This article was not based on original research but rather synthesized the history of housing on reserve and looked at different ways to address the glaring problems. It acknowledges that the cheaply built homes were built for nuclear families in the colonial style to encourage assimilation and adoption of patriarchal and cultural beliefs. This has lead to present day problems of overcrowding, mold, and structural damage. It is stated that these changes not only caused cultural damage, but may be the root of many health and social problems. The article also emphasizes the importance of creating dialogue between community and state that address the unequal power dynamics and cultural conflicts, acknowledging the damage of historical and present day policies, and the power of shifting to a community driven planning structure including traditional knowledge and ways of knowing to work on the process of decolonization. Although this article did not bring about any new data, the analyzation of historical events and emphasis on policies nicely summarized the issues and brought an interesting perspective on how to start working towards solutions with planners taking on a different role and frameworks being rebuilt to suit community needs. It seemed like an interdisciplinary piece the way it wove in law, history, and culture.

This study was driven by the discussion around the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The article helps to facilitate that discussion by looking at how planning can lead that shift to a better relationship. The research questions includes how is “discourses…used to shape the existing housing system” (p.20) and can the government use planning (in the form of changed a housing system and policies) to lead the relationship building between the Indigenous peoples and government. These arguments are similar to ones I have heard many times before but rarely seen in a scholarly journal. I think that the perspective it brings forth can help researchers and policy makers who don’t have first hand experience in these communities get a more complex understanding of the issues at hand.