Diversifying Methodologies: A Haudenosaunee/Settler Approach for Measuring Indigenous-Local Intergovernmental Success

Abstract

Intergovernmental agreements between municipal and Indigenous governments are rapidly expanding in number and importance in Canada and the United States, yet they remain underexamined in the literature. This article considers how to measure the success of these agreements. It takes as a case study the port divestiture agreement between the City of Cornwall (Ontario, Canada), and a neighbouring Indigenous government, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. While the agreement represents a partial success and partial failure by conventional public policy and public administration metrics, these evaluations are different when measured against the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) principle of “one-mindedness.” Findings, which were generated using anthropological and qualitative political science methods, suggest that the use of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous frameworks are required to produce accurate and comprehensive evaluations of these agreements and the outcomes that are produced by them.

Overcoming barriers to Indigenous‐local water sharing agreements in Canada

“…We suggest that this conceptual incongruence could be resolved through a rethinking of the relationship between municipalities and First Nations. Currently, interactions between them seem to be on a service provider‐customer basis, rather than a collaborative partnership of equals working towards a common goal (Alcantara & Kalman, 2019; Alcantara & Nelles, 2016; Von der Porten & de Loë, 2014). The latter is an approach advocated by some Elders, who see Indigenous leadership in decisions relating to water as a way for communities to properly fulfill their responsibilities to it (McGregor, 2014; 501).…”

Measuring accountability in interlocal agreements between Indigenous and local governments

“…The literature on interlocal cooperation and contracting between municipalities is quite robust (see Feiock, 2007Feiock, , 2013Hulst & Andre, 2008;Kwon & Feiock, 2010), whereas the literature on Indigenous-municipal intergovernmental partnerships is less so (Alcantara & Kalman, 2019;Berg, 2019;Webster, 2020). Both literatures suggest that Indigenous-local agreements address many of the same issues and goals as interlocal agreements between municipalities.…”