The Indian solution to the policy problem: Articulating Indigenous and colonial policymaking models using an Indigenous lens

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy, University of Regina. viii, 128 p. A defining feature of the post-contact policymaking era between Western colonial governments and Indigenous communities was the creation of the so-called “Indian problem” as an actual phrase used within colonial governments (Satzewich 1997; Episkenew 2009; Erasmus 2003). More than a phrase though, the “Indian problem: was the misidentification of an issue that defined the relationship between Indigenous people and the colonial government from that point forward and it is the basic premise of all the paternalistic policies Indigenous people are still subject to in Canada, such as the Indian Act (1985). Though often referred to, the concept of the “Indian problem” has yet to be properly unpacked from a theoretical policy perspective. For the purposes of this study, the phrase “Western policymaking process” is used to denote the present-day policymaking process that evolved over time from the historical experience of European nations expanding into and colonizing Indigenous territories. The phrase encompasses more than a political history, but a policy tradition whereby colonial governments implemented their own forms of policymaking, such as the British during the colonization of Indigenous territories in the parts of the world now known as Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. This policymaking process fails to create effective policies for closing the education, income and health gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in these countries. The resulting policy failures have led scholars to call for an examination of the policy process that looks at “systemic and foundational rather than attitudinal and incidental” solutions (Maaka and Fleras 2005). In this new era of espoused reconciliation, we see that both Indigenous communities and the colonial government are calling for the same thing – a new relationship. How do we capitalize on this emerging rhetorical opening? Why do policies and programs continue to fall short of truly improving Indigenous health, education and socio-economic outcomes? It is within this new intellectual space that the disconnect starts to become clearer – we may have begun to change the rhetoric but the way policies and programs continue to be delivered has remained largely unchanged. This paper unpacks the concept of the “Indian problem” utilizing western colonial policy theories to explain its permeance and endurance in modern day policies that continue to negatively impact Indigenous people. The western colonial policymaking model is also examined at its ontological, epistemological, and methodological levels via an Indigenous lens to expose its inherent limitations when applied in Indigenous contexts. An Indigenous research methodology is used to gather knowledge (collect data), make meaning (data analysis) and share stories (results) collected from ten participants affiliated with two Indigenous community partners – the All Nations Healing Hospital in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan and Papa Ola Lokahi, a health service/advocacy organization with locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Through a combination of “talking story” sessions, archival research, and a review of Indigenous methodologies, an Indigenous policymaking model is articulated from its ontological and epistemological roots to its methodological approach. This model is presented as an experiential, multi-media art installation featuring the Indigenous policymaking model painted on a moose hide. Student yes