The Institute On Governance (IOG), in collaboration with the Office of
the Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-status Indians, is seeking
papers for its policy research series on issues affecting Métis,
non-status Indians and other Aboriginal peoples residing off-reserve.
Papers should be policy relevant while also meeting the standards of
university-level scholarship. The deadline for submissions is
September 30, 2009.
Details are presented in the call for papers available at the IOG website:
http://www.iog.ca/ofi_research_series/call_for_papers_eng.pdf
For your information, below is a description of two papers under the
series that will be available on the website in August 2009.
Kind regards,
Urszula Adamik
Forthcoming Papers in the APRI Policy Research Paper
Series
Keeping the Circle Strong: Social Promotion through Community
Networking to Strengthen Off-Reserve Aboriginal Child Welfare
Judy Gillespie
University of British Columbia (Okanagan)
Dennis Whitford
Northwest Alberta Child and Family Services Authority
Abstract
The overrepresentation of Aboriginal children and families within
child protection
systems is symptomatic of a larger crisis for Aboriginal people that
can be traced
back to the legacy of colonization, marginalization and oppression that
generations of Aboriginal people have endured. It has been argued that this
overrepresentation of Aboriginal children requires an approach that addresses
larger community and structural issues impacting Aboriginal child
welfare. This
paper presents the initial results of a community based participatory research
initiative aimed at understanding community oriented policy frameworks to
enhance off-reserve Aboriginal child welfare through the promotion of social
change and collective well-being. Emerging policy lessons suggest "community
networking" as a viable approach to address off-reserve Aboriginal
child welfare.
This approach requires a formal structure, grounding in Aboriginal values and
traditions, leadership and guidance from Aboriginal community members, and
values of inclusiveness and respect for cultural diversity. There is a
need for
further research to understand the outcomes of such an approach for
the welfare
of Aboriginal children and families, as well as the need for similar
research within
other contexts.
2
Indigenous Governance in Winnipeg and Ottawa:
Making Space for Self-Determination
Julie Tomiak
Carleton University
Abstract
Despite the growth of urban Indigenous populations in Canada, the study of
political arrangements that facilitate urban Indigenous
self-government remains
neglected as an area of analysis. In this paper, I argue that, while
the recent
proliferation of collaborative relationships between governments and
Indigenous
organizations has provided opportunities for self-determination, these
initiatives
have thus far failed to create sufficient space for Indigenous authority and
decision-making power in cities. Drawing on data from Winnipeg and Ottawa,
this paper examines how issues of jurisdiction, access, representation and
funding constrain the ability of local and regional First Nations,
Métis, Inuit and
Aboriginal organizations to deliver culturally appropriate services, build
community capacity and adequately address the social, economic, political and
cultural priorities of their communities. This failure to enhance
Indigenous selfgovernment
in urban settings continues to exacerbate the marginalization
experienced by many Indigenous people. Reframing the issues so that urban
Indigenous peoples are no longer seen as deficient and out of place,
but rather
as constituting legitimate communities and possessing inherent rights, will be
part and parcel of making space for urban Indigenous self-determination.
