UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
PLANNING AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE
REQUEST FOR DECISION
PRESENTED BY:
John Rigby, Chair, Planning and Priorities Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
June 19, 2008
SUBJECT:
Approval of the Indigenous Land Management Institute
(ILMI)
DECISION REQUESTED:
It is recommended:
That Council approve the Indigenous Land Management
Institute as a Type B Centre, effective June 19, 2008.
PURPOSE:
The Indigenous Land Management Institute (ILMI) aspires to become a national and
international leader in the study of Indigenous land management issues. The ILMI will
foster relationships with Aboriginal communities and provide access to research, which
will better inform policy and economic decisions related to land management.
CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND:
The Indigenous Land Management Institute was identified at the request of First Nations
and Aboriginal partners to focus on wealth creation, governance of lands and resources,
and environment and community sustainability. The institute is featured in the 2008/09 –
2011/12 College of Agriculture and Bioresources Plan and supported by the Colleges of
Law, Engineering, and the Edwards School of Business. The cross-college collaborations
and breadth of relationships envisioned with government and Aboriginal communities
position the institute as a Type B Centre, with strategic partnerships including the Métis
National Council and the First Nations Agricultural Council of Saskatchewan, among
others.
CONSULTATION:
The Centres Subcommittee reviewed the ILMI proposal with Dr. David Natcher on
January 21, 2008, and with Professors Natcher and Allen on April 4, 2008. Following
receipt of the positive recommendation from the Centres Subcommittee regarding the
proposed institute, the Planning and Priorities Committee considered the proposal at its
April 30, 2008, meeting.
SUMMARY:
The Centre will be supported by internal resources from the University and external
resources from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, CIBC, and research funding. A
detailed Business Plan is included in the proposal, and was viewed as realistic and
strategic, positioning the institute to take advantage of an array of funding opportunities.
The Committees’ discussions regarding the proposal centred upon involvement of
members of the Aboriginal community in the institute’s governance, consultation with
the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS) based upon the clear association
between the objectives of the ILMI and the SENS, and clarification of the nature of the
graduate programming and research chairs associated with the institute.
In summary, the Planning and Priorities Committee supports the establishment of the
Indigenous Land Management Institute as a Type B Centre, which will advance the
University’s goal for enhanced interdisciplinary research related to the environment and
land use and support its commitment to Aboriginal scholarship.
ATTACHMENTS:
1.
Proposal to establish the Indigenous Land Management Institute (ILMI)