National Indian Brotherhood

National Indian Brotherhood
source
Name	National Indian Brotherhood
Formation	1968
Predecessor	Indian Association of Alberta; National Indian Council
Successor	Assembly of First Nations
Type	Advocacy organization
Headquarters	Ottawa
Region served	Canada
Languages	English language; French language

National Indian Brotherhood The National Indian Brotherhood was a Canadian advocacy organization formed in 1968 to represent First Nations people across Canada and to coordinate responses to federal initiatives such as the 1969 White Paper and policies of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. It served as a national forum linking provincial organizations like the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs while engaging with institutions including the Parliament of Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada, and the United Nations bodies concerned with Human Rights Council-related matters. The Brotherhood evolved into a successor body that engaged with issues arising from landmark events such as the Oka Crisis and legal developments like the Calder v British Columbia (Attorney General) decision.

History

The origins trace to meetings in the 1960s among leaders from organizations such as the Indian Association of Alberta, the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia, and the Newfoundland and Labrador delegations convening after discussions influenced by reports like the Hall Commission and responses to federal policies under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Founding conferences in Ottawa and consultations with activists including figures associated with the National Indian Council led to formal incorporation amid debates over strategies used during confrontations such as the 1969 Red Paper responses and later protests referencing the White Paper. During the 1970s the Brotherhood engaged with court cases like Calder v British Columbia (Attorney General) and policy developments such as amendments to the Indian Act while interfacing with international fora including the United Nations General Assembly and Indigenous movements linked to the American Indian Movement.

Organization and Structure

The Brotherhood was structured as a federation of provincial and territorial organizations including the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood, and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami-adjacent delegations, with a national executive that liaised with the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and parliamentary committees in the Parliament of Canada. Governing bodies consisted of a national council and committees on legal affairs, education, and land rights that coordinated submissions to institutions like the Supreme Court of Canada and delegations to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Regional affiliates such as the Union of Ontario Indians and the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians provided representatives, while policy units examined instruments including historic treaties like the Treaty of Niagara and modern instruments such as land claims agreements exemplified by the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

Key Campaigns and Advocacy

The Brotherhood led national campaigns opposing the White Paper and mobilized support during constitutional debates involving the Constitution Act, 1982 and the inclusion of the Section 35 recognition of Aboriginal and treaty rights. It coordinated legal strategies related to cases like Calder v British Columbia (Attorney General), public protest actions referencing the Ipperwash Crisis, and advocacy linked to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. The organization also advanced education initiatives referencing reports such as the Manning Report and engaged with environmental and resource disputes including opposition to projects similar to those involved in the Gulf of Georgia region and northern developments tied to the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.

Leadership and Membership

Leadership featured prominent Indigenous leaders drawn from provincial bodies such as the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, some of whom participated in national delegations to the United Nations and meetings with federal ministers including the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Membership comprised chiefs and band councils from nations represented in historical treaties like the Numbered Treaties and organizations including the Grand Council of the Crees and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation. The Brotherhood’s executive committees included legal advisors versed in precedents such as the Delgamuukw v British Columbia principles and negotiators familiar with settlements like the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

Relationship with Other Indigenous Organizations

The Brotherhood worked alongside provincial organizations such as the New Brunswick Indian Association, federations like the Assembly of First Nations successor structures, and Métis organizations exemplified by the Métis National Council while sometimes differing with groups like the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia over strategy. It participated in coalitions with activist networks connected to events like the Oka Crisis and interlocuted with Inuit organizations including Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami on circumpolar issues raised at forums like the Arctic Council precursors and United Nations bodies. The Brotherhood’s relationships with trade unions such as the Canadian Labour Congress and human rights groups including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association were episodic during specific advocacy campaigns.

Legacy and Impact on Indigenous Rights in Canada

The Brotherhood’s legacy includes contributing to the mobilization that led to the creation of the Assembly of First Nations and shaping public responses to instruments like the Constitution Act, 1982 and judicial jurisprudence including Calder v British Columbia (Attorney General) and later decisions such as Delgamuukw v British Columbia. Its advocacy influenced the development of comprehensive land claim processes such as the Inuvialuit Final Agreement and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and informed inquiries like the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. The organization’s work resonated in later policy initiatives involving the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and rights frameworks debated in forums like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Category:Indigenous rights organizations in Canada