Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs

Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs
Incumbent Carolyn Bennett since November 4, 2015
Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Style	The Honourable
Member of	Cabinet Privy Council
Appointer	Governor General of Canada
Term length	At Her Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holder	Hector Louis Langevin
Formation	1966
Website	www.ainc-inac.gc.ca

The Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet responsible for overseeing the corresponding federal government department (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada) and administering the Indian Act and other legislation dealing with "Indians and lands reserved for the Indians" under subsection 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867. They also are responsible for supervising federal involvement in the territorial governments of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

The Minister's legal title, as set out in the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Act, remains the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and this title continues in use in statutes and legal documents. However, on May 18, 2011, the Minister adopted the working title "Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development".^[1] Following the establishment of the 29th Canadian Ministry the working title was changed to Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

History

Prior to Canadian confederation in 1867, the Indian Department for British North America was responsible for relations between The Crown and indigenous peoples.

A Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs was in the Canadian cabinet from 1867 until 1936 when the Minister of Mines and Resources became responsible for native affairs. In 1950 the Indian Affairs branch was transferred to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, who had responsibility for "status Indians" until the creation of the position of Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1966.^[2]

Before 1966 the Northern Development portions of the portfolio were the responsibility of the Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources.^[3]

Until amendments to the Indian Act in 1985 restored Indian status to many people whose status had been revoked for discriminatory reasons, about half of the persons claiming to be Indians were entitled to be registered as Indians under the Indian Act and to receive the benefits reserved for registered Indians under the Act. The people to whom status was restored were:

• women who married men who were not Status Indians, and their children
• people who had, prior to 1961, renounced their Indian status so they could vote in federal elections, and their children
• people whose mother and paternal grandmother did not have status before marriage (these people lost status at 21), and their children
• people who had been born out of wedlock of mothers with status and fathers without, and their children.

Over 100,000 people have had their Indian status restored as a result of these changes.

A 1983 Commons Committee recommended that Indian or First Nations communities be allowed to write their own membership code provided that the code did not violate fundamental human rights. A second report from the 1983 Penner Committee recommended the gradual abolition of the office of Minister of Indian Affairs and a transfer of responsibility for their own affairs to First Nations communities. Proposed changes died on the House of Commons order paper and have not been re-introduced.

As of July 2004, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has been assigned the role of Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians concurrently.

Responsibilities

Acts

The Minister has responsibilities, wholly or partially, under a number of Acts:^[4](list may not be complete)

• Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act R.S., 1985, c. A-12
• British Columbia Indian Cut-off Lands Settlement Act — 1984, c. 2
• British Columbia Indian Reserves Mineral Resources Act — 1943-44, c. 19
• British Columbia Treaty Commission Act — 1995, c. 45
• Canada Petroleum Resources Act — R.S., 1985, c. 36 (2nd Supp.)
• Canada-Yukon Oil and Gas Accord Implementation Act — 1998, c. 5
• Canadian Polar Commission Act — 1991, c. 6
• Caughnawaga Indian Reserve Act — 1934, c. 29
• Claim Settlements (Alberta and Saskatchewan)Implementation Act — 2002, c-3
• Condominium Ordinance Validation Act— 1985, c. 46
• Cree-Naskapi (of Quebec) Act — 1984, c. 18
• Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Act — R.S., 1985, c. I-6
• Dominion Water Power Act, — R.S., 1985, c. W-4
• First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act — 2005, c. 53
• First Nations Jurisdiction over Education in British Columbia Act — 2006, c. 10
• First Nations Land Management Act — 1999, c. 24
• First Nations Oil and Gas and Moneys Management Act — 2005, c. 48
• Fort Nelson Indian Reserve Minerals Revenue Sharing Act — 1980-81-82-83, c. 38
• Grassy Narrows and Islington Indian Bands Mercury Pollution Claims Settlement Act — 1986, c. 23
• Gwich’in Land Claim Settlement Act — 1992, c. 53
• Indian Act — R.S., 1985, c. I-5
• Indian Lands Agreement Act (1986) — 1988, c. 39
• Indian Oil and Gas Act — R.S., 1985, c. I-7
• Kanesatake Interim Land Base Governance Act — 2001, c. 8
• Kelowna Accord Implementation Act 2008, c. 23
• Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement Act — 2005, c. 27
• Lands Surveys Act, Canada — R.S., 1985, c. L-6 Part III
• Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act — 1998, c. 25
• Manitoba Claim Settlements Implementation Act — 2000, c. 33
• Mi’kmaq Education Act — 1998, c. 24
• Natural Resources Transfer (School Lands) Amendments, (Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan) (see also School Lands) — 1960-61, c. 62
• Nelson House First Nation Flooded Land Act — 1997, c. 29
• New Brunswick Indian Reserves Agreement — 1959, c. 47
• Northwest Territories Act — R.S., 1985, c. N-27
• Northwest Territories Waters Act — 1992, c. 39
• Nova Scotia Indian Reserves Agreement — 1959, c. 50
• Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement Act — 2008, c. 2
• Nunavut Act — 1993, c. 28
• Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act — 1993, c. 29
• Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal Act — 2002, c. 10

Oil and Gas Operations Act, Canada — R.S., 1985, c. O-7 Pictou Landing Indian Band Agreement Act — 1995, c. 4 Sahtu Dene and Metis Land Claim Settlement Act — 1994, c. 27

• St. Peters Indian Reserve Act — 1916, c. 24
• St. Regis Islands Act — 1926-27, c. 37
• Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement Act — 1993, c. 11
• Sechelt Indian Band Self-Government Act — 1986, c. 27
• Songhees Indian Reserve Act — 1911, c. 24
• Specific Claims Tribunal Act 2008, c. 22
• Split Lake Cree First Nation Flooded Land Act — 1994, c. 42
• Territorial Lands Act — R.S., 1985, c. T-7
• Tlicho Land Claims and Self-Government Act — 2005, c. 1
• Tsawwassen First Nation Final Agreement Act — 2008, c. 32
• Westbank First Nation Self-Government Act — 2004, c. 17
• Western Arctic (Inuvialuit) Claims Settlement Act — 1984, c. 24
• York Factory First Nation Flooded Land Act — 1997, c. 28
• Yukon Act — 2002, c. 7
• Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act — 2003, c. 7
• Yukon First Nations Self-Government Act — 1994, c. 35

Boards, Commissions and Other Responsibilities

The Minister is also the lead Minister or responsible Minister for:

• Canadian Polar Commission
• Corporation for the Mitigation of Mackenzie Gas Project Impacts
• First Nations Statistical Institute
• Indian Oil and Gas Canada
• Northwest Territories Commissioner
• Northwest Territories Water Board
• Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board
• Contract for Implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement
• Nunavut Commissioner
• Nunavut Impact Review Board
• Nunavut Planning Commission
• Nunavut Water Board
• Yukon Territory Commissioner

Cabinet ministers

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office		Political party	Ministry
Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs
1.		Hector Louis Langevin	May 22, 1868	December 7, 1869	Conservative	1 (Macdonald)
2.		Joseph Howe	December 8, 1869	May 6, 1873	Liberal-Conservative
*		James Cox Aikins (acting)	May 7, 1873	June 13, 1873
3.		Thomas Nicholson Gibbs	June 14, 1873	June 30, 1873
4.		Alexander Campbell	July 1, 1873	November 5, 1873	Conservative
5.		David Laird	November 7, 1873	October 6, 1876	Liberal	2 (Mackenzie)
*		Richard William Scott (acting)	October 7, 1876	October 23, 1876
6.		David Mills	October 24, 1876	October 8, 1878
7.		Sir John A. Macdonald	October 17, 1878	October 2, 1887	Liberal-Conservative	3 (Macdonald)
8.		Thomas White	October 3, 1887	April 21, 1888	Conservative
*		Sir John A. Macdonald (acting)	May 8, 1888	September 24, 1888	Liberal-Conservative
9.		Edgar Dewdney	September 25, 1888	June 6, 1891	Conservative
	June 16, 1891	October 16, 1892	4 (Abbott)
10.		Thomas Mayne Daly	October 17, 1892	November 24, 1892	Liberal-Conservative
			December 5, 1892	December 12, 1894		5 (Thompson)
	December 21, 1894	April 27, 1896	6 (Bowell)
11.		Hugh John Macdonald	May 1, 1896	July 8, 1896	Conservative	7 (Tupper)
12.		Richard William Scott (acting)	July 17, 1896	November 16, 1896	Liberal	8 (Laurier)
13.		Clifford Sifton	November 17, 1896	February 28, 1905
14.		Sir Wilfrid Laurier (acting)	March 13, 1905	April 7, 1905
15.		Frank Oliver	April 8, 1905	October 6, 1911
16.		Robert Rogers	October 10, 1911	October 28, 1912	Conservative	9 (Borden)
17.		William James Roche	October 29, 1912	October 12, 1917
18.		Arthur Meighen	October 12, 1917	July 10, 1920	Unionist	10 (Borden)
19.		Sir James Alexander Lougheed	July 10, 1920	December 29, 1921	Liberal-Conservative	11 (Meighen)
20.		Charles Stewart	December 29, 1921	June 28, 1926	Liberal	12 (Mackenzie King)
21.		Henry Herbert Stevens (acting)	June 29, 1926	July 12, 1926	Conservative	13 (Meighen)
22.		Richard Bedford Bennett (acting)	July 13, 1926	September 25, 1926
23.		Charles Stewart	September 26, 1926	June 26, 1930	Liberal	14 (Mackenzie King)
24.		Ian Alistair Mackenzie	June 27, 1930	August 7, 1930
25.		Thomas Gerow Murphy	August 7, 1930	October 23, 1935	Conservative	15 (Bennett)
26.		Thomas Alexander Crerar	October 23, 1935	November 30, 1936	Liberal	16 (Mackenzie King)
Minister responsible for Indian Affairs (Minister of the Interior, Minister of Mines)
27.		Thomas Alexander Crerar	December 1, 1936	April 17, 1945	Liberal	16 (Mackenzie King)
28.		James Allison Glen	April 18, 1945	June 10, 1948
29.		James Angus MacKinnon	June 10, 1948	November 15, 1948
	November 15, 1948	March 31, 1949	17 (St. Laurent)
30.		Colin William George Gibson	April 1, 1949	January 17, 1950
Minister responsible for Indian Affairs (Minister of Citizenship)
31.		Walter Harris	January 18, 1950	June 30, 1954	Liberal	17 (St. Laurent)
32.		Jack Pickersgill	July 1, 1954	June 21, 1957
*		E. Davie Fulton (Acting)	June 21, 1957	May 11, 1958	Progressive Conservative	18 (Diefenbaker)
33.		Ellen Fairclough	May 12, 1958	August 8, 1962
34.		Dick Bell	August 9, 1962	April 22, 1963
35.		Guy Favreau	April 22, 1963	February 2, 1964	Liberal	19 (Pearson)
36.		René Tremblay	February 3, 1964	February 14, 1965
37.		John Robert Nicholson	February 15, 1965	December 17, 1965
38.		Jean Marchand	December 18, 1965	September 30, 1966
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
39.		Arthur Laing	October 1, 1966	April 20, 1968	Liberal	19 (Pearson)
	April 20, 1968	July 5, 1968	20 (P. E. Trudeau)
40.		Jean Chrétien		July 5, 1968		August 7, 1974
41.		J. Judd Buchanan		August 8, 1974		September 13, 1976
42.		Warren Allmand		September 14, 1976		September 15, 1977
43.		James Hugh Faulkner		September 16, 1977	June 3, 1979
44.		Jake Epp	June 4, 1979	March 2, 1980	Progressive Conservative	21 (Clark)
45.		John Munro	March 3, 1980	June 29, 1984	Liberal	22 (P. E. Trudeau)
46.		Doug Frith	June 30, 1984	September 16, 1984		23 (Turner)
47.		David Crombie	September 17, 1984	June 29, 1986	Progressive Conservative	24 (Mulroney)
48.		Bill McKnight	June 30, 1986	January 29, 1989
49.		Pierre Cadieux	January 30, 1989	February 22, 1990
50.		Tom Siddon	February 23, 1990	June 24, 1993
51.		Pauline Browes	June 25, 1993	November 3, 1993		25 (Campbell)
52.		Ron Irwin	November 4, 1993	June 10, 1997	Liberal	26 (Chrétien)
53.		Jane Stewart	June 11, 1997	August 2, 1999
54.		Bob Nault	August 3, 1999	December 11, 2003
55.		Andy Mitchell	December 12, 2003	July 19, 2004		27 (Martin)
56.		Andy Scott	July 20, 2004	February 5, 2006
57.		Jim Prentice	February 6, 2006	August 14, 2007	Conservative	28 (Harper)
58.		Chuck Strahl	August 14, 2007	August 6, 2010
59.		John Morris Duncan	August 6, 2010	May 17, 2011
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
		John Morris Duncan	May 18, 2011	February 15, 2013	Conservative	28 (Harper)
*		James Moore, Acting Minister	February 15, 2013	February 22, 2013
60.		Bernard Valcourt	February 22, 2013	November 3, 2015
Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs
61.		Carolyn Bennett	November 4, 2015	Present	Liberal	29 (J. Trudeau)

Prior to 1966, responsibilities for the Indian Affairs portion of this portfolio fell under the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (List), and the Northern Development portion under the Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources (List).

See also

• List of Canadian Ministers of Mines and Resources (1936–1950)
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
• Indian Register
• Indian Agent (Canada)
• Indian Department, for historical background
• Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
• Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
• The Canadian Crown and First Nations, Inuit and Métis
• Canadian Aboriginal case law
• Aboriginal peoples in Canada
  • First Nations
  • Inuit
  • Métis people (Canada)
• Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Australia)

References

1. "What’s in a name? Indian Affairs is no more", Globe and Mail, May 18, 2011
2. Departments that have been responsible for Indian Affairs
3. departments that have been responsible for Northern Affairs
4. Acts under Minister Responsibilities

External links

• Individuals Responsible for Aboriginal and Northern Affairs in Canada 1755 to 2006
• The Nunavut Project