Well-being economics: How a unique economic model is being applied to the Robinson Huron treaty

While they are still in the preliminary stages of working with economic strategist Mark Anielski, Robinson Huron Waawiidaamgewin, the governing body for Anishinaabe signatories under the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850, there are some startling findings now revealed.

Sam Manitowabi, senior policy analyst with Waawiidaamgewin, told Sudbury.com the findings show a deep disparity between government spending on Robinson Huron Treaty members, and the average Ontarian. 

In fact, it shows an $825.4-million spending gap between the two groups. 

For context, back in September of 2014, the 21 signatories to the Robinson Huron Treaty brought a court action against the federal and provincial governments, with the claim that the Crown breached a promise to augment the annuity payable to each First Nation member under the treaty.

The Ontario Superior Court ruled in favour of the Anishinaabe in 2018. The federal government accepted that decision, but Ontario appealed and stage one and two of that appeal took place in May and June of 2021, respectively.

In November of 2021, the Ontario Court of Appeal rejected most of Ontario’s appeals and, like the Ontario Superior Court, urged the Crown to settle with the signatory nations

In 2021, that annuity amounted to a cheque for $4 for each person.

Calculating the gap

Anielski is an Alberta-based economist and author who specializes in what he calls “well-being economics.” Once named one of the top 50 most influential people in Alberta, he has a degree in economics and a masters degree in forest science, and is the former chief economist of the Indigenomics Institute. 

Anielski said he ran the total government expenditure figures per Ontarian compared to the average per expenditures of Robinson Huron Treaty per member, both on and off reserve. 

Considering spending at all three levels of government (federal, provincial and municipal) he said his results show a program benefit gap of $21,859 per Robinson Huron Treaty member. 

According to Anielski’s calculations, government spending totalled $30,881 per non-treaty citizen in 2020. The average expenditures on 2020 programs and services per Robinson Huron Treaty member was $9,021. This represents a program benefit gap of $21,859 per RHT member and a total spending shortfall of $825.4 million in 2020. 

Anielski said he based his calculations on public accounts data for 2020 from federal, provincial, municipal and school board program spending statistics that Statistics Canada produces annually. The Robinson Huron Treaty program spending data is from their audited financial statements, published on Statistics Canada First Nation profiles.

“I pulled all of this data together for all 21 Robinson Huron Treaty nations into a consolidated financial statement of total program spending (operating and capital) on a per member basis,” said Anielski. 

He said he included members living both on and off reserve, as all Treaty members are entitled to First Nations government programs and services. 

Well-being economics

Robinson Huron Waawiidaamgewin was created in 2019 as treaty governance representing the 21 Anishnaabe signatories of the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850, a collective Anishinaabe decision-making body designed to protect the interests and inherent rights of their people. 

They hired Anielski to help them determine a “baseline of data,” said Manitowabi. 

“We’re trying to determine a baseline of data to help us determine where we, as Robinson Huron Treaty members, sit as communities, in comparison to our other treaty partners” he said.  That is, non-indigenous Canadians.  

Anielski has worked with other First Nations in Canada, using what he refers to as “well-being economics”. Manitowabi said the RHW was impressed with what Anielski considers assets. 

“I don't think I've ever come across an economist that had such a holistic approach to their work,” he said.

Anielski said he first began to work with First Nations on a trip to Nunavut in 2003, and was intrigued by the medicine wheel and what it represents. The four colours, the four elements, the four parts of a person: the emotional, spiritual, physical and mental aspects of humanity. 

“As an economist, I'm steeped in trying to measure everything,” said Anielski. “I started to be interested in designing a new counting and performance measurement system that would measure the things that actually make life worth living.”  

He said he designed the approach to be beyond “pure economic output, GDP and profits,” and aligned it with traditional laws, like the seven grandfather teachings of the Anishnaabe. 

Anielski said he began to develop ways to measure these four aspects, and arrived at a well-being survey first used in Korea, featuring 35 questions specifically asking about how community members “feel” in their daily life. 

“The first question would be, for example, on a scale of one to 10, what is your level of life satisfaction today? How happy are you? How much joy do you feel,” he said. 

There are questions about feelings of safety in the community, and about feelings towards access to culture. 

Then, Anielski moves to the five capital asset accounts of his balance sheet. 

Human capital, which is the human ‘assets’ within a community, as well as health data; this data is obtained from the survey. 

Anielski’s metric also tracks social and cultural assets. “Factors of trust and belonging, relationships, as well as language skills and understanding of ceremony,” he said.

Then, natural capital. “It could be the land, how healthy it is, what's the integrity of the ecosystem, the watershed; how fragmented is it from industrial development, what’s the current stock of timber?” 

He also considers the collective memory of the elders of the community and asks about the health of the plants, medicines and animals. 

Then there is built capital, the assets built on the land like infrastructure, housing, schools and recreational facilities. 

Then, he puts together geo-spatial maps of territory; in the case of Robinson Huron Treaty, that map covers traditional treaty land, approximately 18.5 million acres. 

All of that taken together constitutes the well-being balance sheet, said Anielski, a chance to then make decisions based on strengths and deficits.  

These balance sheets can even help with a more holistic view of where to spend to get a better return on the investment. 

“We ask the people what they want for housing, not just what they need; then, we build a capital plan based on that,” said Anielski. 

Manitowabi said the continued consultations with Anielski will help Robinson Huron Treaty members to make better decisions for their communities. 

“I think it will mean a move towards community wellness,” he said. “Every day, our members travel through these urban centres and see a number of services that aren't available within their own communities. People from Sagamok travel into Espanola for medical services; paramedic, fire service, even infrastructure services, such as sidewalks and adequate streetlights. Not to mention recreational facilities like playgrounds and parks.”

He also said that includes schools and clean drinking water. 

“It’s 2022 and it's still a big issue,” said Manitowabi. “Clean water, equal funding for education and health services and access to health and mental health services.”

You can find more about Robinson Huron Waawiidaamgewin here.