Curve Lake Gchi-Naaknigewin puts citizens’ engagement first

Jenny Restoule-Mallozzi, Keith Knott and Melissa Dokis at the Dec. 8 constitution committee meeting.
Jenny Restoule-Mallozzi, Keith Knott and Melissa Dokis at the Dec. 8 constitution committee meeting.

By Faye Sabourin

CURVE LAKE FIRST NATION, ON – The Curve Lake Nation Building Committee is working towards the First Nation’s draft constitution and setting up to begin community engagement on the document. “We are hoping to bring the draft to the people for input very soon,” said Keith Knott, Curve Lake Councillor, committee member, and a long-time Chief of Curve Lake First Nation.

The Committee is made up of eight members, including Dan Whetung, Gary Whetung, Charlotte Taylor, Melissa Dokis, Mel Jacobs, Jeff Jacobs and Randy Haynes. On December 8, 2014, the Restoration of Jurisdiction department at the Union of Ontario Indians worked with the Curve Lake Nation Building Committee to assist them with putting the finishing touches on their draft constitution.

“We have a great foundation to start from and we have superb committee members, a mix of community, staff, and council members, who are working diligently to achieve what will be an excellent start of enabling us to look at other key areas to formulate our own laws,” said Curve Lake Chief Phyllis Williams.  “As a First Nation government we need these tools to assist with enhanced governance practices.   Our citizens and future leaders will benefit in the long term, knowing that they have a basis of governing themselves, will have a greater comfort of doing business as we would want, not by government standards that may be foreign to our culture.”

Chief Williams said that engagement has to occur in order to seek the “pulse” of the community, opinions, feedback necessary to correct any misconceptions, achieve feedback, recommendations, comment, and validation of what is expected of the elected council.

“Taking the working draft to the community at this time is an excellent way to update citizens, create dialogue, and counter the misunderstandings if there are any, or… gain points of recommendation.   I commend the committee for their commitment to undertake such responsibility.”

The Curve Citizen or E’Dbendaagzijig (those who belong) engagement is the most important piece of the constitution development process. A First Nation constitution is a community document, created ‘by the people, for the people’, as the saying goes. A constitution can be a powerful tool for bringing the community together to make changes to improve the well-being of the community as a whole.

“A constitution must represent and reflect the First Nation and the people it is intended for.  Crucial to that is incorporating the voice of the First Nation and people into the development and approval of the constitution by making sure that it is written in plain language so it’s easily understood and true to the First Nation and its people,” said Jenny Restoule – Mallozzi, Legal Counsel, Union of Ontario Indians (UOI).

Restoule-Mallozzi offered a legal review of the draft constitution and offered some helpful tips to ensure the essential principles are included in the draft Gchi Naaknigewin.  Other areas of discussion included the preamble, English and Anishnabemowin versions of the draft, First Nation jurisdiction, communication and consultation to get the input of E’Dbendaagzijig.

The Restoration of Jurisdiction’s Constitution Development Project has provided support to fourteen (14) First Nations this year and more communities have requested support in 2015. Nipissing and Wikwemikong now have ratified First Nation Constitutions.

For more information on First Nation Constitution Development, please call Faye Sabourin – Special Project Coordinator at 1-877-702-5200.