Why were First Nations reserves excluded from the 1996 Halifax Regional Municipality amalgamation?

The 1996 amalgamation that created the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) excluded First Nations reserves due to their unique legal status under the Indian Act.

Under the Indian Act, reserve land is held by the Crown for the use and benefit of specific First Nations bands, rather than being subject to provincial or municipal jurisdiction in the same manner as other lands. Because these reserves function as distinct entities governed by band councils and federal oversight, they remain outside the administrative boundaries of the municipal government. This legal framework ensures that reserves maintain their status as physical and spiritual homelands, separate from the municipal structures that govern the surrounding regions.123