{"id":2434,"date":"2026-07-06T17:49:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T21:49:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/?page_id=2434"},"modified":"2026-07-08T15:34:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T19:34:43","slug":"inherent-right-to-self-government","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/inherent-right-to-self-government\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Inherent Right to Self Government?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-max  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n        \n                    \n                    \n            \n    <div class=\"cu-wideimage relative flex items-center justify-center mx-auto px-8 overflow-hidden md:px-16 rounded-xl not-prose  my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 bg-opacity-50 bg-cover bg-cu-black-50 py-24 md:py-28 lg:py-36 xl:py-48\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2025\/10\/RFNG-Feeding-The-Fire-2025-Victoria-617-1600x700.jpg); background-position: 50% 50%;\">\n\n                    <div class=\"absolute top-0 w-full h-screen\" style=\"background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.600);\"><\/div>\n        \n        <div class=\"relative z-[2] max-w-4xl w-full flex flex-col items-center gap-2 cu-wideimage-image cu-zero-first-last\">\n            <header class=\"mx-auto mb-6 text-center text-white cu-pageheader cu-component-updated cu-pageheader--center md:mb-12\">\n\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold mb-2 text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] cu-pageheader--center text-center mx-auto after:left-px\">\n                        Inherent Right to Self Government\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                            <\/header>\n        <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n                            \n\n\n<header class=\"mb-6 cu-pageheader cu-component-updated md:mb-12\">\n    <h2 id=\"academic-articles\" class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative text-2xl md:text-3xl lg:text-4xl lg:leading-[3rem] pb-4 after:w-8 after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px\">\n        Academic Articles\n    <\/h2>\n\n    <\/header>\n        \n        <div class=\"cu-column cu-component not-contained mx-auto grid max-w-5xl md:grid-cols-2 gap-6 md:gap-10\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100   \">\n            <figure class=\"mx-6 mt-6 mb-2 overflow-hidden max-w-[45%] @xl:md:max-w-[25%] rounded-md aspect-[4\/2.7]\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2025\/10\/Mi_kma_ki-Gaspe-peninsula-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\"><\/figure>\n        \n                        <header class=\"flex flex-col gap-3  px-6 first:mt-6\">\n                \n        \n    \n    <h2 class=\"line-clamp-3 text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n        Locked Up and Looking for a Way Out: \n    <\/h2>\n\n            <\/header>\n\n        \n                    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n                <p class=\"text-base text-cu-black-700\">\n                    This article by co-founder Catherine Macquarrie explores how First Nations can move beyond the constraints of the Indian Act by strengthening their own policy-making authority.\n                <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        \n                                \n            <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto text-white md:pt-5\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/capa.70025\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n                    Read more\n                <\/a>\n            <\/footer>\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100   \">\n            <figure class=\"mx-6 mt-6 mb-2 overflow-hidden max-w-[45%] @xl:md:max-w-[25%] rounded-md aspect-[4\/2.7]\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2025\/10\/traditional-weaving-by-Haida-Gwaii-artist-Kun-Kayangas-Marlene-Liddle-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\"><\/figure>\n        \n                        <header class=\"flex flex-col gap-3  px-6 first:mt-6\">\n                \n        \n    \n    <h2 class=\"line-clamp-3 text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n        Implementing Bill C-92: \n    <\/h2>\n\n            <\/header>\n\n        \n                    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n                <p class=\"text-base text-cu-black-700\">\n                    This article by Ducharme, Oakes &amp; Soer examines how First Nations are using Bill C-92 to strengthen self-government in child and family services.\n                <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        \n                                \n            <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto text-white md:pt-5\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/capa.70036\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n                    Read more\n                <\/a>\n            <\/footer>\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100   \">\n            <figure class=\"mx-6 mt-6 mb-2 overflow-hidden max-w-[45%] @xl:md:max-w-[25%] rounded-md aspect-[4\/2.7]\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2025\/10\/Haida-Gwaii2-Balance-rock-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\"><\/figure>\n        \n                        <header class=\"flex flex-col gap-3  px-6 first:mt-6\">\n                \n        \n    \n    <h2 class=\"line-clamp-3 text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n        Completing Confederation: The Necessary Foundation\n    <\/h2>\n\n            <\/header>\n\n        \n                    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n                <p class=\"text-base text-cu-black-700\">\n                    In the first chapter to &#8220;Sharing the Land, Sharing a Future&#8221;,\u00a0 Abele, Alexiuk, MacQuarrie, &amp; Satsan examine Indigenous self-government within the context of Canadian Confederation.\n                <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        \n                                \n            <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto text-white md:pt-5\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/Sharing-the-land-sharing-a-future-Chapter-1.pdf\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n                    Read more\n                <\/a>\n            <\/footer>\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100   \">\n            <figure class=\"mx-6 mt-6 mb-2 overflow-hidden max-w-[45%] @xl:md:max-w-[25%] rounded-md aspect-[4\/2.7]\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2025\/10\/RFNG-Feeding-The-Fire-2025-Victoria-113-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\"><\/figure>\n        \n                        <header class=\"flex flex-col gap-3  px-6 first:mt-6\">\n                \n        \n    \n    <h2 class=\"line-clamp-3 text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n        The Inherent Right of Indigenous Governance\n    <\/h2>\n\n            <\/header>\n\n        \n                    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n                <p class=\"text-base text-cu-black-700\">\n                    This article by Kent McNeil examines how Indigenous self-government fits within Canada&#8217;s legal system and explores its implications for the future of governance and administrative law.\n                <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        \n                                \n            <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto text-white md:pt-5\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca\/all_papers\/319\/\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n                    Read more\n                <\/a>\n            <\/footer>\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n                            \n\n\n<header class=\"mb-6 cu-pageheader cu-component-updated md:mb-12\">\n    <h2 id=\"short-articles-and-tools\" class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative text-2xl md:text-3xl lg:text-4xl lg:leading-[3rem] pb-4 after:w-8 after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px\">\n        Short Articles and Tools\n    <\/h2>\n\n    <\/header>\n        \n        <div class=\"cu-column cu-component not-contained mx-auto grid max-w-5xl md:grid-cols-2 gap-6 md:gap-10\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100   \">\n            <figure class=\"mx-6 mt-6 mb-2 overflow-hidden max-w-[45%] @xl:md:max-w-[25%] rounded-md aspect-[4\/2.7]\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2025\/09\/IMG_2990-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\"><\/figure>\n        \n                        <header class=\"flex flex-col gap-3  px-6 first:mt-6\">\n                \n        \n    \n    <h2 class=\"line-clamp-3 text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n        People, Land, Language &#8211; Foundations for Inherent Rights Governance. \n    <\/h2>\n\n            <\/header>\n\n        \n                    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n                <p class=\"text-base text-cu-black-700\">\n                    This report summarizes insights from the \u201cRekindling the Fire\u201d gathering, where First Nations Elders, leaders, and practitioners came together to share experiences and discuss pathways toward self-government.\n                <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        \n                                \n            <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto text-white md:pt-5\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/RTF-Final-Report-FINAL_2024-01-11-1.pdf\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n                    Read more\n                <\/a>\n            <\/footer>\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100   \">\n            <figure class=\"mx-6 mt-6 mb-2 overflow-hidden max-w-[45%] @xl:md:max-w-[25%] rounded-md aspect-[4\/2.7]\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2025\/10\/RFNG-Feeding-The-Fire-2025-Victoria-55-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\"><\/figure>\n        \n                        <header class=\"flex flex-col gap-3  px-6 first:mt-6\">\n                \n        \n    \n    <h2 class=\"line-clamp-3 text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n        How First Nations are reclaiming their Right to Self-Government\n    <\/h2>\n\n            <\/header>\n\n        \n                    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n                <p class=\"text-base text-cu-black-700\">\n                    This article reports on the RFNG project&#8217;s Spring 2022 lawmaking workshop, where First Nations leaders, Elders, and legal experts shared experiences in creating and implementing Indigenous laws.\n                <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        \n                                \n            <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto text-white md:pt-5\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/How-First-Nations-are-reclaiming-their-right-to-self-4.pdf\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n                    Read more\n                <\/a>\n            <\/footer>\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100   \">\n            <figure class=\"mx-6 mt-6 mb-2 overflow-hidden max-w-[45%] @xl:md:max-w-[25%] rounded-md aspect-[4\/2.7]\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2025\/10\/Mi_kma_ki-Gaspe-peninsula3-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\"><\/figure>\n        \n                        <header class=\"flex flex-col gap-3  px-6 first:mt-6\">\n                \n        \n    \n    <h2 class=\"line-clamp-3 text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n        Indian Act vs. Self-Determination\n    <\/h2>\n\n            <\/header>\n\n        \n                    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n                <p class=\"text-base text-cu-black-700\">\n                    This visual by the Centre for First Nations Governance (CFNG) compares governance under the Indian Act with First Nations self-determination.\n                <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        \n                                \n            <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto text-white md:pt-5\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/Indian-Act-vs.-Self-Determination.pdf\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n                    Read more\n                <\/a>\n            <\/footer>\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n                            \n\n\n<header class=\"mb-6 cu-pageheader cu-component-updated md:mb-12\">\n    <h2 id=\"videos\" class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative text-2xl md:text-3xl lg:text-4xl lg:leading-[3rem] pb-4 after:w-8 after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px\">\n        Videos\n    <\/h2>\n\n    <\/header>\n        \n        <div class=\"cu-column cu-component not-contained mx-auto grid max-w-5xl md:grid-cols-2 gap-6 md:gap-10\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100   \">\n            <figure class=\"mx-6 mt-6 mb-2 overflow-hidden max-w-[45%] @xl:md:max-w-[25%] rounded-md aspect-[4\/2.7]\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2025\/10\/Traditional-territory-of-the-Quw_utsun-Peoples-Salt-Spring-Island-300x200.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\"><\/figure>\n        \n                        <header class=\"flex flex-col gap-3  px-6 first:mt-6\">\n                \n        \n    \n    <h2 class=\"line-clamp-3 text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n        It&#8217;s a Full Box: The Historical Struggle for Recognition of Aboriginal and Treaty Rights\n    <\/h2>\n\n            <\/header>\n\n        \n                    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n                <p class=\"text-base text-cu-black-700\">\n                    This is the fourth in our series of five one-hour webinars in 2021 exploring the themes behind RFNG. In this episode, our expert panelists discuss the historical struggle for rights recognition.\n                <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        \n                                \n            <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto text-white md:pt-5\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/resources\/webinar-series\/#webinar-4\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n                    Watch video\n                <\/a>\n            <\/footer>\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100   \">\n            <figure class=\"mx-6 mt-6 mb-2 overflow-hidden max-w-[45%] @xl:md:max-w-[25%] rounded-md aspect-[4\/2.7]\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2025\/10\/Screen-Shot-2025-10-07-at-2.03.01-PM-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"133\"><\/figure>\n        \n                        <header class=\"flex flex-col gap-3  px-6 first:mt-6\">\n                \n        \n    \n    <h2 class=\"line-clamp-3 text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n        From an Empty Box to a Full Box\n    <\/h2>\n\n            <\/header>\n\n        \n                    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n                <p class=\"text-base text-cu-black-700\">\n                    In this presentation, Kent McNeil discusses the Indian Act, Section 35, and the Inherent Right of Indigenous Self-Government.\n                <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n        \n                                \n            <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto text-white md:pt-5\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/transitional-governance-project-think-tank-2017\/#kent-mcneil\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n                    Watch video\n                <\/a>\n            <\/footer>\n            <\/div>\n    \n\n        <\/div>\n\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":622,"featured_media":1123,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cu_dining_location_slug":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_page_type":[],"class_list":["post-2434","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/622"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2434"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2532,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2434\/revisions\/2532"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/rfng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=2434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}