The State of the Federation 2013: Aboriginal Multilevel Governance, November 28-30 2013, Queen's University, Kingston.

Queen's Institute for Intergovernmental Relations is pleased to announce its annual State of the Federation conference. This year's conference will focus on the changing relationships between Aboriginal, federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada.   

The relationship between Aboriginal peoples and canadian federalism has undergone slow but significant transformations in recent decades. While the focus is often on legal developments in the interpretation of Aboriginal and treaty rights, changes have also taken place at the level of everyday governance. Aboriginal peoples are no longer wiling to see policy reforms imposed from the top without appropriate consultation and substantive participation. Many communities and nations are revitalizing traditional models of governance, thereby inviting Canadian authorities to recognize alternative forms of decision-making. Self-government agreements and land claims settlements in northern regions have also led to the creation of complex structures of governance and co-management. Lesser-known but nonetheless significant sector-specific agreements between Aboriginal, federal, provincial and territorial governments in areas as diverse as lands and resources management, training, education, health care, child welfare and housing, to name a few, also contribute to the reconfiguration of Aboriginal governance. These developments suggests Aboriginal governance is increasingly a multilevel reality. The 2013 State of the Federation conference will focus on the implications, limits and transformative potential of Aboriginal multilevel governance. What is changing, and how? Do existing governance arrangements in, for example, forestry or in the delivery of social services, create opportunities for real and substantive Aboriginal participation in decision-making? What are the main challenges in implementing multilevel models of Aboriginal governance? What are the implications of these arrangements for Aboriginal rights and political aspirations, as well as for Canadian federalism?  We will explore these questions through a series of panels designed to facilitate dialogue between researchers and practitioners of Aboriginal governance.

(Student registration is available, please contact iigr@queensu.ca for details)