Native Council of Canada

Native Council of Canada
Name	Native Council of Canada
Formation	1970s
Type	Advocacy organization
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Region served	Canada
Leader title	President

Native Council of Canada

The Native Council of Canada is a national Indigenous organization representing off‑reserve First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and communities across Canada. It emerged during the late 20th century amid a landscape shaped by the Indian Act (1876), the aftermath of the 1969 White Paper, and the rise of Indigenous political mobilization exemplified by the National Indian Brotherhood and the Assembly of First Nations. The Council has engaged with federal institutions such as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and intergovernmental forums including the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

History

Founded in the 1970s as part of a proliferation of Indigenous institutions that followed the 1969 White Paper and the activism associated with events like the 1970 October Crisis and the Calder v British Columbia (1973) decision, the organization sought to address issues specific to urban and off‑reserve Indigenous populations. In the 1970s and 1980s it collaborated and sometimes contested positions with bodies such as the National Indian Brotherhood, the Métis National Council, and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami while responding to legal milestones including R. v. Guerin (1984) and constitutional developments culminating in section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. Through the 1990s and 2000s the Council participated in national dialogues alongside the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and advocacy campaigns related to the Oka Crisis (1990), the Delgamuukw v British Columbia (1997) judgment, and the establishment of institutions like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Structure and Membership

The organization is constituted as a national umbrella body representing a network of provincial and local associations, urban Indigenous centres, and individual members who identify as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit. Its membership model parallels structures found in organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations and the Métis National Council, but focuses on off‑reserve constituencies similar to provincial entities like the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres and the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society. Regional affiliates and partner organizations include community service providers, legal clinics, and cultural institutions that work alongside entities like the Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples.

Governance and Leadership

Governance is exercised through a board or council of elected representatives drawn from regional affiliates and membership constituencies, with leadership roles including president, vice‑president, and executive directors. Leadership contests and policy direction have intersected with national debates involving figures and institutions such as the Assembly of First Nations leadership, federal ministers overseeing Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, and legal advocates who participated in landmark cases like Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia (2014). The Council’s executive works with staff, advisory committees, and community leaders, coordinating with provincial bodies like the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations and national policy groups including the Canadian Human Rights Commission on matters affecting constituents.

Programs and Services

Programs address social determinants affecting off‑reserve Indigenous people, including housing, health, employment, cultural preservation, and legal advocacy. Service delivery intersects with initiatives led by organizations such as the First Nations Health Authority, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Indigenous programs, and employment services akin to those administered by the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program. Cultural and language programming connects to efforts by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and language revitalization projects similar to work undertaken by the First Peoples’ Cultural Council. The Council has supported legal challenges and public interest litigation coordinated with community legal clinics and national legal networks that have been involved in cases like R. v. Sparrow (1990).

Advocacy and Political Role

The Council has functioned as an advocate for off‑reserve Indigenous rights, engaging with federal legislation and policy frameworks such as the Indian Act (1876), the implementation of section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, and federal consultations around modern treaties like those negotiated under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Advocacy activities have included participation in nationwide campaigns alongside organizations such as the Native Women’s Association of Canada, the Assembly of First Nations, and the Métis National Council to influence federal policy on housing, health, and child welfare, as well as contributing to public inquiries including the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams have typically combined federal program transfers, contribution agreements with departments such as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and Health Canada, project grants from national funding bodies including the Canada Council for the Arts, and partnerships with provincial agencies and philanthropic foundations. The Council has collaborated on projects with municipal governments, urban Indigenous service providers like the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council, and academic partners from institutions such as the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Manitoba for research and program evaluation. Strategic partnerships have also involved national advocates and legal organizations, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and specialized law centres.

Category:Indigenous organizations in Canada