Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (Canada)

Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (Canada)
Name	Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Legislature	Parliament of Canada
Chamber	House of Commons of Canada
Type	Standing committee
Formed	1985
Dissolved	2011
Jurisdiction	Aboriginal affairs, Northern development, Indigenous relations
Predecessor	Special Committee on Indian Self-Government
Successor	Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs

Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (Canada) The Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development was a House of Commons committee that examined matters related to Indian Act, First Nations-Crown relations, Inuit policy, and development in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. It reviewed legislation, supervised departmental estimates for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and conducted studies that intersected with landmark instruments such as the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Mandate and Jurisdiction

The committee’s mandate encompassed review of statutes, programs, and expenditures associated with Indian Act, land claims and self-government agreements involving Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Assembly of First Nations, and treaty parties such as those to the Treaty of Niagara (1764) legacy. It undertook scrutiny of departmental branches including Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (formerly Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development) and engaged with administrative agencies like the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board and the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. The committee held the authority to summon witnesses from institutions such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Department of Justice (Canada), and provincial entities like the Government of British Columbia when matters intersected with provincial jurisdictions.

History and Development

Established in the mid-1980s amid constitutional reform debates surrounding the Constitution Act, 1982 and the 1987 Meech Lake Accord discussions, the committee evolved from earlier bodies including the Special Committee on Indian Self-Government. It played a central role during inquiries prompted by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) and was instrumental during negotiation periods for agreements like the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement follow-ups and the creation of Nunavut (territory). Renamed and reorganized over time, its functions were later subsumed into successor structures reflecting shifts in Cabinet portfolios under prime ministers including Brian Mulroney, Jean Chrétien, and Stephen Harper.

Membership and Organization

Membership reflected party representation from caucuses such as the Liberal Party of Canada, the Conservative Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party, and historically the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Chairs included Members of Parliament drawn from constituencies with significant Indigenous populations, and the committee invited testimony from leaders like Phil Fontaine, Ovide Mercredi, Atatahak Efimoff-type Inuit representatives, and provincial premiers including Ralph Klein when northern development issues arose. Administrative support was provided by committee clerks from the House of Commons of Canada and research staff who coordinated with agencies such as the Privy Council Office for policy context.

Subcommittees and Working Groups

The committee established subcommittees and working groups to focus on specialized files: implementation of specific land claim accords such as the Gwich'in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement, assessment of program delivery in regions like Nunavik, and oversight of initiatives like the Kelowna Accord consultations. Working groups collaborated with stakeholders including the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program administrators, advocates from Native Women's Association of Canada, and officials from the Canadian Human Rights Commission when addressing discrimination complaints tied to federal programming.

Activities and Studies

The committee conducted studies on a broad array of topics: fiscal arrangements under the Indian Oil and Gas Act and resource royalties in northern pipelines such as those proposed for the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, health outcomes paralleling investigations by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, education programming interacting with First Nations University of Canada, and policing models including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police presence in Indigenous communities. It produced reports on the implementation of court decisions like R. v. Sparrow and Delgamuukw v British Columbia implications, examined suicide prevention strategies in collaboration with Health Canada, and engaged experts from institutions such as Library and Archives Canada for historical treaty documentation.

Impact and Controversies

The committee influenced policy shifts including higher-profile federal commitments following the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and contributed to debates that shaped instruments like the Kelowna Accord (unimplemented) and federal response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Controversies included partisan disputes over budgetary oversight during the 2008 Canadian parliamentary dispute, tensions with Indigenous leadership over consultation adequacy during resource projects like the Voisey's Bay mine development, and criticism from organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations regarding perceived slow implementation of recommendations tied to child welfare and water advisories in communities like Attawapiskat. Judicial clarifications from the Supreme Court of Canada occasionally challenged the committee’s legislative proposals, prompting further study and amendment.

Category:Committees of the House of Commons of Canada Category:Indigenous affairs in Canada