What is planning without property? Relational practices of being and belonging

What is planning without property? This question was recently posed to me following a conference presentation. In this paper, I argue that taking this question seriously reveals unchallenged assumptions about the relationship between planning and property. Focusing on Canada as a settler colonial liberal democracy, I respond to this question by looking at the Indian Act which has supported colonial dispossession and assimilation in Canada for almost 200 years and rely on Brenna Bhandar’s conceptualization of “racial regimes of property” as a means of examining how racial subjects and private property are co-produced. I then look to the practices reflected in the creation of Nadia Myre's artwork Indian Act to show how Indigenous epistemologies can aid in the conceptualization of planning without property. I argue that planning without property would be an approach to planning that would be focused on identifying, making, and strengthening the human and more-than-human relationships the flourishing of life requires. Thus, planning without property would support practices of being and belonging rather than practices of exclusion and domination.

Policy Forum: First Nation Property Taxation and Governance in British Columbia

In this article, I ask, "What is the relationship between rules governing band council elections and property taxation across First Nations in British Columbia?" I outline the three major categories of First Nation electoral rules: default Indian Act elections, First Nations Elections Act rules, and custom election codes. I contend that First Nations who use custom election codes are more likely to exhibit stable governance than those who do not. This mechanism can be helpful in introducing property taxation. It can also reduce property tax uncertainty—a feature known to depress on-reserve property values. I also present some suggestions for First Nations wishing to improve perceptions of taxation in their communities.

Assimilation Tactics: Indigenous Women, the Politics of Birth, and the Colonization of Bodies on the Canadian Prairies During the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries

Colonialism is a highly gendered process whose effects are disproportionately felt by women, and within the context of the settler state of Canada, by Indigenous women. The imposition of Euro-Canadian gender norms upon Indigenous Peoples by the settler Canadian government was driven by an explicit goal of assimilation. Consequently, Indigenous women have had their important positions within their communities as matriarchs, elders, midwives, healers, and other positions of significance undermined. While there are numerous dimensions to the Canadian government’s attempt to force Indigenous women into subservient gender roles, this paper is a historical analysis that focuses on the government’s attempt to exert control over the bodies and sexuality of Indigenous women, alongside restrictions placed upon Indigenous women that limited their ability to pursue midwifery following the introduction of the Indian Act in 1876.

Incidence and trends of limb amputation in first nations and general population in Saskatchewan, 2006–2019

Background There is conflicting evidence whether limb amputation (LA) disproportionately affects indigenous populations. To better understand this disparity, we compared the LA incidence rate between First Nations persons registered under the Indian Act of Canada (RI) and the general population (GP) in Saskatchewan. Methods We used Saskatchewan’s retrospective administrative data containing hospital discharge LA cases, demographic characteristics (age and sex), and residents population reported in the database stratified by RI and GP from 2006–2019. The LA cases for each stratified group were first disaggregated into three broad categories: overall LA (all reported LA), primary LA (first reported LA), and subsequent LA (revision or contralateral LA), with each category further split into the level of amputation defined as major amputation (through/above the ankle/wrist joint) and minor amputation (below the ankle/wrist joint). LA rates were calculated using LA cases as the numerator and resident population as the denominator. Joinpoint and negative binomial regressions were performed to explore the trends further. Results Overall, there were 1347 RI and 4520 GP LA cases reported in Saskatchewan from 2006–2019. Primary LA made up approximately 64.5% (869) of RI and 74.5% (3369) of GP cases, while subsequent LA constituted 35.5% (478) of RI and 25.5% (1151) of GP cases. The average age-adjusted LA rate was 153.9 ± 17.3 per 100,000 in the RI cohort and 31.1 ± 2.3 per 100,000 in the GP cohort. Overall and primary LA rates for the GP Group declined 0.7% and 1.0%, while subsequent LA increased 0.1%. An increased LA rate for all categories (overall 4.9%, primary 5.1%, and subsequent 4.6%) was identified in the RI group. Overall, minor and major LA increased by 6.2% and 3.3%, respectively, in the RI group compared to a 0.8% rise in minor LA and a 6.3% decline in major LA in the GP group. RI females and males were 1.98–1.66 times higher risk of LA than their GP counterparts likewise, RI aged 0–49 years and 50+ years were 2.04–5.33 times higher risk of LA than their GP cohort. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was the most prevalent amputation predisposing factor in both groups with 81.5% of RI and 54.1% of GP diagnosed with DM. Also, the highest proportion of LA was found in the lowest income quintile for both groups (68.7% for RI and 45.3% for GP). Conclusion Saskatchewan’s indigenous individuals, specifically First Nations persons registered under the Indian Act of Canada, experience LA at a higher rate than the general population. This disparity exists for all variables examined, including overall, primary, and subsequent LA rates, level of amputation, sex, and age. Amplification of the disparities will continue if the rates of change maintain their current trajectories. These results underscore the need for a better understanding of underlying causes to develop a targeted intervention in these groups.

Identity development and belonging of first nations women from Georgina Island

This study explores the effects of the Indian Act and Bill C-31 on the identity development and sense of belonging felt by women from Georgina Island First Nation. The purpose of this study is to give voice to the First Nations women from Georgina Island whose identity and lives have been impacted by this legislation. The framework and methodology that guided this research was respectful of the indigenous knowledge and traditions of this community. The vision of the community and the participants was the most important focus of this study. The sharing which took place provided insight into the how it felt for the women to have their identity removed by the Canadian Government, the challenges that the removal created within the community, what it felt like to have that identity 'given' back, how important community is and what these women wish for our future generations.

Identity development and belonging of first nations women from Georgina Island

This study explores the effects of the Indian Act and Bill C-31 on the identity development and sense of belonging felt by women from Georgina Island First Nation. The purpose of this study is to give voice to the First Nations women from Georgina Island whose identity and lives have been impacted by this legislation. The framework and methodology that guided this research was respectful of the indigenous knowledge and traditions of this community. The vision of the community and the participants was the most important focus of this study. The sharing which took place provided insight into the how it felt for the women to have their identity removed by the Canadian Government, the challenges that the removal created within the community, what it felt like to have that identity 'given' back, how important community is and what these women wish for our future generations.

Intensifying the Assimilation of Indians in the Сontext of Implementing the Indian Act

The article examines the policy of Canadian authorities toward the indigenous population (Indian policy) within the framework of implementing the Indian Act. The analysis concerns the policies from the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century and the long-lasting effects of those, which remained existential in the second half of the 20th century, the Oka crisis in particular. The literature shows it is necessary to identify the whole range of the factors that determined the implementation of assimilationist policies and to trace the influence they had on subsequent events in the historical perspective. To provide a comprehensive outlook, taking into account such processes as territorial consolidation, colonization and demographic tendencies, the research is based on inductive assumptions. The central assumption why such policies arose is the demographic factor, being the key cause of the inter-racial and inter-ethnic imbalance. This, in turn, provoked the assertive stance taken by the political elites toward the indigenous. It is due to the Anglo-Saxon chauvinism that shaped the attitudes of the Canadian elites and thus became the ideological trend of the late 19th ‒ early 20th century Canada. The Anglo-Canadian nationalists’ intention to ensure the predominance of the Britishness element in the emerging Canadian society is demonstrated to have stemmed from the transatlantic ties with the former metropole. The discriminatory measures taken under the Indian Act that were explored in the text demonstrate that the processes of the Canadian state’s evolution and the ideological tendencies were marred by innate discrimination. The connection between the political measures implemented in the past and the current situation is considered. The Indian policy laid down the foundation for the inter-ethnic tensions that can manifest themselves in modern Canada. The Oka crisis of 1990 serves as the example. The scientific discussion of the effects of the Indian policy and of that particular case that involved the indigenous population and the military was analyzed, and alternative perspectives perceiving the Canadian soldiers as peacekeepers were scrutinized. The dominant scientific position based on criticizing the assimilationist Indian policy, discriminatory measures against the First Nations and ethnic intolerance is concluded to be justified. And therefore the study is politically and historically relevant: it is important to understand that the discriminatory ethnic policy is often integral to the development of seemingly respectable political regimes, which maintains the effects, sometimes hidden, of such discrimination on modern social (dis)integration.