AUMA presentation to treaty 8x - Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta

February 17, 2011

Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta

Workshop on Consultation

Presentation Outline 1. What is AUMA? 2. What is Municipal Government? 3. Some Initiatives 4. AUMA’s Submission on the GOA’s 5.

Consultation Policy with First Nations Closing

What is AUMA?  Formed in 1905  Representing Alberta’s urban municipalities (276) including cities, towns, villages, summer villages, and specialized municipalities  Our members include urban municipalities ranging from population sizes of 6 to over 1 million.  Most members have populations less than 2500, but AUMA’s two largest members, Calgary and Edmonton, account for 1/2 of Alberta’s population.

What is AUMA? Vision AUMA is valued by our membership and

trusted as a voice for urban municipalities. Mission

AUMA provides leadership in advocating local government interests to all orders of government and other organizations.

Advocacy

Issues Solutions Business

Capacity

What is Municipal Government? According to Alberta’s Municipal Government Act, the purposes of municipal government in Alberta are to:

 Provide good government

Provide services, facilities or other things that are necessary or desirable Develop and maintain safe and viable communities

Some Initiatives  Common Ground (partnership with ANFCA)  Municipal Sustainability Planning  Sustainable Land Use  Citizen Engagement  Elected Officials Education Program (EOEP)  Municipal Climate Change Action Centre

AUMA’s Submission on the GOA’s Consultation Policy with First Nations “AUMA strongly supports the building of relationships between municipal governments, neighbouring First Nations communities and Aboriginal Peoples and Organizations located within urban municipalities.” “As the representative of municipal urban governments in Alberta, AUMA is interested in facilitating partnerships between local municipal governments and local First Nations governments for the benefit of both, and for enhanced sustainability of Alberta communities.”

AUMA’s Submission on the GOA’s Consultation Policy with First Nations – AUMA Recommendations: 1. THAT the Government of Alberta clearly state its

Constitutional “duty to consult” with First Nations in the Policy Statement. FURTHER THAT the Government of Alberta clearly state that while the Crown may delegate certain consultation processes to municipal governments (when municipal governments are project proponents), municipal governments will not face any legal liability as a delegate of the Province for the purposes of consultation processes.

AUMA’s Submission on the GOA’s Consultation Policy with First Nations – AUMA Recommendations: 2. THAT the Government of Alberta be made aware that AUMA supports municipal governments consulting with First Nations neighbours and partners, in areas of municipal planning, and local service provision. “AUMA supports the inclusion of Aboriginal Peoples and governments in land‐use planning, and in other collaborative efforts towards sustainability. Sustainability of Alberta’s land resource cannot be achieved if portions of land are not part of the overall land use planning process” (AUMA’s comments on the Provincial Land‐Use Framework).

AUMA’s Submission on the GOA’s Consultation Policy with First Nations – AUMA Recommendations: 3. THAT the Government of Alberta provide legal and financial support and expertise that would lead to the creation of practical tools and processes that municipal governments can use to engage with neighbouring First Nations communities and Aboriginal groups/organizations. FURTHER THAT an education and training component for municipal governments be included as one of the tools.

Closing  AUMA appreciates and thanks Treaty No. 8 First

Nations for the opportunity to attend and learn from you at this Workshop.  We would like the opportunity for municipal governments to learn more from First Nations, and would like to facilitate such learning amongst AUMA member municipalities.  We would like to work with First Nations to achieve sustainability and a high quality of life for communities in Alberta.