By Sarah Stone
paNOW Staff
It’s a momentous day for the Mistawasis First Nation.
On Thursday the community joined eight other First Nations in the signing of the Framework Agreement.
This puts the First Nations on track to joining the First Nations Land Management (FNLM) Regime, which allows them to opt out of 34 land-related sections of the Indian Act. After joining the FNLM Regime, the Mistawasis First Nation will have greater control over its reserve land resources.
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Bernard Valcourt, Chief Austin Bear of the First Nations Land Management Resources Centre Inc., and Chief Robert Louie of the First Nations Land Advisory Board were all at the signing in Ottawa.
“This signing is absolutely wonderful. Adding more First Nations into Land Management will help propel much needed economic prosperity capabilities into the lives and communities of First Nations. Beneficiaries will include Canada, regional and local communities, and individual First Nation communities right across the country,” said Louie in a news release.
To promote greater economic development on First Nations, the Economic Action Plan 2013 committed $9 million over two years for the expansion of the FNLM Regime.
Bear spoke to the importance of this moment for the new entrants. “The Framework Agreement provides a better future for our communities. It is a catalyst to self‐sufficiency, state of the art infrastructure, and governance models driven by our values and traditional ways,” Bear added in the news release.
“As a result of this historical and necessary initiative, First Nations working under their land codes are experiencing a profound increase of community involvement, pride, and the strengthening of our cultural identities.”
The other First Nations that signed on to the Framework Agreement on Thursday included three from Ontario, three from British Columbia and one from Manitoba.
To become operational under the FNLM Regime, Mistawasis will have to develop its own land codes and have them approved by its membership through community ratification votes.
Once approved, the first nation will join 66 other first nation communities that are actively operating under or developing their own land codes.
Mistawasis First Nation Chief Daryl Watson was in Ottawa at the time of publication and was unavailable to comment.
sstone@panow.com
On Twitter: @sarahstone84
