Chief Commissioner C.T. (Manny) Jules has been a tireless advocate for advancing First Nation jurisdiction. Throughout his career he has been outspoken about First Nations’ ownership of their lands and has now turned his attention to providing a new legal basis for First Nation property ownership.

What is the proposed First Nations Property Ownership Act?

It is proposed federal legislation that would establish First Nation ownership of their current lands and confirm their jurisdiction over those lands. First Nation ownership would replace the existing Crown ownership and include First Nation reversionary rights and expropriation powers. It would also enable all types of lands tenure including individual fee simple ownership. FNPOA would allow First Nations to opt in to the legislative framework as an alternative to the Indian Act. The following chart gives an overview of the shift from the Indian Act system to the proposed FNPOA approach.