A common misconception is that land on Canadian Indian reserves is collectively owned by the band. In reality, individual band members can access four types of private property regimes on Canadian Indian reserves. This paper looks at one of these regimes, Certificates of Possession (CPs), to determine the benefits and consequences of CPs for economic development on Canadian Indian reserves. In particular, the paper focuses on how Six Nations band members have been able to use CPs to get around the seizure for debt restrictions in the Indian Act to acquire mortgages to build and own their own housing. The paper finds that CPs, in conjunction with band and/or government support, may provide a practical solution for tackling the housing problems that face many reserves in Canada. (Author)
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