# data[].attributes.headline
In 2019, a new funding approach was co-developed and implemented with First Nations to support First Nations-run elementary and secondary (K-12) schools on reserve. 

# data[].attributes.subject
In 2019, a new funding approach was co-developed and implemented with First Nations to support First Nations-run elementary and secondary (K-12) schools on reserve. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Indigenous people determine and define the measurement of success 

# data[].attributes.subject
Indigenous people determine and define the measurement of success 

# data[].attributes.body
2013: Bill-22: The Aboriginal Consultation Levy Act (2013)
-Idea brought forward for Alberta to collect funds of Indigenous communities then redistributed through the Aboriginal Consultation Office (ACO)
-Showing little interest in a relationship building process and more of a transactional one

# data[].attributes.body
* Indigenous communities are turning to cultural revitalization as a holistic community-driven response.
* There is emerging evidence base for ''culture as treatment" approach emphasizing the significance of healing. alongside the revitalization of traditional values to reclaim community wellness.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The purpose of the Indigenous Community Development National Strategy is to guide Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) in building and investing in effective and sustainable Indigenous communities, government and services.

"Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, Indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programmes through their own institutions."
Article 23 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Executive summary

Community development is a process for building and investing in effective and sustainable Indigenous communities, government and services. The Government of Canada has traditionally supported communities through targeted programs with inflexible requirements. Not all Indigenous communities have benefited from this approach. In order to move forward, the impact of government programs and policy on Indigenous communities must be acknowledged and a true nation-to-nation partnership must be pursued.

The Indigenous Community Development National Strategy will empower Indigenous communities to set objectives and measure their own progress and performance toward meeting those goals. ISC and CIRNAC will facilitate the collection of relevant and mutually beneficial data and metrics to ensure that government decisions at all levels are informed by accurate information. Relevant data and agreed-upon performance metrics will be collected to assist in measuring system performance through the implementation of this strategy.

The strategy supports community development through a holistic, strength-based, and community-led process with the principles of cultural competence and respect for Indigenous knowledge at its core. The strategy is designed to guide the Government of Canada in supporting Indigenous peoples and communities according to their self-determined priorities. It can be applied in a flexible way to meet unique and diverse regional needs.

ISC and CIRNAC commit to the implementation of the strategy through four pillars.
Pillar 1: Support community-driven, nation-based planning initiatives and capacity building through:

dedicated multi-year funding for planning initiatives, such as comprehensive community planning

funding for capacity building, as requested by Indigenous communities

Pillar 2: Support Indigenous community-to-community learning by identifying:

funding to bring Indigenous communities of practice together to share knowledge one-on-one, in small groups and in regional and national workshops

funding for tools and the development of resources that can be shared across communities, such as handbooks and websites

opportunities to facilitate connections and provide learning opportunities between Indigenous communities and ISC and CIRNAC officials

support the implementation of community plans and the alignment of programs and initiatives

opportunities for more funding to remain in Indigenous communities in order to build capacity

Pillar 3: Build and strengthen collaboration and partnerships within and across government departments to implement priorities identified by Indigenous communities through:

developing integrated support teams and interdepartmental committees with strong community and partner participation

engaging other regions, departments, governments and relevant partners

developing and sharing national and regional tools, such as a planning repository and resource compendium

aligning funding with community planning objectives and engaging governments and relevant partners to consider existing planning documents as applications for funding to invest in community-identified priorities and remove administrative burden

Pillar 4: Strengthen government's awareness of cultural diversity through:

making Indigenous community development training available to all federal public servants

hosting information sessions to showcase Indigenous success stories

Introduction

Indigenous communities were stable and successful civilizations for thousands of years. Many now are still rebuilding and restabilising their traditions and culture after the impacts of colonization and residential schools. Generations of inherited traditional knowledge is deeply rooted in Indigenous cultures and languages. Many Indigenous nations share a common philosophy of planning for the future generations by bringing forward teachings from the past.

The Government of Canada has traditionally supported communities through targeted programs that had inflexible requirements. Some Indigenous communities have faced challenges and barriers as a result of this approach. In order to move forward, this impact on Indigenous communities must be acknowledged and a true nation-to-nation partnership must be supported.

Community development is a process for rebuilding and investing in effective and sustainable Indigenous government and services, making it is a fundamental aspect of nation rebuilding.

The strategy supports community development through a holistic, strength-based, and community-led process, which holds, at its core, the principles of cultural diversity and respect for Indigenous knowledge. The strategy is designed to bring together best practices in community development to assist in building a nationally sustainable model that serves all Indigenous peoples in Canada. It can be applied in a flexible way to meet the unique and diverse needs of the nations from each region.

Indigenous communities have indicated that:

change must start within the community

governments need to move away from program-oriented approaches and instead provide coordinated, streamlined support in response to a community's priorities

community development requires a long-term commitment from the federal government

Acknowledgement

This national strategy was made possible by the hard work of the National Indigenous Community Development Working Group, which was established with representatives from First Nations, Indigenous organizations, ISC and CIRNAC.

To ensure that the strategy is informed by the Indigenous communities it proposes to serve, the strategy includes an ongoing engagement process with Indigenous community advisors in each region of the country that have experience in Indigenous community development.

Coordination with other government departments and non-government organizations is essential in advancing Indigenous community development. ISC and CIRNAC officials will foster partnerships and new relationships with Indigenous communities and other federal and regional partners, honouring diversity and building upon innovation and creativity.

Vision

In the spirit of reconciliation, ISC and CIRNAC will partner with Indigenous peoples to support and implement community-driven, nation-based community development and planning initiatives that engage Indigenous peoples in expressing their own strengths and visions for the future.

The vision of the national strategy is to support healthy, vibrant and self-determining Indigenous peoples and communities by improving their social well-being and sustaining economic prosperity.

Guiding principles

Indigenous community development can be effective and sustainable by ensuring:

initiatives are community-driven and nation-based

recognition and respect is given for diverse Indigenous cultures, languages and values

Indigenous community-to-community learning is promoted

investments are made in capacity building, planning and implementation

government and partners are flexible, integrated and responsive to the diverse needs and priorities expressed by Indigenous communities

Pillars of the strategy

Four pillars form the foundation of the strategy:

Pillar 1: Support community-driven, nation-based planning initiatives and capacity building

ISC and CIRNAC commits to support community-driven, nation-based planning processes and related initiatives, such as comprehensive community planning, to reflect inclusive engagement of Indigenous communities that wish to develop their own vision and priorities.

Comprehensive community planning includes the development of goals, objectives and a plan of action to work towards fulfilling the community's vision, including elements of social, economic and physical community environments. Planning will support communities as they develop their short, medium or long-term plans that will identify key priorities in the areas of:

health

family and education

employment

land and environment

infrastructure and housing

governance

culture

Planning will benefit communities by creating positive change in a proactive way. Once in place, effective plans can:

empower the community
The community becomes more self-aware, creates its own future, and has the tools to respond to change in an effective manner. The community also has ownership of the plan and consequently, its future.

improve performance
Planning supports will inform decision-making, combine fragmented efforts, decrease duplication, enable efficient use of resources, and identify and address organizational problems.

build teamwork and expertise
Planning improves communication within the community, builds employment skills and supports capacity-building efforts.

Planning renewal is based on community needs, identified priorities and available funding support. Each community will determine how to approach its planning. Short-term and achievable goals will be the immediate focus and will become the foundation for future success. It is the community's vision of development that is important.

ISC and CIRNAC commit to support community-driven, nation-based planning initiatives and capacity building by identifying:

1. dedicated, flexible, multi-year funding for planning initiatives such as comprehensive community planning

2. funding for capacity building as requested by Indigenous communities

Pillar 2: Support Indigenous community-to-community learning

Indigenous peoples have consistently stated that one of the greatest capacity investments government can make is facilitating Indigenous community-to-community learning.

Learning from the experiences and best practices of other communities and building supportive relationships will increase the likelihood of success for all involved. There is a growing national network of community planning mentors from Indigenous communities. The mentorship approach supports the transfer of capacity from one Indigenous community to another in the areas of training, planning, community engagement and communications. The goal of this approach is to increase the likelihood that community initiatives are developed from within the communities.

There is also an opportunity to build on the success of the comprehensive community planning mentorship initiative by supporting the expansion of community-to-community learning into other sectors such as housing and economic and social development. For example, in communities, clusters of experienced and less experienced social development employees have expressed interest in coming together as a community of practice to learn from one another. ISC and CIRNAC has provided funding to support First Nation employees to meet and identify ways in which they feel they will best learn from each other, through group training sessions and one to one coaching. ISC and CIRNAC will continue to support the expansion of other sector-based community-to-community learning by providing the necessary tools and resources to bring interested communities of practice together to determine how they would best learn from each other.

ISC and CIRNAC commit to support Indigenous community-to-community learning by identifying:

1. funding to bring Indigenous communities of practice together to share knowledge one-on-one, in small groups, and in regional and national workshops

2. funding for tools and resource development, such as handbooks and websites

3. opportunities to facilitate connections and provide learning opportunities between Indigenous communities and ISC and CIRNAC officials to support implementation of plans

4. opportunities for more funding to remain in Indigenous communities to build capacity

Pillar 3: Build and strengthen collaboration and partnerships within and across government departments to implement priorities identified by indigenous communities

Building partnerships between Indigenous communities, all levels of government, and other key partners is important to the success of the strategy. Diverse partnerships will be required to suit the priorities of each Indigenous community. Partners within federal, provincial, and municipal governments, as well as private industry, may be invited by the communities to participate in community development processes so the organizations can be well positioned to support the implementation of priorities identified by Indigenous communities.

ISC and CIRNAC regions have developed or are developing new committee structures and mechanisms that support collaboration across sectors, government departments, and with external partners in support of sustainable, community-led development. Regional committees, for example, bring together representatives from other government departments which, in collaboration with communities, support capacity building or programming in priority areas. The strategy encourages the building of stronger relationships with communities by strengthening collaboration, support and communication.

A primary focus of ISC and CIRNAC collaboration is integration of services and programs across portfolios in every region. Regional ISC and CIRNAC coordination committees, working in collaboration with communities, are able to affect positive change by providing support to communities in areas of governance, financial management, and administration. These interdepartmental committees work alongside communities and can help to identify community development strategies, best practices, and implementation opportunities or challenges. The committees can also recommend solutions and enhancements to service delivery. Cross-functional government committees will facilitate and connect Indigenous communities to appropriate sector resources and tools.

Silos within government departments and sectors are consistently identified as a barrier for Indigenous communities. Improved internal communication and a streamlined funding application process is required to improve the relationship between Indigenous communities and ISC and CIRNAC. The departments will collate available resources to support community-based outcomes and make these documents available to staff and partners.

ISC and CIRNAC commit to collaboration and integration within and across government departments by:

1. developing integrated support teams and cross-directorate committees with strong community and partner participation

2. engaging other regions, departments, governments and relevant partners in community development

3. developing and sharing national and regional tools, such as a planning repository and resource compendium

4. aligning funding with community planning objectives and engaging governments and relevant partners to consider existing planning documents as initial applications for funding to remove administrative burden

Pillar 4: Strengthen government's awareness of cultural diversity

In order for federal employees to effectively support sustainable community development in Indigenous communities, it is essential that the department fosters a learning environment in the public service that recognizes a responsibility to engage in reconciliation. This renewal of the relationship with Indigenous peoples needs to be community-driven with nation-based relationships that are respectful of Indigenous languages and cultures.

The diversity of Indigenous cultures and communities in Canada results in unique approaches to community development. The Government of Canada supports the right of Indigenous peoples to practice self-determination in the planning and development of their own communities.

Indigenous community development training sessions are designed for federal employees to enhance their knowledge of community development processes. These intensive, interactive two-day workshops focus on building respect for cultural diversity as a key skill in fostering effective relationships with Indigenous communities.

ISC and CIRNAC will continue to promote a strong learning environment by offering information sessions to showcase Indigenous success stories and completed comprehensive community plans. This is also an opportunity to increase employee knowledge of a community's development priorities. These events can be opened up to all federal departments and partners. ISC and CIRNAC will support the capacity development of employees from other government levels and departments, as well as non-government organizations that are involved in community development, by offering:

access to Indigenous community development training

information sessions in interdepartmental committees and community support team meetings.

ISC and CIRNAC commit to strengthening government awareness of cultural diversity by:

1. making Indigenous community development training available to all federal public servants
this training will be experiential, reflection-based, relational and conducted in Indigenous communities as often as possible

2. hosting information sessions to showcase Indigenous success stories, completed comprehensive community plans and other community developments

Performance management

Real world indicators selected by Indigenous communities that incorporate both qualitative and quantitative measures are best used in measuring the progress of community development. Socio-economic indicators that relate to local priorities provide a more accurate accounting for outcomes achieved by investments, ensuring that funding is spent effectively to achieve the community's goals.

Indigenous communities should be empowered to manage their own data and measure their own progress and performance. In 2007, the Assembly of First Nations produced the OCAP ® (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession) principles to affirm the inherent right of First Nations to govern their own data. First Nations have expressed challenges in accessing data, as it is housed across several government departments with separate contacts and processes to access it. Some indicators of community wellbeing are also not currently measured, or several competing sources and inconsistent methodologies are used to measure a single indicator.

The strategy highlights the further work required to make relevant data and metrics available to Indigenous communities and partners to ensure government decisions at all levels are informed by proper data and information. Consideration must also be given to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

As the principles of community development become embedded across ISC and CIRNAC, reporting requirements for Indigenous communities will be revised to decrease the reporting burden, increase local relevancy and demonstrate a partnership-based approach. This will further allow Indigenous communities to focus their time and resources on improving social wellbeing and economic prosperity.

Considerations and future direction

Community development is a values-based approach meant to support sustainable Indigenous communities. The Indigenous Community Development National Strategy principles must be embedded in everything the Government of Canada does, with the support of partners, to effect long-term change. Indigenous communities must be supported to successfully and meaningfully contribute to their long-term social wellbeing and economic prosperity.

Many recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report were considered in the development of this strategy. As ISC and CIRNAC progress with implementing the strategy, it will be important to identify best practices and lessons learned, as well as to support Indigenous communities in developing common approaches for tracking progress and measuring results.

As the nation-to-nation relationship continues to advance, the strategy will also advance, further enabling planning for community development, nation rebuilding and the health and wellbeing of Indigenous citizens. The national strategy will be updated as required, allowing the outcomes and measurements to reflect new best practices and success stories from across the country. Noting that planning is only one part of the governance process, it is critical that the investment, management and reporting functions within ISC and CIRNAC, Indigenous communities, Indigenous organizations and across all governments, are transformed as well.

Related links

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The purpose of the Indigenous Community Development National Strategy is to guide Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) in building and investing in effective and sustainable Indigenous communities, government and services. "Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development.

# data[].attributes.headline
Social Policy needs to be created by distinct indigenous communities

# data[].attributes.subject
Social Policy needs to be created by distinct indigenous communities

# data[].attributes.body
Making Indigenous community development training available to all federal public servants

"This training will be experiential, reflection-based, relational and conducted in Indigenous communities as often as possible, hosting information sessions to showcase Indigenous success stories, completed comprehensive community plans and other community developments"

Is this hosted by the government or Indigenous people??

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1550512330682/1550512404487

# data[].attributes.body
Articles:
Cultural connectedness as a determinant of physical activity among Indigenous adults in Saskatchewan. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2019-0793

Reclaiming Indigenous identities: Culture as strength against among Indigenous youth in Canada
https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/10.17269/CJPH.108.5754

# data[].attributes.body
- Cultural connectedness is a protective factor physical activity for First Nations adults.
- It has been associated with increased self-esteem and mental health among Indigenous Peoples.

# data[].attributes.headline
Bill C-91Federal Legislation Act respecting Indigenous Languages

# data[].attributes.subject
Bill C-91Federal Legislation Act respecting Indigenous Languages

# data[].attributes.body
-Commissioner set up
-long term funding for languages

https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/bill/C-91/first-reading

# data[].attributes.body
Partners and contributors include but are not limited to:

Families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people

Survivors of gender-based violence

Indigenous women

2SLGBTQQIA+ people

Community activists

Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers and Spiritual Leaders

Indigenous youth

Indigenous women's organizations

Urban service providers and organizations

Indigenous rights holders

Indigenous Governments

Government of Canada

Provincial and Territorial Governments

Non-Governmental organizations

# data[].attributes.headline
The Government of Canada recognizes First Nations, Inuit, and Métis as the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, consisting of distinct, rights-bearing Peoples with their own histories, including their relationship with the Crown

# data[].attributes.subject
The Government of Canada recognizes First Nations, Inuit, and Métis as the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, consisting of distinct, rights-bearing Peoples with their own histories, including their relationship with the Crown

# data[].attributes.headline
Distinctions based approach, rights based

# data[].attributes.subject
Distinctions based approach, rights based

# data[].attributes.body
between indigenous groups

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1622233286270/1622233321912

# data[].attributes.body
-The need to empower Indigenous peoples (there is currently a lack of Indigenous-led initiatives)
-Ensuring individual autonomy (one has the ability to choose a meaningful life)
-The need to transform societal and systemic values that have maintained colonial violence

# data[].attributes.body
all federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments

industries

institutions

health care

child welfare

correctional services

policing

# data[].attributes.body
We call upon all governments to ensure that all Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people are provided with safe, no-barrier, permanent, and meaningful access to their cultures and languages in order to restore, reclaim, and revitalize their cultures and identities. These are rights held by all segments of Indigenous communities, from young children to Elders. The programs and services that provide such access should not be tied exclusively to government-run cultural or educational institutions. All governments must further ensure that the rights of Indigenous children to retain and be educated in their Indigenous language are upheld and protected. All governments must ensure access to immersion programs for children from preschool into post-secondary education.

# data[].attributes.body
-Lack of empowerment fund for Indigenous-led initiatives for Indigenous peoples to access cultural knowledge
-land-based educational programs
-Eligibility criteria and decision making directly in Indigenous peoples' hands

# data[].attributes.body
- Young children to elders deserve access to programs and services that provide access to their culture and languages from institutions other than those that are government-run or educational
-Redistribution and recognition- a sense of belonging and pride, connection to cultural identity, and community association is extremely beneficial
-Culture is a grounding force to be able to use to navigate one's world and the rest of society
-Having access to overarching cultural structure is necessary so that Indigenous peoples are not made vulnerable to certain practices by the state

# data[].attributes.body
2.3

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Honouring those we have lost

We remember and honour those daughters, mothers, grandmothers, aunties and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people who were taken from us, the survivors of violence, and families and community members whose lives have been forever changed.

On this page

Towards a national action plan

In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and the decades long advocacy from families and survivors, the Government of Canada began a detailed pre-inquiry across the country in 2015 and in 2016 launched the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. This inquiry included all provinces and territories and the federal government. It brought together Indigenous leaders, families and survivors, communities, knowledge keepers, experts and institutions from across the country to study and discuss the underlying social, economic, cultural, institutional, systemic and historical causes, policies and practices for this ongoing violence. The work of the national inquiry ended in June 2019 with the release of Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The report contains 231 Calls for Justice calling upon various organizations to take action to end the causes of this violence:

all federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments

industries

institutions

health care

child welfare

correctional services

policing

The Government of Canada, provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal governments and Indigenous partners were called upon to work together to respond to the issues identified by the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and its Calls for Justice. Together, we co-developed a national action plan to end the systemic causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual people (2SLGBTQQIA+).

On June 3, 2021, the 2021 National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, And 2SLGBTQQIA+ People was released. As one component of the national action plan, the Government of Canada developed the federal pathway.

About the national action plan

The national action plan is a major step in ending violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. It will always be changing and adapting and will be updated regularly. To address the Calls for Justice, provinces, territories, municipal, Indigenous governments, organizations and communities across the country worked with us to contribute to the national action plan to instill the necessary change over time across the country to ensure Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are safe wherever they live, now and in the future.

The components of the national action plan build on the concrete measures in place to guide active solutions to end the violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

With the integral involvement of the family and survivors, the national action plan is built with a focus on the principle "nothing about us, without us." This upholds and prioritizes their voices and truths and places them at the centre of co-development. The national action plan is:

an approach that includes all levels of Canadian governments, Indigenous governments and organizations

rooted in the unique needs, experiences and cultural contexts of First Nation, Inuit and Métis peoples

considerate of the needs of diverse regions

respectful of the experience and expertise of family members and survivors

updated regularly based on effectiveness and accountability

meaningful because it measures real results

Building the national action plan

The national action plan builds on proven and promising community-led initiatives from across the country. It includes the concrete and effective measures put in place by governments and addresses the issues identified in the Calls for Justice.

The national action plan was co-developed with:

family members and survivors

Indigenous governments and organizations

federal, provincial and territorial governments

2SLGBTQQIA+ organization leaders

grassroots organizations

practitioners

academics

subject-matter experts

Working collectively, we completed our respective components of the national action plan through a series of working groups, each led by Indigenous women.

Centralized structure

The Core Working Group and the National Family and Survivors Circle are central to the process. They work together to support the sub-working groups by coordinating and validating their efforts. This process includes more than 100 Indigenous women. The sub-working groups provide their input and feedback into the Core Working Group, which is co-chaired by Gina Wilson, Deputy Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth and Senior Associate Deputy Minister for Canadian Heritage for the Government of Canada, and Valerie Royle, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture and Deputy Minister of the Women's Directorate for the Government of Yukon.

The National Family and Survivors Circle is comprised of family and survivors from across the country and provides guidance based on lived expertise. It promotes creation of pathways for inclusion of, advocacy for and validation by family members and survivors within the development and implementation of national action plan. This ensures the national action plan reflects families' and survivors' experiences and results in transformative change that positively impacts Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, families and survivors.

Sub-working groups/contributing partners

Sub-working groups have created pieces of the national action plan that together form the national action plan. Every contribution from the working groups represents a unique perspective that must be considered carefully on its own and in the context of the whole plan.

Partner organizations and governments are organized into sub-working groups that include over 100 Indigenous women:

the federal sub-working group

the provincial and territorial working group

the urban sub-working group

the 2SLGBTQQIA+ sub-working group

the First Nations sub-working group

the Inuit sub-working group

the Métis sub-working group

the data sub-working group

The National Family and Survivors Circle, made up of individuals with distinct First Nations, Inuit and Métis backgrounds, works closely with the Core Working Group to ensure that all the proposed ideas are guided by the experiences and wisdom of families and survivors to ensure the national action plan includes:

actions that are effective to address the root causes of violence

a plan to instill the necessary change over time to make sure that Canada keeps Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people safe for future generations

Who is involved

Responding to the issues identified by the Calls for Justice requires the cooperation and collaboration of many different groups, governments and the people of Canada.

The Government of Canada

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) led and coordinated the work in response to the national inquiry and the development of the national action plan. CIRNAC monitors the work to ensure that progress continues.

Departments from across the federal government worked together addressing the issues identified in the Calls for Justice that fall within their respective jurisdictions to build the federal pathway. These initiatives were compiled into one chapter of the national action plan. The federal pathway is organized by the 4 major themes from the national inquiry and led by:

Culture: Heritage Canada
Health and wellness: Indigenous Services Canada
Human security and safety: Women and Gender Equality and Public Safety Canada
Justice: Department of Justice and Public Safety Canada

Supporting Government of Canada departments involved:

RCMP

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Library and Archives Canada

Statistics Canada

Natural Resources Canada

Employment and Social Development Canada

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency

Health Canada

Corrections Canada

Privy Council Office

Public Prosecution Service of Canada

Provinces and territories

Provincial and territorial governments working with municipalities from across the country also contributed:

Alberta

British Columbia

Manitoba

New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

Northwest Territories

Nova Scotia

Nunavut

Ontario

Prince Edward Island

Quebec

Saskatchewan

Yukon

Related links:

Indigenous groups and organizations

Many Indigenous groups and organizations worked on the development of the national action plan, including:

National Family and Survivors Circle

Assembly of First Nations' Women's Council

Pauktuuit Inuit Women of Canada

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak

Manitoba MMIWG Coalition

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak

Ontario Federation of Friendship Centres

Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata

2 Spirits in Motion Foundation

Congress of Aboriginal Peoples

Femmes Autochtones du Québec

Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women

National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence

National Association of Friendship Centres

Newfoundland Aboriginal Women's Network

Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres

Ontario Native Women's Association

How we are engaging

Engagement is ongoing with partners, including with Indigenous organizations addressing violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

These partners include survivors with lived experience. All the partners provide expertise on the issues and how to address them. While COVID-19 has changed the way we work, these discussions have moved online to:

share proven and promising practices

identify gaps and challenges

learn from one another while forging partnerships which will result in the transformative change to end this national tragedy

The work also continues with families and survivors directly to identify:

their ongoing priorities

programs that have proven or promising results

gaps and ongoing challenges that will need to be addressed in a national action plan

Since the release of the final report, we have provided funding to Indigenous organizations to support engagement with their members, including families and survivors, and to identify priorities for the plan and mechanisms for co-development.

Learn more:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Building a national action plan with partners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Together with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners, we are working to respond to the issues identified by the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Calls for Justice to develop a national action plan to end the systemic causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, LGBTQ and Two-Spirit people.

# data[].attributes.body
What are you basing your recommendation on?

# data[].attributes.body
What policy option are you recommending? Why?

Consider the multiple layers of policy (International/Federal/Provincial/Municipal/Organizational/Individual)

# data[].attributes.body
What call(s) are you addressing?

# data[].attributes.body
Current policy approach/environment?

What are possible policy options?

# data[].attributes.body
Importance of the problem?

Necessity of policy action?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Reclaiming Power and Place

The National Inquiry's Final Report reveals that persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses are the root cause behind Canada's staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. The two volume report calls for transformative legal and social changes to resolve the crisis that has devastated Indigenous communities across the country.
The Final Report is comprised of the truths of more than 2,380 family members, survivors of violence, experts and Knowledge Keepers shared over two years of cross-country public hearings and evidence gathering. It delivers 231 individual Calls for Justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries and all Canadians.
As documented in the Final Report, testimony from family members and survivors of violence spoke about a surrounding context marked by multigenerational and intergenerational trauma and marginalization in the form of poverty, insecure housing or homelessness and barriers to education, employment, health care and cultural support. Experts and Knowledge Keepers spoke to specific colonial and patriarchal policies that displaced women from their traditional roles in communities and governance and diminished their status in society, leaving them vulnerable to violence.

Supplementary report: Quebec

The National Inquiry is simultaneously releasing a report specific to Quebec in order to give particular attention to the issue of violence against Indigenous women and girls in that province. The report outlines specific issues such as language barriers, health and social services provide by religious congregations and interaction with Indigenous and provincial police forces.

Download PDF

Section 1 of the report, made up of Chapters 1-4, sets up the overall context that will be helpful for readers in approaching the information presented in the later sections of the report. In Section 1, we talk about the role of relationships, human and Indigenous rights, the history of colonization, and how each of these contexts can inform our understanding of the issue of violence against First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people.
Chapter 1: Centring Relationships to End Violence
Chapter 2: Indigenous Recognitions of Power and Place
Chapter 3: Emphasizing Accountability through Human Rights Tools
Chapter 4: Colonization as Gendered Oppression

Overwhelmingly, the families who testified before the National Inquiry were seeking answers to perceived flaws in the investigations into the loss of their loved ones.

They discussed many ways in which they felt that police services had failed in their duty to properly investigate the crimes committed against them or their loved ones, leading ultimately to a failure to obtain closure and justice within the existing system. In response, the National Inquiry established the Forensic Document Review Project (FDRP), consisting of two teams conducting a review of police and other related institutional files. One team examined files of the Province of Quebec; the second group examined police files in all other provinces and territories throughout the rest of Canada. In this summary, when we refer to the FDRP, we are referring specifically to this second group. Information and recommendations of the Quebec FDRP are located in the Supplementary Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls devoted to Quebec. The purpose of the FDRP was to identify potential systemic barriers or problems and areas of weakness relating to the protection of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, and to make recommendations to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls about the systemic causes of their disappearances and deaths.

During the course of the project, the Forensic Document Review Project (FDRP), which was tasked with examining files outside of Quebec, obtained and reviewed 174 files and 35 previous reports and studies on policing related to Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people, and analyzed publicly available information related to those files.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The National Inquiry's Final Report reveals that persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses are the root cause behind Canada's staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. The two volume report calls for transformative legal and social changes to resolve the crisis that has devastated Indigenous communities across the country.