Dr. Christopher Alcantara

Associate Professor

Contact Information

Email: calcantara@wlu.ca
Phone: 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

Broadly speaking, my research interests are in the fields of Canadian politics, public policy, and Indigenous-settler relations in Canada.

My most recent book, Negotiating the Deal: Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements in Canada, is available for purchase from University of Toronto Press (2013) here.

I have also co-authored a book entitled, Beyond the Indian Act: Restoring Aboriginal Property Rights McGill-Queen's University Press, 2010.  This book was shortlisted for the 2010-2011 Donner Book Prize.  You can find news reports on the book here (National Post), here (Toronto Star), and here (Inside Laurier, on page 5), an excerpt of the book here (National Post), and you can buy a copy of the book here (english) or here (french).

In addition to my books, I have published in the following academic journals: Alberta Law Review, Arctic, Canadian Journal of Law and Society, Canadian Journal of Native Studies, Canadian Journal of Political Science, Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, Canadian Public Administration, Canadian Public Policy, Electoral Studies, Journal of Canadian Studies, Polar Record, Public Choice, Publius: Journal of Federalism, and Queen's Law Review.

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 territorial governance 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

• 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).