The First Nations world is a political world. It is difficult to stay out of politics and political discussions in Canada’s First Nations community. Many people find themselves drawn into the political vortex by such questions as how to redress housing shortages, increase educational attainment among the youth, reduce rates of unemployment, and deliver social services and programs efficiently to those in need. Of course, the uneasy coexistence between First Nations people and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), the federal department that oversees the everyday lives of First Nations people, and the First Nations’ desire to wrest control from...

The term Indian was more widely used in the past than it is today, and the term First Nation is now used more frequently.¹ However, the term Indian has a specific meaning in Canadian law. Section 2 (1) of the Indian Act defines Indian as a person who pursuant to the act is registered as an Indian or is entitled to be registered as an Indian (Imai 2002, 3). In this context the term has a legal connotation as it specifies a type of Aboriginal person with special legal rights. One can therefore interchange the terms registered, legal, and status...

When Elsie Knott decided to throw her hat into the political ring for her band election in 1952, she had no idea that, if elected, she would be making history. She was not aware that there had never before been a female Indian chief in Canada. By electing Chief Knott, the then five hundred members of the Mississaugas of Mud Lake Indian Band, now known as Curve Lake First Nation, broke the gender barrier for Indian chiefs set forth by regulations in the Indian Act, which said that only men could serve as the formal representatives of an Indian band....

The information in this chapter is drawn from the semistructured interview schedule that served as the basis for this study (see appendix A). Among other questions, I asked the sixty-four participants about their age, community affiliation, marital status, parenthood, grandparenthood, educational attainment levels, and family status. These questions were aimed at determining the similarities and differences between the types of people the reserve community chooses to elect.

Data provided by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada show the 633 First Nations scattered across the entire country. With thirty-three, the Atlantic provinces have the fewest number of reserves: fifteen in New Brunswick;...

Research conducted on women in leadership has found that women are more liberal than men. Every political system limits women’s access to elite roles by tacitly or overtly erecting a set of initial hurdles based on background or demographic traits (Genovese 1993 ). First Nations women have also moved into roles in public office and have begun to overcome the paternalistic limitations set by the Church and the Indian Act.

One factor determining the success of a political candidate is the extent to which she reflects the characteristics of the community she will lead. My analysis of demographic information shows...

It is often said that everyone is related in the Aboriginal community and my community of Fort Chipewyan is no exception. An example of this manifested itself in a recent election for chief and council of my band, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. Two of the three candidates running for the office of chief were my relatives. The election race began with three candidates: the incumbent chief, Archie Cyprien, a former chief, Patrice Marcel, and Peggy Richard. Patrice Marcel is my mother’s first cousin (which in First Nations tradition makes him my uncle), and Peggy Richard is my first cousin...

We have been looking at the struggle to win an election to this point. The real work begins, however, when a new chief takes office. The challenges she faces are similar to those confronting any employee who has started a new job or has recently received a promotion. Although the new chiefs may be familiar with the work environment and the employees of the band office, they will come up against many new issues. Some of these issues might have been anticipated such as becoming familiar with established administrative policies and procedures; others might be completely unexpected.

A small majority...

As a politician and community leader, a female chief moves from the private realm of home and family into the public realm of spokesperson, administrator, and advocate. Lured away from the traditional concerns of women in society – church, kitchen, and children – she has expanded her sphere of influence from the domestic to the public. In their seminal bookClout: Womanpower and Politics(1974 ), Tolchin and Tolchin state that women’s loyalties have been challenged in many ways, that women’s lives have expanded and moved from the purely domestic role to that of community participant. Women have made the move from...

On 29 June 2003 I had the opportunity to interview Chief Kim Baird of Tsawwassen First Nation, located on the outskirts of Vancouver, British Columbia. I met Chief Baird when she was a speaker at the Women in Leadership conference in 2001 . I was struck by her vitality and her ability to move seamlessly from one situation to another. I was delighted when she agreed to be interviewed as part of my study. I wanted to know more about her as a person and a leader, and about her work. I wanted to see how such a young person...

The world is changing for First Nations people in Canada and these changes are occurring on economic, social, and political fronts. On the economic front, First Nations are becoming more involved in resource extraction activities on their territory. Recent Supreme Court of Canada cases, such as Haida (2004), Taku River (2004), and Mikisew (2005), have raised the bar for consultation when industry or government deals with First Nations. Thus, First Nations are in a stronger position when negotiating benefits for their communities. Heightened economic activity leads to increased employment, training, and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Social initiatives have been undertaken to promote...