Toward Indigenous Planning? First Nation Community Planning in Saskatchewan, Canada

• Published in: Journal of Planning Education and Research
• Main Authors: Prusak, S. Yvonne, Walker, Ryan, Innes, Robert
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 2016
• Subjects: Canada; First Nations
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0739456x15621147; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0739456X15621147; https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/0739456X15621147

“Indigenous planning” is an emergent paradigm to reclaim historic, contemporary, and future-oriented planning approaches of Indigenous communities across western settler states. This article examines a community planning pilot project in eleven First Nation reserves in Saskatchewan, Canada. Qualitative analysis of interviews undertaken with thirty-six participants found that the pilot project cultivated the terrain for advancing Indigenous planning by First Nations, but also reproduced settler planning processes, authority, and control. Results point to the value of visioning Indigenous futures, Indigenous leadership and authority, and the need for institutional development.