Giuseppe Amatulli starts his new post-doctoral role at Carleton University, located in Ottawa.
The Rebuilding First Nations Governance (RFNG) project, a community-led initiative, is set to commence in January 2023. With a C$5M Partnership Grant from The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the project aims to foster collaboration between First Nations governments, universities, non-governmental organisations, and various stakeholders.
Dr. Giuseppe Amatulli, a scholar with expertise in Arctic studies, will join the RFNG project as its first post-doctoral fellow. Giuseppe will specialise in First Nations Governance, working across Canada with several First Nations, as well as six Canadian universities, three non-governmental organisations, and 35 academic researchers and practitioners. His socio-legal research will be based on the knowledge he gained during his PhD in the Durham Arctic Programme.
The primary goal of the RFNG project is to provide applied research and analysis for replacing the Indian Act or specific sections of it with more effective and legitimate tools. This ambitious objective is part of a broader mission to promote meaningful Indigenous participation and partnership in major economic and infrastructure projects across Canada.
The project seeks to rebuild trust and facilitate the equitable sharing of economic benefits, equity ownership, and resource management with Indigenous communities. This, in turn, supports Indigenous economic growth and governance rebuilding. The RFNG project includes capacity-building and governance enhancements to ensure First Nations leadership have a direct role in project development, decision-making, and financial participation.
Key federal partners in the RFNG project include the Prime Minister's office, Indigenous Services Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations, and various Indigenous leadership bodies, including Inuit and Métis representatives. The federal government has established mechanisms such as an Indigenous Advisory Council and has allocated dedicated funding (C$40 million) to support Indigenous participation and leadership in these governance and nation-building projects.
The RFNG project is about transforming collaborative governance structures between the federal government and First Nations to enable Indigenous-led development, prosperity, and sovereignty within the ambit of nation-building infrastructure and economic initiatives. Giuseppe's role in the project will include conducting interdisciplinary work with First Nations, non-Indigenous academics, and practitioners.
With the RFNG project, there's a promising future for Indigenous communities in Canada, one that prioritises their voices, their leadership, and their sovereignty in the nation's economic and infrastructure development.
[1] Rebuilding First Nations Governance
[2] Indigenous Services Canada
[3] Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
- The Rebuilding First Nations Governance (RFNG) project, in collaboration with Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, aims to foster a future for Indigenous communities in Canada that prioritizes their voices, leadership, and sovereignty in the nation's economic and infrastructure development.
- The RFNG project, with the support of Indigenous Services Canada, holds a promising future for Indigenous communities, as it includes capacity-building and governance enhancements, enabling First Nations leadership to have a direct role in project development, decision-making, and financial participation.
