Chiefs of Ontario

Chiefs of Ontario is an advocacy organization representing many First Nations communities within the province of Ontario. Founded in the early 1970s, it serves as a collective voice in negotiations, policy development, and intergovernmental relations with entities such as the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and international bodies including the United Nations. The organization engages with Indigenous political organizations, tribal councils, and community leadership to address issues spanning land claims, health, education, and legal rights.

History

The organization emerged amid broader Indigenous political mobilization linked to events including the White Paper of 1969, the Native Women's Association of Canada, and the formation of regional bodies such as the Assembly of First Nations and the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. Early relationships and disputes involved leaders from communities like Six Nations of the Grand River, Akwesasne, Attawapiskat, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, and Anishinabek Nation. Influential episodes included interactions with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, litigation following precedents like Calder v British Columbia (Attorney General), and participation in constitutional dialogues around the Constitution Act, 1982 and the inclusion of Section 35. Over subsequent decades the group engaged with provincial initiatives from administrations led by premiers such as Bill Davis, David Peterson, Mike Harris, Evelyn Caplan (as a minister), Kathleen Wynne, and Doug Ford, and negotiated programmatic frameworks tied to federal ministers including Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin, Stephen Harper, Justin Trudeau, and figures like Jane Philpott.

Structure and Governance

The body is organized around a leadership table including elected Grand Council Chiefs and regional Chiefs drawn from member communities such as Mishkeegogamang First Nation, Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, Curve Lake First Nation, and Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. Governance documents reflect influences from legal instruments like the Indian Act and rulings such as Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia, while internal procedures echo models used by the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and Métis National Council. The board interacts with organizations including tribal councils like Mushkegowuk Council and Grand Council Treaty #3, and engages advisors from institutions such as University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, and legal firms with experience in cases like R v Sparrow.

Functions and Responsibilities

The organization coordinates advocacy on matters including treaty rights linked to treaties like Robinson Treaties, Williams Treaties, and Treaty 9, land and resource claims akin to disputes in James Bay Project, and Indigenous rights issues paralleling Delgamuukw v British Columbia. It provides support in areas such as health policy referencing initiatives like Jordan's Principle, education programs comparable to those from First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, and emergency responses in collaboration with agencies including Indigenous Services Canada and Public Safety Canada. The body also participates in consultations around legislation such as the Canadian Human Rights Act and provincial statutes affecting Indigenous peoples.

Membership and Representation

Membership comprises Chiefs from a wide range of communities: urban First Nations affiliates in Toronto and Ottawa, resource-region Nations in Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, and Sudbury, and remote communities in James Bay and Hudson Bay corridors. Representatives include hereditary Chiefs, elected Chiefs under band election codes, and traditional leaders from nations like the Ojibwe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Mohawk, Anishinaabe, and Onondaga. The organization liaises with ancillary bodies such as the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada regional offices, tribal councils like Southern First Nations Secretariat, and advocacy groups including Amnesty International and the David Suzuki Foundation on environmental issues.

Key Activities and Initiatives

Activities include legal interventions in cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, participation in national forums such as the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, campaigns on boil-water advisories paralleling crises in Neskantaga First Nation, and partnerships on initiatives like Indigenous education reforms modeled on programs at Algonquin College and First Nations Technical Institute. The group organizes annual gatherings akin to assemblies hosted by the Assembly of First Nations, issues policy briefs referenced by organizations like the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and engages in cross-border dialogues with groups linked to the Native American movements and Canadian departments including Global Affairs Canada.

Controversies and Criticism

Critiques have targeted governance transparency similar to scrutiny faced by bodies like the Assembly of First Nations and debates over funding allocations administered through entities such as Indigenous Services Canada. Disputes have arisen concerning representation comparable to tensions between regional organizations like Nishnawbe Aski Nation and national bodies, and legal challenges invoking precedents from cases like R v Gladstone. Environmental critics reference resource-development conflicts similar to those involving the Ring of Fire and pipelines comparable to the Trans Mountain pipeline discussions. Allegations of insufficient consultation mirror controversies seen in interactions with provincial projects under premiers like Mike Harris and federal policies under leaders such as Stephen Harper.