Report Grades First Nations’ Governance

Monday, February 11, 2008 at 13:04

 

 

A Winnipeg-based think tank has released a report into governance of Saskatchewan and Manitoba First Nations.

 

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy says it evaluated 112 communities in its 2nd annual Aboriginal Goverance Index.

 

The centre says it focused on six categories of goverance — elections, administration, human rights, transparency, services and economy — and talked to band members from all walks of life to determine each band’s score.

 

Wahpeton, Ahtahkakoop, Muskoday, Muskeg Lake, Mistawasis and Fond du Lac were among the Saskatchewan First Nations the centre says were found to have “superior systems of goverance”.

 

Island Lake, Nekaneet and the Key First Nation finished with some of the lowest scores.

 

The report’s author, Don Sandberg, says many of the bands that scored high in the survey have a higher average length of time chiefs are allowed to stay in office.

 

Sandberg stresses that representatives from his group travelled to every reserve in person to hear from residents directly.

 

Three Saskatchewan bands chose not to take part — Whitecap Dakota, Big River and Wood Mountain.