Manitoba relationship stories: when First Nations and local governments plan together

• Main Author: Koch, Madeleine
• Other Authors: Barry, Janice (City Planning), Wight, Ian (City Planning) Craft, Aimée (Faculty of Law)
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Manitoba; Planning; First Nations; Local Government; Municipalities; Reconciliation; Relationships; Intergovernmental; Practice; Urban reserves; Land use; Treaties; Practice stories; Relationship principles; Planners; Treaty Land Entitlement
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/31531

As First Nations establish new reserves in urban areas, it creates opportunities for “intergovernmental” land use planning relationships between First Nations and adjacent local governments. However, at present, limited resources exist to guide practitioners through these new relationships. This research explores the practical realities of intergovernmental planning in Manitoba, and analyses current practice’s congruence with pre-established principles for a renewed relationship between First Nations and Non-First Nations. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect “practice stories” about practitioners’ grounded experiences with intergovernmental planning work in Manitoba. Findings suggest that relationship building between local governments and First Nations is taking place largely due to the informal initiatives of individual staff, often in absence of formal organizational support. Despite the challenges associated with this work, intergovernmental planning relationships have promising opportunities to bring about mutual benefits for both parties, and to contribute to reconciliation between First Nations and non-First Nations peoples. October 2016