Dr. Christopher Alcantara
Associate Professor
Contact Information
Email: calcantara@wlu.caPhone: 519-884-1970 ext.3410
Fax: 519-746-3655
Office Location: DAWB 4-110
Office Hours: by appointment only
Languages Spoken
English
Academic Background
PhD (University of Toronto, 2008); MA (University of Calgary, 2002); BA (McMaster University, 2001)
Biography
Dr. Alcantara joined the department in 2008. His main research interests are in the fields of Indigenous-settler relations and politics, territorial governance in the Canadian north, federalism and multilevel governance, public policy and administration, and more recently (and much to his surprise!), voting behaviour.
He has written two books, Negotiating the Deal: Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements in Canada (UTP: 2013) and Beyond the Indian Act: Restoring Aboriginal Property Rights (MQUP: 2010), the latter of which was coauthored with Tom Flanagan and Andre Le Dressay (the french translation is here). He has published numerous journal articles in Canadian Journal of Political Science, Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, Canadian Public Administration, Canadian Public Policy, Electoral Studies, Public Choice, and Publius: Journal of Federalism, among others.
His research was a finalist for the Donner Prize in 2011 and the McMenemy Prize in 2013 and has won the J.E. Hodgetts Award for best article in the journal, Canadian Public Administration, and the David Watson Memorial Award for "the paper published in the Queen's Law Journal judged to make the most significant contribution to legal scholarship.”
His google scholar page is here.
MA Supervision
I am willing to supervise graduate students that are interested in writing a Thesis or MRP on any topic related to Canadian Politics, Canadian Public Policy, and Indigenous-settler relations in Canada. In particular, I would welcome students interested in pursuing research on Inuit self-government in the Canadian north and First Nation-Municipal Intergovernmental Relations in Canada.
For students interested in pursuing graduate work in political science, please read the "grad school advice" file in the "documents" section of this webpage.
In the News
- My paper, co-authored with Gary Wilson, has been selected as a finalist for the 2013 McMemeny Prize for the best paper published in English or French in volume 45 of the Canadian Journal of Political Science. According to the jury report: "Wilson and Alcantara boldly depart from existing assumptions about the nature of the relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian state, and compel us to rethink our understanding of the challenges faced by contemporary Aboriginal governance." The shortlisted article is: "Mixing Politics and Business in the Canadian Arctic: Inuit Corporate Governance in Nunavik and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region." Canadian Journal of Political Science Vol. 45 No. 4, December. A summary of the article can be found here (PDF).
- The first review of my book, Negotiating the Deal: Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements in Canada, can be found (gated) here (Blacklock's Reporter).
- What does territorial devolution mean for Canada? Here's my analysis in Nunatsiaq News.
- Why is the treaty process so slow? Here's my analysis in the Toronto Star.
- How to reform the Indian Act? I participate here in a panel discussion on the topic on TVO's the Agenda with Steven Paikin. Watch the video here or listen to the podcast here.
- Should First Nations support the First Nations Property Ownership Act? I debate the subject with Grand Chief Joe Hall on CBC Radio's Day 6 with Brent Bambury.
- The Canadian federal government should consider revisiting and expanding the Kelowna Accord. Click here for my op ed in the Toronto Star on the subject..
- Here's my take on the federal government's attempt to modify accountability and transparency regimes on Canadian Indian reserves (Op ed in the Toronto Star).
- Does Premier McGuinty have the right to legislate a collective agreement with teachers in Ontario? Here's my point of view, delivered on CTV's Province Wide.
- Dr. Alcantara's co-authored article, "Strengthening the Ties that Bind? An Analysis of Aboriginal-Municipal Intergovernmental Agreements in British Columbia." (With Jen Nelles). Canadian Public Administration Vol. 54 No. 3, September pp. 315-334, is the winner of the J.E. Hodgetts Award for best article published in Canadian Public Administration. The press release is here and the article (ungated) is here.
- Top 5 myths about the federal government's private property rights on Canadian Indian reserves legislation, here in the Toronto Star.
- Here's my testimony on how to improve Aboriginal economic development on reserves in Canada, delivered to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. You can listen to an mp3 of my testimony here.
- Could property ownership improve living conditions on Canadian Indian reserves? Here's my op ed on the subject in the Toronto Star.
- Are remote Canadian Indian reserves sustainable? Here are my views in a panel discussion on TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin.
- Here I am on CBC Quebec AM discussing the housing crisis on remote First Nations across Canada, including the Ontario Cree community of Attawapiskat. And here's my op ed on the subject, published in the Toronto Star.
- Renewing the Aboriginal-settler relationship, from the bottom up. Read about it here in my op ed in the Toronto Star.
- Why were the NDP successful in Quebec this last federal election? Here's my op ed on the subject, published in the Toronto Star and here in the Kitchener Record.
- Dr. Alcantara's co-authored book, Beyond The Indian Act: Restoring Aboriginal Property Rights (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2010) has been shortlisted for the 2010-2011 Donner Book Prize, awarded annually to the best book published on a topic of Canadian Public Policy. The news release is here.
- Dr. Alcantara argues that federal, provincial, and territorial policymakers should pay more attention to the governance innovations being pursued by Indigenous communities across Canada, here, in the Kitchener Record.
- Dr. Alcantara discusses the reasons why Indigenous groups choose to engage in blockades and protests, here in the Toronto Star, and here in the Kitchener Record. These op eds are based on a recently published article of his in the Canadian Journal of Native Studies;
- The findings of a recent paper of mine, co-authored with former WLU undergraduate student Greg Whitfield, are mentioned here, in the Financial Post;
- Dr. Alcantara comments on how to reform the Indian Act, here, in the Toronto Star;
- Dr. Alcantara's research project on First Nation-municipal cooperation with Jen Nelles is featured on the Congress 2010 website here;
- Dr. Alcantara is interviewed on the radio show, Bamoseda, here (the interview starts at the 18:23 mark and ends at the 26:00 mark; there is also a shorter segment earlier on in the show).
