First Nations Land Management Regime

The First Nation Land Management regime (the Regime) enables the development of First Nation laws to manage reserve land, resources and environment under a land code established by a First Nation within the Regime. This allows participating First Nations to opt out of the land-related sections of the Indian Act and enact their own laws taking into consideration the development, conservation, use and possession of reserve lands.

These laws may also enable communities to seize new economic development opportunities. The Regime provides an alternative to the land provisions of the Indian Act, which accelerates First Nations' ability to manage their lands more effectively and efficiently than under the Indian Act thus making the land more competitive for investment.

The Regime isa sectoral self-government arrangement which replaces the sections of the Indian Act dealing with land, resources and environment. The First Nations Land Management regime is a practical step toward self-government. It increases First Nations authority and responsibility for land management. It also gives First Nations control over environmental management on reserve.

Background

In 1991, a group of First Nation Chiefs approached AANDC with a proposal to allow First Nations to opt out of the Indian Act provisions dealing with land and resources. These discussions resulted in The Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management (Framework Agreement), signed by Canada and 14 First Nations in 1996. The First Nations Land Management Act which received Royal Assent on June 17, 1999, ratified and gave effect to the Framework Agreement.  The First Nations who signed the Framework Agreement established a Lands Advisory Board and a Resource Centre to assist them in implementing their own land management regimes.

Opting into the FNLM Regime

Participating First Nations are provided with funding to develop a land code, negotiate an individual agreement and hold a ratification vote in the community. These activities are laid out in a Community Approval Process Plan and this phase of activity is commonly referred to as the developmental phase.  If the vote is successful, the First Nations move from the developmental phase into the operational phase of the Regime. Operational First Nations manage their own reserve lands under their own land codes, are no longer bound by thirty-four land management sections of the Indian Act, and receive funding for their land management costs.

Sequence of Events for Opting into the FNLM Regime

What Information is Available?

• The First Nations Land Management Regime: A Guide for First Nations
• FNLM Frequently Asked Questions
• FNLM - Operational First Nations

You may also be interested in:

• News Release - The Harper Government Announces 18 New Entrants to First Nations Land Management Regime
• First Nations Land Management Act  
• First Nations Land Management Act – Schedule of First Nations  
• Lands Advisory Board  
• Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management