The Rebuilding First Nations Governance (RFNG) project is seeking a post-doctoral fellow to join our work with First Nations who are shedding Indian Act governance and becoming self-determining.

RFNG is supported by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council through a Partnership Grant, as well as in-kind and financial support from First Nation and non-governmental organization partners. A key partner is the Centre for First Nations Governance. More information about the project and our partners is available at /rfng/

This is an exceptional opportunity to play an important role in ground-breaking, nationally important research that is led by and supports First Nations as they reclaim their own laws and engage their people in setting and implementing priorities for self-government. The work is interdisciplinary, touching on Aboriginal law, various aspects of public policy, and public administration. As the project鈥檚 first post-doctoral fellow, you will be working with First Nation communities across Canada, as well as a network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous practitioners and academics. We have a strong crew of mainly Indigenous graduate research assistants, and an ambitious knowledge mobilization and publication program.

For more on this opportunity, please click here.

The Rebuilding First Nations Governance project is seeking research assistants for a variety of tasks: assisting with planning and delivering webinars, bibliographic research, documentary analysis, on-line research and writing. The project, in partnership with the , is based at 杏吧原创 University. We welcome students from across Canada in a variety of disciplines related to Indigenous governance, Aboriginal law, and public policy and administration. You will be able to work remotely.

Information about the project appears at /rfng/

Partners in the project are First Nations and Tribal Councils, along with forty academics and practitioners.听 We are beginning the third year of a six year project.听 One of the benefits of working with us is the opportunity to meet Indigenous activists from across the country, as well as other students who share your interests.

For more information on these opportunities and how to apply, please click here.

For more information on this event, please see here.

The Rebuilding First Nations Governance Project (RFNG) is a national alliance of First Nation communities and Tribal Councils, academic researchers and public sector practitioners created to support First Nations that have made the decision to transition from the Indian Act to their own inherent rights governance.

Working with Megan Currie, creative director of in Regina Saskatchewan, the project team has designed a symbol to represent the project and what it is about in a clean modern style, inclusive of all First Nations across Canada.

For the background on the logo and the symbolism represented through Megan’s artwork, please see the page on the RFNG website by clicking here or for the project homepage, on the logo, above.

What makes an effective self-governing First Nation and what does it take to get there? Let the team from the walk you through the five pillars and seven principles for effective self-governance: people, land, laws and jurisdiction, governing systems & resources. This made-for-Canada model was developed through extensive consultations with First Nations citizens, leaders, elders, academics and on-the-ground facilitators associated with the Centre. Satsan, Chris Robertson, and Pawa Haiyupis will explain the framework as well as share their experiences working with communities to transition from Indian Act administration to self-government.

Effective self-governance is critical to the survival, health and well-being of First Nations people. It is a central pillar in reconciliation and in the creation of a new nation-to-nation relationship with the Crown. It is crucial to the long-term governance of Canada.

Join us April 28, 2021 at noon ET for the second in our series of five one-hour webinars in 2021 exploring the themes behind Rebuilding First Nations Governance (RFNG) 鈥� a First Nations community-led, multi-partner, SSHRC-funded research project to find pathways out of the Indian Act and into exercising the inherent right of First Nations to self-government.

This series will be of primary interest to First Nations leaders, administrators, and citizens who want to learn about their inherent rights; how the Indian Act obstructs their ability to develop effective self-governance and take their rightful place as citizens within their own nations and within Canada; and the power that First Nations鈥檆itizens have to transform the way their nation is governed.

These webinars will also be of interest to other levels of government and all those interested in learning more about the systemic issues behind present day challenges in Crown-First Nations relationships and are willing to explore and support alternatives for true reconciliation.

Register for April 28 with IPAC at:

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BACKGROUND:听

Rebuilding First Nations Governance (RFNG) is a national alliance of First Nation communities and Tribal Councils, academic researchers and public sector practitioners created to support First Nations leadership and rights holders that have made the decision to transition out from under the Indian Act to their own inherent rights governance. This six-year applied action research project is supported by a $2.5M SSHRC Partnership Grant.

Through a process of community-led research, reflection and action, the project aims to help communities replace the Indian Act with effective and legitimate First Nation governance based on the strategic direction of the community. The research emerges from the priorities identified by the rights holders 鈥� the people. It will help Nations reclaim Indigenous forms of decision-making and revitalize Indigenous governance practices.

Led by project co-founders Satsan (Centre for First Nations Governance), Frances Abele (杏吧原创 University) and Catherine MacQuarrie, RFNG includes partnerships with six First Nations and two Tribal Councils, six Canadian universities, three non-governmental organizations including the Institute of Public Administration Canada (IPAC) and 35 academic researchers and practitioners.

The five-part webinar series scheduled over 2021 will explore the underlying themes of the project and the work with First Nations communities that are on the path to exercising their inherent right to self-government.听 The sessions are hosted by IPAC.听 The scheduled dates and topics are:

1. March 3: 鈥淎 dream of our people for going on eight generations鈥� (available now at /rfng/webinar-series/)
2. April 28: The five pillars of the Inherent Right to Self-Government
3. June 23: The 鈥渋ll-fitting boot鈥� 鈥� the origin and content of the Indian Act
4. September 22: It鈥檚 A 鈥淔ull Box鈥�. The Historical Struggle for Recognition of Aboriginal And Treaty Rights
5. November 17: From theory to practice: Principles and Strategies for Implementing the Inherent Right to Self-government

RFNG will:

• Develop a transitional inherent rights governance model and tools to guide and inspire First Nations
• Build a deeper understanding of the impact of the Indian Act and the reasons for its persistence
• Create a Nation Re-Building Action Network through which First Nations will document and share knowledge and experience.
• Contribute to the necessary Canada-wide dialogue on implementation of Indigenous jurisdiction and Section 35 of the Constitution Act
• Contribute to a growing body of Indigenous scholarship and help form the basis for new programs and curriculum in academia across the country
• Train and mentor students, particularly Indigenous students, and citizens of First Nation communities to conduct transformative research, gain meaningful experience working amongst the people in the community.

Please see here for the project’s new website and additional information: 听Rebuilding First Nations Governance

For more information contact: 听Frances Abele听 and Catherine MacQuarrie