About the Centre |
| What is the purpose of the National Centre for First Nations Governance? |
The purpose is to provide support, research and information services to First Nations who realize that, to improve their community/Nation, eliminate poverty, rebuild their economy and implement their inherent right of self government, critical changes are needed to their current governance.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has stated, “Good governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development.” And First Nations share this view: a 2001 Ekos poll of more than 1,400 First Nations people found that 71 per cent agreed that “providing the tools for good governance will improve conditions for economic and social development”.
The Centre is designed to fully support First Nations in expressing their own vision of governance free from political interference.
The Centre provides services through its four key business lines: governance advisory, professional development, land, law & governance research and public education & communications. |
| What prompted the creation of the Centre? |
It was developed as a response to our leaders and citizens insisting that their own Nations can make decisions on how they can best be governed. Currently, First Nations have little access to suitable research, technical support, information or advisory services to improve their current situation or to pursue their own inherent rights. This Centre will provide those services in a manner relevant to the services they request. |
| Will the Centre be providing training to First Nations in Governance? |
No. Governance is an activity that can only be undertaken by citizens who have determined how their own governance should to be organized and exercised so they believe in it, trust it and own it.
The Centre, will, however, assist First Nations in identifying training gaps — the personnel required to fill those gaps and work with educational institutions in developing program curriculum that can help provide the best technical and academic education required. This will ensure support of a First Nation’s particular notion of governance and the human resource capacity required for them to be successful. |
| How does this work tie in with the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development findings undertaken by Stephen Cornell, Manley Begay and Joseph Kalt? |
The NCFNG has a close working relationship with Stephen Cornell and his associates from the Harvard Project. Stephen has advised the NCFNG on the Centre ‘s objectives: helping First Nations achieve capable governing institutions, practical sovereignty and the match required that anchors governance in the culture and traditions of a particular Nation. Under the auspices of the Native Nations Institute for Leadership,Cornell and his associates have also produced research for the centre which can be read in the publications section on our website. |
| How do First Nations communities access the services of the NCFNG? |
They can do so by first learning about the Centre on our website at: www.fngovernance.org and determining whether or not the Centre can assist. One can also call the Centre toll free at: 1-866-922-2052. Five regional offices are also opening nationwide. Please see website for locations and contact numbers. |
| Will there be a cost to FN communities for services? |
There will be no direct costs to First Nations for the Centre’s services. Indirect costs may result if a First Nation decides to retain the services of knowledgeable, experienced, respected, credible resource people suggested by the Centre to help with governance. |
| Does the NCFNG only provide services to status Indian First Nation organizations? |
No. The Advisory Council was very aware of this issue and sought to bring clarity to the matter of who the Centre will provide services to. As a result, the Council reached a consensus on the matter by defining First Nations as being: “all first peoples of Canada whose origins arise from their traditional land, territories and places.”
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| Where are the Centre’s Regional Offices located? |
There are five offices located in five regions across Canada: British Columbia, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic. Centre headquarters is located on Coast Salish Territory in the Squamish Reserve in West Vancouver, British Columbia. This also serves as the British Columbia Regional Office. The Central Operations Office, whish also serves as the Ontario Regional Office is located in Ottawa, Ontario. Service emphasis is placed on all offices operating in the regions. The offices are not tied to any one particular organization so that they maintain their independence and impartiality. All regional office locations were selected based on the needs of First Nations citizens, their communities and institutions within a given geographic area.
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Relationship to Government |
| What relationship does the NCFNG have to the Federal Government’s Inherent Right of Self-Government policy? |
There is no relationship at all to the federal government’s Policy on Self Government. The creation of the NCFNG is based on the explicit condition that it would not implement any federal policies or run any programs for the Federal Government. The Centre is an independent research and service centre that is controlled, directed and staffed by First Nation citizens working with and for First Nations. |
| What relationship does the NCFNG have to the Federal Governments failed First Nations Governance Act (FNGA)? |
There is no relationship at all to the FNGA. The failed Governance Act legislation was designed by the federal government to amend the Indian Act and impose those changes on First Nations. The Centre is an independent research and service centre controlled by First Nation citizens. The Centre is based on choice therefore First Nations can decide themselves whether or not they want to use its services to address governance issues that they identify and want to address. |
| Will there be federal or provincial government representation on the Board? |
No. Federal or provincial government representation will not be on the Board. We will be First Nations controlled working with and for First Nations. The Board is and will continue to be independent, non-political and experienced in building and maintaining good governance.
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| How will the Centre prevent the government from unduly influencing the work of the Centre? |
The Centre has implemented a series of conditions to prevent this from happening.
- The Centre will not create, deliver, administer or fund any programs or policies on behalf of the federal government.
- No representatives from the federal government or any political institution will be involved with the Centre.
- The Centre is developing a transition plan which will ensure independence from full government funding in five years.
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| What connection does the Centre have to the Fiscal Institutions Initiative? |
There is no connection to the Fiscal Institutions framework. The Centre is a research and service centre. 
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Funding |
Where does the Centre get its funding?
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The Centre is supported by new dollars from federal Treasury Board Funding. It will provide a full and regular financial accounting of the use of funds both to our own people and the federal government.
Private support for a Centre of this nature is virtually non-existent. The general public and most First Nations have little experience, knowledge or understanding with regard to the issue of self governance. Yet, it is a critical issue if First Nations are going to recover from the impact of colonialism and the Indian Act and seek a destiny of their own making. The lack of healthy, self-governing nations takes a terrible toll. If we are going to eliminate poverty and dependence then we must invest now to move ourselves out of the current situation.
Federal investment in the Centre is necessary to start the work we need to help our communities recover our own systems of governance and become healthy and self-reliant once again. It is anticipated that in five years the importance of self-government will be well enough understood that the Centre will no longer need federal funding. |
| Will the Centre be using funds that could otherwise be directed to First Nations? |
No. Support for the Centre comes from new Treasury Board funds, not from existing funds earmarked for First Nations by the Department of Indian Affairs. |
| How will the Centre become independent of government funding? |
The Centre has non-profit charitable organization status. It may eventually raise its own sources of revenue through membership fees, research grants, fund-raising events and the contracting of its services. |
| Does the Centre provide funds to First Nations for implementing their Self-Government? |
No. The Centre does not distribute any monies to First Nations for their work on self-government. Instead, the Centre will assist First Nations by partnering with them and other First Nation institutions to undertake the necessary research, technical advisory services, organization and facilitating work required for sharing information and accessing available services that can assist in supporting their efforts.
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Governance Structure |
| How are the Centre’s National Council Members and Board of Directors selected? |
A comprehensive process for selecting a National Members Council and an independent Board of Directors have been developed as follows:
1. First Nations communities and organizations from across Canada will be invited to advance the names of citizens they feel would be appropriate to serve as
National Council members of the Centre. Members will be non-political First Nation citizens.
2. The criteria for membership will reflect but not be bound by:
- Proven experience in organizational development and implementation.
- An understanding of First Nations governance and an understanding of the special legal and constitutional relationship we have with Canada.
- Gender.
- Regionalism.
- Respected reputation among First Nation and Non-First Nation citizens and organizations.
Members will elect the Board of Directors from amongst themselves for staggered terms not exceeding three years. Directors will have no parochial representation. This follows best governance practices for non-profit charitable organizations whose purpose of business is not political or specialized. The Centre’s Board of Directors are selected for their ability to make decisions based on their expertise, their experience and their independence. This also follows the customary practices of many First Nations who select the best people: one with the ability and reputation to master the challenges needed to get a particular job done. |
| How does one apply for membership? |
The Centre will periodically issue expressions of interest (EOI) when recruiting new members. These EOI’s will be posted on the Centre’s website, in the media and distributed to First Nation communities and organizations. |
| Why is it so important for the Centre to be independent? |
Government notions of how we should govern ourselves have failed. In order to restore trust among ourselves we must produce work that is free from their influence yet rooted in solid “bullet proof” fact. Even some of our own people have ideas of governance that are based on notions that they wish to see imposed on our nations. Being free of these two polarizing influences will ensure the Centre remains independent and provides First Nations the information they require for their own purposes.
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FAQs