Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
Type	Government agency

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada is a department of the Canadian government.

In Anishinabek News

• November 2015: Carolyn Bennett was appointed as the minister of this department in November 2015.
• November 2015: The department was represented by Minister Carolyn Bennett during education talks in Thunder Bay. Regional Chief Isadore Day suggested the department should incorporate the use of Elders in its operations.
• January 2016: As of January 2016, the department provided an online survey to allow the public to provide input on the inquiry's timeframe and goals.
• January 2016: The department was found to have provided flawed and inequitable child welfare services on reserves. Internal reviews and reports from the Auditor General of Canada in 2008 and 2011 highlighted the department's failing approaches.
• March 2016: As of March 2016, the department does not recognize Namaygoosisagagun First Nation because the community is still in the status application stage. This lack of recognition prevents the community from being eligible for further funding.
• May 2016: The department collaborated with Health Canada to initiate jurisdictional discussions with provinces and territories regarding Jordan's Principle in 2016.
• June 2016: The department was criticized by Chiefs at the Grand Council Assembly for being reactionary to water crises rather than proactive. A mandate letter instructed the department to collaborate with First Nations to improve physical infrastructure.
• October 2016: Chief Paibomsai criticized the department for failing to keep up with the technological and infrastructure needs of modern classrooms. The department's funding formulas prevented Whitefish River First Nation from building a gymnasium because they required a minimum of 87 students. The Chief argued that the department's policies and practices have negatively impacted Indigenous people.
• January 2017: The department's Specific Claims Branch negotiator initialled the Grand Trunk Pacific Settlement Agreement in December 2016. The department accepted the Fort William First Nation land claim in 2002 because the land was sold for less than its 1905 value.
• March 2017: The department is collaborating with First Nation partners to determine the funding methodology for 2017-2018. It is pursuing a full-scale reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services program.
• June 2017: The department entered into an investment partnership to fund the natural gas expansion on Nipissing First Nation lands. The department was involved in ten years of discussions to finalize the energy project details.
• July 2017: The Child Well-Being Working Group held meetings with this department to discuss child welfare activities.
• August 2017: The department provided a $76,000 grant to fund the Indigenous Leadership and Land Internship at Canadore College.
• September 2017: The department's Proof of Paternity policy has been linked to a system of denying parental information.
• April 2018: The department agreed to provide $11.2 million in funding for a new elementary school in Biigtigong Nishnaabeg.
• June 2018: The department manages treaty pay lists and coordinates approximately one hundred annuity events annually. Officials from the department distribute cash payments and items such as flags, fishing nets, and ammunition depending on specific treaty requirements. The agency works with various police services to ensure security for the crown's money during distribution events.
• November 2019: The department funds the Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program.
• November 2021: The department implemented an internal policy that assumed non-status paternity when a father's name was missing from records. This policy made it difficult for many Indigenous people to regain their status rights if paternity could not be proven.
• May 2022: The department processed status applications for Caroline Brown and her family members during the 2010s. The agency requested duplicate records from applicants during the registration process.