several years to motivate reserve economies that includes substantial investment by the government, which in most cases is trying to raise the economic situation. Some communities have broken the poverty chain, and they appear as good examples of changing the pattern (Rice 1-100). Various lessons can be learned from both outsides and within Canada based on what can be done to stimulate economic growth and alleviate poverty (Rice 1-100). For more understanding of what is being prepared, there is a need to value the general nature of capital and place it contained by the First Nations in Canada administration history and politics of modernization.

The Economic Growth Stages

Economists, political scientists, and social theorists are among many scholars who view society as a continuous evolution or development process. It is quite easier to track transformation stages through different times, for instance, from tribal society or band and through agrarian society to the industrialization period. The society is evolving continually and increasing output through harnessing the availability of resources to better life quality among the citizens (Rice 1-100). The reality is that capitalism has changed into an economic system since the beginning of the 21st century, which greatly drives the global economy. Most nations work towards developing their economy on the market based system. The main aim is to create a strategic and capital investment to create wealth and stimulate economic growth. First Nation in Canada is also viewed as part of the global economy. Various questions are raised based on why the economies of Canada First Nations are still underdeveloped making most people poor regardless of it being situated among the world's most successful capitalist economies in the modern world. One may also wonder why they have not benefited equally from economic success.

Many non-aboriginal and aboriginal politicians state that there is still much need for economic development on reserve. It is the only way to get a solution to the problem, which can be achieved by improving the quality and standards of living among the aboriginal people. Social, political, and cultural are forms of development that are highly useful in developing other objectives. According to the Auditor General of Canada report in 2003, many barriers still face the development of the First Nation Communities, which they are required to overcome even before they can have any control over their economic development (Rice 1-100). Such barriers hinder some other developing nations in the world, such as Africa, South America, and Asia, which have significantly failed in improving the living standards of their citizens, which raised a similar question to that of First Nation Self-Government in Canada.

Aboriginal Economies

With an understanding of indigenous economies, not all leaders in First Nations governance agree on market forces on reserve stimulation and embracing the western economic development as a solution to the end the aboriginal poverty. Still today, there are leaders within the Canadian governance who do not stand the reality of capitalism persuasiveness and global capitalism. They advocate that First Nations should only focus on traditional economies and their traditional ways of life with economic development, which they wholeheartedly believe that the federal government should fully support it through financially, politically, and legal matters.

There are several aspects of traditional aboriginal economies that are still traced in Canada even today. Tribal economies existed back long ago as part of distinct communities' social fabric. Capital accumulation is the process that involves the production of increased capital (Raybould T. and Raybould 31). For successful investment, goods are required to be produced and not consumed immediately; instead, they can be used to produce other goods that create an economical process. For instance, the western nations are capable of producing capital, which is highly used in growing their modern industrial economies. On the other hand, poorer countries are not able to produce such. Concerning the Third War countries analysis, the difficulty they face in releasing capital based on the nation assets, for instance, the First Nations in Canada.

There is a need to develop an appropriate legal structure to support capital investment in the first nations. Way of making, which is extralegal, including the Indian Act responses from the local and myriad of customary practices about property rights, requires to be developed strategically from one community another (Fligg 41). In this context, it is quite necessary to accommodate land interests. In Canada, several communities have decided to under the First Nations Land Management Act, which mainly dealt with land issues. The Indian Act advocates for the First Nations to recognize and manage their lands by creating interest in them.

For the First Nations to facilitate economic development in their communities, they conduct legal practices and create their land codes, which create interest in owning land. These assist in transforming assets into capital since the land codes produced both codify, both communal and private interests, concerning the land matters (Fligg 41). The communal aspect of capital in First Nations in the government of Canada is essential. The reason being the First Nation government holds wealth created from the capital for the good of their communities (Coates 14). The aspect of encouraging economic development plays a significant role in the stimulation and creation of jobs, which enables the first nations to generate wealth, which can be reinvested to produce and accumulate more wealth and assets. Increased investments result in high returns, which can be used to improve living standards. Community business investments are highly developed through the delivery of enhanced services and programs. The First Nation in Canada got involved directly in economic development by engaging themselves in business activities, giving them more money for investment.

Conclusion

The First Nation self-government in Canada enables the first nation to free them from the Indian Act and take control of their lives. In this context, it is regarded as a critical element in government modern treaty-making. The performance of Canada was judged solely on the social and economic well-being of the people of the first nation. The society is evolving continually and increasing output by harnessing the availability of resources to better life quality among the citizens. First Nation Communities are required to overcome even before they can have any control over their economic development. The aspect of encouraging economic development plays a significant role in the stimulation and creation of jobs, which enables the first nations to generate wealth. First Nation in Canada is also viewed as part of the global economy. The First Nation self-government in Canada holds wealth created from the capital for the good of their communities. In Canada, several communities have decided to under the First Nations Land Management Act, which mainly dealt with land issues.

Works Cited

Coates, Ken. "Has Canadian colonialism finally been displaced?: Assessing Indigenous economic and social program innovation in Canada." Global Media Journal: Australian Edition 12.1 (2018). https://www.hca.westernsydney.edu.au/gmjau/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GMJAU-Has-Canadian-colonialism-finall...nd-social-program-innovation-in-Canada.pdf

Fligg, Robert A., and Derek T. Robinson. "Reviewing First Nation land management regimes in Canada and exploring their relationship to community well-being." Land Use Policy 90 (2020): 104245.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026483771930451X

Raybould, Tim, and Raybould. The economics of First Nations governance: Investment capital, money, and wealth accumulation. National Centre for First Nations Governance, 2006. http://www.fngovernance.org/ncfng_research/tim_raybould.pdf

Rice, Derek. Three Essays in Development Economics: First Nation Economic Development. Diss. Universite d'Ottawa/University of Ottawa, 2018. https://ruor.uottawa.ca/bitstream/10393/37633/3/Rice_Derek_2018_thesis.pdf