Administrative and planning issues of native communities : a case study evaluation

The psychological, cultural, social and economic problems of Indian communities have been widely publicized. In spite of this there exists a lack of documentation of the conflicts between our aboriginal natives and the Federal government. This study has identified some of these conflicts by focusing on: 1) The current inter-governmental relationship between the Department of Indian Affairs (a client centred administrative bureaucracy) and the Indian Band Council (local government) and its effect on planning and administration at the local level. 2) The planning and administrative process at the local government level. The main purpose of the study is to propose a policy of self-reliance for the Indian people. A gradual phasing out of the Department of Indian Affairs is a means towards achieving this policy. Though this is not a study about aboriginal rights it is suggested that any proposed Federal government policy would be unworkable if it did not acknowledge the significance of the aboriginal rights issue for the Indian people. The study is an analysis of material gathered over a three year period during which the author was serving as a Social Service Consultant to the Squamish Indian Band. The material drawn on includes inter-office memoranda, related published documents, information gained as a result of attendance at meetings, and personal discussions in the course of the consulting work. Use is made of applicable theory and practice to help understand the administrative and organizational relationships that exist at the bureaucratic and local level. This study has identified various administrative and behavioral changes that are required in order to correct faults in the current administrative and planning process. These faults must be corrected if the program of self-reliance is to succeed. Case study material of the Squamish Indian Band is used to illustrate conflict areas between an Indian Band and the Department of Indian Affairs. The resulting observations and recommendations may be useful to planning personnel and to Indian communities in pursuing their future developmental objectives.Applied Science, Faculty ofCommunity and Regional Planning (SCARP), School ofGraduat