Bob Joseph's latest book shares 21 things you need to know about Indigenous self-governance — read an excerpt
21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government will be released on Sept. 2, 2025
Bob Joseph's 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act has sold over 170,000 copies in Canada, according to Raincoast Books — and clearly breaks down ways that the 1876 Indian Act has shapes, controls and constrains the lives of Indigenous people.
Now he's back with a follow-up, 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government, which outlines how Indigenous self-government is already at work in communities and how it can be further implemented to bring reconciliation.
In an email to CBC Books, Joseph noted that some of the main questions he was asked about 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act, was whether we can get rid of the Indian Act, what that would look like and if it would work.
"It turns out that these are timely questions, given that 2026 will mark 150 years since the Consolidated Indian Act of 1876," he wrote. "I have been hearing from friends, family and colleagues that there will be a lot of conversations on the continued dismantling of the Indian Act, and I'm sure the main focus and questions of the conversation will be to try to find answers to these questions."
Some of the answers lie in Indigenous self-governance, wrote Joseph, and he hopes that 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government will educate and inspire readers to take part in the conversations.
"I hope that this book and the resulting conversation will reduce any fears surrounding the topic of Indigenous self-governance," he wrote. "I'm excited that readers and all Canadians will want to be part of the change by joining the conversation about dismantling the Indian Act and moving toward Indigenous self-government."
Joseph is a member of the Gwawaenuk Nation and is an initiated member of the Hamatsa Society. He is the founder of Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. and is the author of several books about Indigenous history and relations, including Indigenous Relations and Working Effectively with Indigenous Peoples.
21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government will be released on Sept. 2, 2025. Read an excerpt below.
Traditional Leadership is Tied to Community
As with most aspects of life for Indigenous Peoples in Canada, the introduction of the Indian Act in 1876 injected a seismic shift into governance. Prior to the Indian Act, nations had their own traditional governing structures and protocols. Hereditary Chiefs could hold many different positions and have different powers within a community, including leadership, territory and land. Each Indigenous community had their own decision-making processes on the traditional leadership of its community, many following a matriarchal line. The power of traditional or hereditary leaders was frequently passed from one generation to another through cultural laws.
The introduction, by the Indian Act, of European-style elections, threatened the continuity of traditional governing structures — the very backbone of each nation. Elected Chief and Councils were implemented as Canada desired a more recognizable way for the Indigenous communities to communicate with the government and represent their respective nations. This policy set out to eradicate the concept of Hereditary Chiefs, something westernized democracy was not familiar with. The traditional governance structures of many nations were part of a productive and highly evolved society pre-contact, and many lost the traditions of these structures throughout Canada's history, including the undermining of women and elders in leadership roles.
Under the Indian Act, nations that had thrived and survived on their own terms before European contact became "bands." Each band is allowed one elected Chief and one elected Councillor for every one hundred band members, with a minimum of two and no more than 12 Councillors per band. These elected officials are ultimately accountable to the federal government. A key takeaway about the Indian Act electoral process is that the Chief and Council are elected by their people but are accountable to the federal government as the federal government controls their mandate and funding (which pays their salaries). The concept is fraught with potential pitfalls.
An elected Chief and Council are responsible for delivering federal government programming for health care, housing, and education on reserve. Their responsibilities are confined, or should be confined, to reserve operations.
Where I come from, Hereditary Chiefs are responsible for the nation's traditional territory (the geographic area identified as the land that a nation and/or its ancestors traditionally occupied or used). They make decisions about lands and resources and are responsible for the collective community …
A Three-Part Story About Hereditary Leadership
I am frequently asked who outranks whom when both Hereditary and elected Band Chiefs are present in a community. My answer is a three-part story about Hereditary leadership.
A client group and I visited a community to attend a presentation from a Hereditary Chief, as we had the same question — who outranks whom? With the Hereditary Chief was a quiet, elderly lady, wearing a hand-knit sweater. She sat by the refreshment table, drinking tea while the Hereditary Chief gave a great presentation. Then it was our turn to ask questions, which he graciously answered.
The first question was about who makes decisions in the community, the elected Band Chief or Hereditary Chiefs? The Hereditary Chief answered that in his community, there were several Hereditary Chiefs and one elected Band Chief. For decisions about their territory, lands, and resources, each of the Chiefs were responsible for a portion of
that territory. So, if a forestry company wanted to cut down trees in an area, the company would need to talk to the Chief who had the rights and responsibilities to that specific portion of that broader territory. If a pipeline company wanted to put a pipeline across the entire territory, they'd have to talk to all the Hereditary Chiefs. That answer gave us some good insight.
The next question was in three parts: "How do the Hereditary Chiefs get along with the elected Band Chief, and does the Band Chief know that the resource companies have to speak to the Hereditary Chiefs, and does the Band Chief respect their decisions?" It was such a great line of questioning.
The answer was fabulous, and it will give you some good insights, I hope.
The Hereditary Chief explained that, yes, the Band Chief is aware of their respective jurisdictional accountabilities. When the elected Band Chief listens to and respects their decisions, both sets of leadership get along great. If the elected Band Chief does not listen, the Hereditary Chiefs can, between all of them and with the support of their communities, make sure that the Band Chief is not a candidate in the next election. I found this insight fascinating …
"How do you learn to be a Hereditary Chief?" was the last question asked in this meeting, and I think it was the best question of the day.
The Hereditary Chief said, "It's a great question." But before he answered, he called out, "Hey, Auntie, can you come up here, please?" And Auntie, who had been quietly sipping tea, walked up to the front and stood behind him, looking over his shoulder. "So, this is my auntie. A while ago she gave me my Chieftainship and largely taught me how to be a Chief, and today I am able to do that and make decisions. And if I am ever stuck, I go to Auntie."
And then he said, "Thank you, Auntie," and she sat down again without ever saying a word.
So, we went into the day thinking, "We've got to talk to the Band Chief." But by the middle of the day, we were thinking, "We've got to talk to these Hereditary Chiefs about lands and resources." And by the end of the day, we were all thinking, "Auntie! She's the power broker!"
From 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government: A Conversation About Dismantling the Indian Act by Bob Joseph. Copyright © 2025 by Bob Joseph. Reprinted by the permission of Bob Joseph. Produced by Page Two.
