Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
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The Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians was a title and role in the
Canadian Cabinet The Cabinet of Canada (french: Cabinet du Canada) is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada. Chaired by the prime minister, the ...
that provided a liaison (or, interlocutor) for the federal Canadian government, and its various departments, to Métis and non-status Aboriginal peoples (many of whom live in
rural areas In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...
), and other off-reserve (e.g., urban) Aboriginal groups. The role was created with the purpose of serving those
Indigenous people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
who were excluded from the activities of
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention * Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band * Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehor ...
, which was officially responsible only for
Status Indian The Indian Register is the official record of people registered under the ''Indian Act'' in Canada, called status Indians or ''registered Indians''. People registered under the ''Indian Act'' have rights and benefits that are not granted to othe ...
s—largely those living on
Indian reserves In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...
. In 2004, the Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat were transferred to the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, which established a new sector named Office of the Federal Interlocutor (OFI), assigning it the staff, programs, and funding of the former Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat. As of 4 September 2012, the portfolio dealing with Métis and Non-Status Indians was moved from the OFI to the Policy and Strategic Direction branch of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada in order to streamline program management and business processes.


History

The role was created in 1985 in the context of the Aboriginal Constitutional Conferences (1983-1987) with the purpose of serving those
Indigenous people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
who were excluded from matters of
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention * Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band * Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehor ...
, which was officially responsible only for
Status Indian The Indian Register is the official record of people registered under the ''Indian Act'' in Canada, called status Indians or ''registered Indians''. People registered under the ''Indian Act'' have rights and benefits that are not granted to othe ...
s—largely those living on
Indian reserves In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...
. More specifically, the federal government found it necessary to designate a Minister who could act as a first
point of contact A point of contact (POC) or single point of contact (SPOC) is a person or a department serving as the coordinator or focal point of information concerning an activity or program. A POC is used in many cases where information is time-sensitive and ...
to facilitate the participation of such groups in the Indigenous constitutional process. The portfolio was assigned to a senior Minister in addition to other titles and roles. The role was kept independent from that of the
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
until 2004, when the office was made ''ex officio'' the Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. Over the intervening decades, the mandate evolved and broadened to include bilateral relations between the federal government and national Métis and non-status Indian organizations; tripartite
self-government __NOTOC__ Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...
processes with off-reserve Aboriginal groups and the
provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
; and advocacy of Métis, non-status Indian, and urban Aboriginal people issues within Cabinet and Government; among other things. Also in 2004, along with program authorities, the Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat were transferred to the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. This Department established a new sector named Office of the Federal Interlocutor (OFI), assigning it the staff, programs, and funding of the former Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat. As of 4 September 2012, the portfolio dealing with Métis and Non-Status Indians was moved from the OFI to the Policy and Strategic Direction branch of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada in order to streamline program management and business processes.


List of federal interlocutors


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians Métis in Canada First Nations Former Canadian ministers Former Canadian federal departments and agencies Indigenous affairs ministries