The Ministry of Indigenous Affairs (formally called Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation) is the Government of Ontario ministry responsible for issues relating to First Nations, Métis and Inuit in Ontario. The current Minister of Indigenous Affairs is Hon. Greg Rickford who sits in the Executive Council of Ontario or cabinet.

History

From 1981 to 1985, indigenous issues were mainly the responsibilities of the Attorney General and the Provincial Secretary for Resources Development (as Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Native Affairs).

In June 1985, Premier David Peterson designated a minister responsible for "native affairs" for the first time in Ontario history.

In 1987, the Ontario Native Affairs Directorate was established. It was renamed the Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat in 1991. The entity acted as a support for the Minister Responsible for Native Affairs, and was headed by an Executive Director and later a Secretary, who for the most part held the rank of Assistant Deputy Attorney General. Andromache Karakatsanis, later Supreme Court Justice, held this role between 1995 and 1997. In 2006, the Secretariat's name was changed to the Ontario Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat.

In June 2007, the standalone Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs replaced the Secretariat. In June 2016, the ministry was renamed the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation as part of Ontario's response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's 2015 Report. In June 2018, the ministry was renamed the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs.

The mandate of the ministry is to:

• promote collaboration and coordination across ministries on Aboriginal policy and programs;
• set priorities for and track the progress of Ontario's Aboriginal agenda;
• enhance government's awareness of Aboriginal people, issues and best practices for consulting and engaging with Aboriginal people;
• work with the federal government to find ways to make the most of federal funding;
• help Aboriginal people to access Ontario government programs, services and information;
• reform the land claims process to help address historical grievances; and
• encourage diversity, especially representation of Aboriginal people, in the Ontario Public Service.

The ministry has four key priorities:

• Stronger Indigenous Relationships;
• Improved Social Conditions;
• Economic Opportunity and Sustainability; and
• Enhanced Land Claim Settlements and Reconciliation.

Land Claims

One of the most divisive issues with the public has been land claims. MIA has been mandated to reform the land claim process and current land claims tend to be negotiated with the Native Reserves, with the public excluded, and proposed settlements are then presented to the public for their acceptance. Currently there is no independent body that represents the public in native land claims. Public concerns and evidence may have been ignored when it differed from proposed settlements but the public is expected to go along with negotiated settlement agreements.

Organization

• Minister's Office
• Deputy Minister's Office
• Negotiations and Reconciliation Division
• Aboriginal Relations and Ministry Partnerships Division
• Strategic Policy and Planning Division
• Legal Services Branch
• Communications Branch
• Corporate Management Division

2011-2012 Results-based Plan

List of ministers

	Portrait	Name	Term of office		Tenure	Political party Ministry	Note
	Minister Responsible for Native Affairs
		Ian Scott	June 26, 1985	October 1, 1990	5 years, 97 days	Liberal (Peterson)	While Attorney General.
		Bud Wildman	October 1, 1990	February 3, 1993	2 years, 125 days	NDP (Rae)	While Minister of Natural Resources.
		Howard Hampton	February 3, 1993	June 26, 1995	2 years, 143 days		While Minister of Natural Resources.
		Charles Harnick	June 26, 1995	June 17, 1999	3 years, 356 days	PC (Harris)	While Attorney General.
		Jim Flaherty	June 17, 1999	February 8, 2001	1 year, 236 days		While Attorney General.
		David Young	February 8, 2001	February 25, 2003	2 years, 17 days		While Attorney General.
		Norm Sterling	February 25, 2003	October 22, 2003	239 days	PC (Eves)	While Attorney General.
		Michael Bryant	October 23, 2003	June 29, 2005	1 year, 249 days (first instance)	Liberal (McGuinty)	While Attorney General.
	Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs
		David Ramsay	June 29, 2005	June 21, 2007	2 years, 123 days		While Minister of Natural Resources.
	Minister of Aboriginal Affairs
		David Ramsay	June 21, 2007	October 30, 2007			Concurrently Minister of Natural Resources.
		Michael Bryant	October 30, 2007	September 18, 2008	324 days (second instance) (2 years, 209 days in total)		Concurrently Government House Leader.
		Brad Duguid	September 18, 2008	January 18, 2010	1 year, 122 days
		Chris Bentley	January 18, 2010	October 20, 2011	1 year, 275 days (first instance)		Concurrently Attorney General.
		Kathleen Wynne	October 20, 2011	November 5, 2012	1 year, 16 days		Concurrently Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Resigned to seek Ontario Liberal Party leadership.
		Chris Bentley	November 5, 2012	February 11, 2013	98 days (second instance) (2 years, 8 days in total)		Appointed as interim minister. Concurrently Minister of Energy.
		David Zimmer	February 11, 2013	June 13, 2016	5 years, 137 days	Liberal (Wynne)
	Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
		David Zimmer	June 13, 2016	June 28, 2018
	Minister of Indigenous Affairs
		Greg Rickford	June 29, 2018	present	5 years, 285 days	PC (Ford)	Concurrently Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines.

Related links

• Ontario Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation [1]
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada - Canadian federal government branch