Building A First Nations Authority
I do not want to be part of something that just mirrors what we have now. We need to think about ways to shed the restrictions—a system that lets people develop housing in a way that works for their community. The current system has caused us so much grief. MARIE SKIDMORE, METLAKATLA FIRST NATION, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Summary
The most common theme throughout all the feedback sessions was selfdetermination. The belief in the importance of First Nations taking back control over their lives and making their own decisions about housing and infrastructure influenced all the other topics. That the government-led housing and infrastructure programs have ill-served First Nations people has been so well studied and intensely experienced that it almost went without saying. The will of the participants can be summed up by the quote, “They do not want something that mirrors the current system” (Marie Skidmore, Metlakatla First Nation). But how to ensure the Authority does things fundamentally differently is a challenge. As many people said, the Indian Act/federal government system has been deeply ingrained in First Nations for so long it is hard to make systemic changes. Ideas like inclusivity, all our relations, homes are more than houses, home is about place—the land, water is life, diversity, decolonization, no one left behind, close to home, family, collaboration not competition, and compassionate housing delivery begin to convey the principles expressed by contributors on which to build a new truly Indigenous housing and infrastructure authority.
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