What We Heard

Note: The topics are deeply interconnected and as a result some of the recommendations, challenges, and opportunities may appear repetitive. This report attempts to reduce the repetition at the same time as it acknowledges that many of the ideas have multiple applications and as a result may appear more than once.

Summary

The feedback regarding what governance model BC First Nations feel makes the most sense for their new housing and infrastructure authority was clear. Respondents spoke almost unanimously in favour of a strong central governing body with one leadership advisory body selected from elected and hereditary leadership, a second advisory body make up of highly skilled technical people and service delivery hubs located in regions around the province. That being said the overriding thought was that the governing model should not be top heavy or unduly expensive. This is a BC First Nations entity that is being created as a government agency on behalf of BC First Nations ensuring the Authority is not like the top-down hierarchical structure of the Indian Act.

There is consensus that there should be a separation between broad direction established by elected leadership and operational governance and management and that the organization’s bureaucracy (including governance) should be highly professional and thoroughly knowledgeable about housing and infrastructure.

Words such as transparency, accountability, responsibility, fairness, decolonization, and selfdetermination reflect the overarching principles shared by all the participants. As was the idea that the Authority should abandon the top-down, one-on-one relationship currently being delivered by the federal government in favour of a lateral organization where First Nations are not competitors but collaborators building an organization that works together to benefit all.

There were no opinions expressed that the Authority should have an opt-in or opt-out component, but rather that it would provide a broad range of services from which First Nations could build their own housing portfolio. The overarching idea was that the Authority was an essential part of the First Nations movement towards self-government in many sectors and a necessary tool to decolonize housing and infrastructure and an important step in moving beyond the Indian Act. However, there are First Nations with separate funding agreements for certain programs that will continue in their current form regardless of the Authority. In these cases a First Nation might consider to end its funding agreement and have its funds go back into the larger program pot in order to opt-in to access the Authority’s programs and services in that specific area.

The focus was on decolonizing housing and infrastructure, embedding culture throughout the system and ensuring it was not like the top-down hierarchical Indian structure of the Indian Act.

Recommendations

MODEL FOR THE GOVERNING BODY

Develop a central operational governing body with Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, Operations Team that: • Advocates – takes housing concerns to government on behalf of all First Nations in the province • Provides education and training • Develops programs and services • Provides consistency • Become an alternative to the current system in which government agencies build individual/preferential relationships with First Nations and plays one group off against the other • Builds a First Nations housing and infrastructure sector • Creates strong lateral and supportive relationships between First Nations

Central office may be largely virtual with a small physical location

Establish a Leadership Council • Selection/appointments made by BCFNLC • Made up of elected Chiefs, Councils, and hereditary and traditional leadership • Duties include decision-making on political matters and direction on matters of strategy, vision, policy, and principles

Authority to require that Leadership Council receive ongoing training and education on housing and infrastructure Establish a Technical Advisory Council • Selected through an application process • Includes experienced, technical professionals from all aspects of the housing and infrastructure sectors • Guides technical decisions and the practical direction for the authority

Deliver services through regional service delivery hubs (perhaps 5) with sector professionals, mentors, circuit riders, program specialists, etc., to: • Build appropriate delivery mechanisms • Amend programs and services to fit the region • Provide hands on assistance – on the ground • Provide consistent and familiar staff that know the region and the people • Are accountable to the First Nations

Research the cost of the central governing model • Research to determine how to control the cost of the governing system

Legal Entity • The new entity should be a legislated authority

Relationship with self-governing and Treaty First Nations and Tribal Councils • Build partnerships Compliment their work and contribute programs and services otherwise unavailable • No negotiated agreements between the Authority and Canada will interfere with Treaty agreements or take away from Canada’s fiduciary responsibility to First Nations people

Relationship with First Nations with independent funding agreements with the federal government for housing & infrastructure • Build partnerships • Compliment their work and contribute programs and services otherwise unavailable • Do not interfere with existing funding relationships • A First Nation may choose to end their funding agreement and opt-in to receive programs and services in that area from the Authority

Relationship with urban housing/people living away from home • Follow the principles that leadership, both elected and hereditary, are responsible for all First

Nations citizens and recognize that communities need and want their citizens to move home to keep the communities alive • Authority to assist First Nations to connect with all their citizens’ housing needs • Research how many people want to move home and the role the lack of housing on reserves plays in peoples’ decisions to live away from home • Develop programs to help off-reserve citizens • Develop programs that enhance mobility between on and off-reserve • Explore housing ideas that allow non-resident members temporary or holiday dwellings in order to stay connected to community • Build relationships with urban Indigenous housing deliverers • Services to be aligned and in partnership with the Authority • Connect with First Nations citizens in urban housing to assess need • Develop programs and supports for First Nations investing in fee simple land for investment and building housing in urban centres • First Nations are particularly interested in investing in all forms of housing in their own territories

Relationship with government (federal and provincial) • Government must be held responsible for the role it played in creating the substandard housing and infrastructure conditions on reserves • Advocate for legacy funds—restorative funding to close the gap • Authority will distribute government funding • Ensure government maintains the fiduciary responsibility to First Nations • Ensure adequate funding for the transition and the needs of the authority until it is fully operational • Ensure adequate funding for ongoing service delivery • Establish delivery and governance relationships to ensure that all housing & infrastructure program and service delivery is harmonized (including on and off reserve)

Capacity

• Cross-cultural training for everyone who works in or with the Authority • Board training for all the boards

Challenges

Housing and infrastructure has been delivered to First Nations through individual relationships with government with a top-down, colonial approach • First Nations have not made the critical decisions resulting in inappropriate services • Vertical service delivery has prevented First Nations from building lateral relationships with surrounding communities and developing a housing and infrastructure sector • Natural progress and innovation has been hindered • Competitive rather than collaborative relationships have developed between First Nations

Chiefs and Councils are responsible for governing housing and infrastructure services, yet often have little knowledge of the programs • Leadership changes every two years preventing effective knowledge acquisition and transfer • Leadership’s responsibility for program delivery often results in micromanagement

Urban and First Nations housing has been delivered in silos, resulting in many people falling through the cracks • Lack of adequate housing on reserves results in homelessness and substandard housing off reserves • Reserve citizens living away from home are often detached from the community

BC government has had no formal relationship with on-reserve housing yet is getting involved using the same colonial approach as the federal government

Lack of adequate housing has hindered nation-building • Young people are not finding housing at home and are moving away • First Nations are worried about the continued outflow and want to encourage people to move back home • The lack of housing opportunity prevents people from moving home

Opportunities

To create a First-Nations-governed housing and infrastructure system that sheds the current colonial system, redefines government relationships and draws its direction and strength from First Nations.

Don’t build an authority that is not thinking of my citizens. They are the reason to change the system and get out from under government control.

CHIEF, PARTICIPANT