b'COVER STORYand then make it the job of the leadersleast do not block, the self-governance ofto be a more paternalistic attitude among to rebuild the capacity to self-govern. Itthe tribes. The results overall have shownthe broad Canadian public, with non-starts with a mindset. It starts with, everythat true self-governance is the only policyIndigenous Canada not really believing day, whether Im a program director orthat has ever worked to turn around thethat First Nations can run themselves and an elected official, when I walk into work,horrible legacies of poverty and socialrun themselves well. But the Indigenous my job is to take over a little bit morestress left by colonialism. Its been aNation Building movement which is from INAC, or the province, or whatevertougher fight in Canada for First Nationsunderway in the U.S. and gathering outside authority is trying to controlto take the field and really engage insteam in Australia, New Zealand and things. And not just take it over and falltrue self-governance and nation buildingeven Latin America is delivering a clear flat on my face, but take it over and runprojects and approaches. Im not surelesson: When Indigenous communities a better housing program, take it overwhy, but the Canadian federal governmentare able to exercise their inherent rights and run a better health clinic, take it overin particular has been unsupportive andof self-governance, they have a much and run a better economic developmentslow to recognize that First Nationsbetter chance of getting things right. Non-project. Thats where it starts. It startsself-governance is the path to a win-winIndigenous Canada should be welcoming with a mindset that values and asserts self- outcome for all Canadians. There seemsFirst Nations Nations Building. determination and self-governance.Should Canadians be frightened of First Nations Nation Building?No! This is a win-win. We see this in case after case. If you are non-Indigenous, are Harmonyyou better off if your neighbours, whetherBUILDING theyre First Nations or not, are poor, disorganized, chaotic, socially stressed? Or are you better off if your neighbours areTransportation & Utility Contractorthriving economically, running their affairs well and rebuilding their communities? The answer, of course, is you are better off if your neighbours are better off. One of the things were seeing in both the U.S. and Canada, where you have these cases of successful Nation Building, is more cooperative relations between local on-the-ground governmental units. The police forces cooperate better; the fire departments work better together; the social programs work in partnership. The results are much healthier community-to-community relations. At the national level, what you see is that First Nation Nation Building results in economic development, and that economic development enables First Nations to start to take on their own programs and projects. In community after community, you see the band or the nation beginning to pour its own money into the health clinic, start to put its own money into road repair, start to use its own money to build its own police force, and so forth.That takes budget pressure off of the feds and off of the provinces. This means that from a strict budget perspective, non-Native Canadians are going to be betterRelationshipsoff if their First Nation neighbours areMichels Canada is committed toare built on better off. DEVELOPING AND ENHANCING currentTRUST.Is there a difference in the U.S. aspartnerships within Indigenous communities. compared to Canada when it comes toWe serve to PROMOTE AND EDUCATEwww.MichelsCanada.comacceptance of Nation Building? Indigenous peoples on the advancement of In the U.S., weve had about 45 years nowcareers in the construction sector.of pretty stable policies, not perfect, but pretty stable policies that promote, or at www.afn.ca 73'