# Ministry of Indigenous Affairs (Ontario)

The Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation (IAFNER; formerly the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs) 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. In June 2024, the ministry was renamed the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation.
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

The Ministry is the Ontario government's representative in negotiation of Indigenous land claims. Land claims are negotiated by the Ontario and Canadian governments, as representatives of the Crown, directly with First Nations. Proposed settlements are then presented to the general public. There is no independent body that represents affected Canadian settlers in native land claim negotiations. Settlers' concerns and evidence may have been ignored when it differed from proposed settlements. MIA has been mandated to reform the land claim process.
The MIA is currently in negotiations with the Government of Canada and the Algonquins of Ontario First Nation (AOO) to resolve aboriginal title to 36,000 square kilometres (14,000 sq mi) in eastern Ontario. According to the AOO, the land was never ceded and Algonquin title not recognized. An agreement in principle was reached in 2016.

## Organization

* Minister's Office
* Deputy Minister's Office
* Negotiations and Reconciliation Division
* Indigenous Relations and Programs Division
* Strategic Policy and Planning Division
* Legal Services Branch
* Communications Branch
* Corporate Management Division
Source: Government of Ontario.

## List of ministers

| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Tenure | Political party Ministry | Note |
| Minister Responsible for Native Affairs | Minister Responsible for Native Affairs | Minister Responsible for Native Affairs | 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 | NDP (Rae) | 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 | PC (Harris) | While Attorney General. |
| | David Young | February 8, 2001 | February 25, 2003 | 2 years, 17 days | PC (Harris) | 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 | Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs | Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs | Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs | | Liberal (McGuinty) | |
| | David Ramsay | June 29, 2005 | June 21, 2007 | 2 years, 123 days | Liberal (McGuinty) | While Minister of Natural Resources. |
| Minister of Aboriginal Affairs | Minister of Aboriginal Affairs | Minister of Aboriginal Affairs | Minister of Aboriginal Affairs | 2 years, 123 days | Liberal (McGuinty) | |
| | David Ramsay | June 21, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | 2 years, 123 days | Liberal (McGuinty) | Concurrently Minister of Natural Resources. |
| | Michael Bryant | October 30, 2007 | September 18, 2008 | 324 days (second instance) (2 years, 209 days in total) | Liberal (McGuinty) | Concurrently Government House Leader. |
| | Brad Duguid | September 18, 2008 | January 18, 2010 | 1 year, 122 days | Liberal (McGuinty) | |
| | Chris Bentley | January 18, 2010 | October 20, 2011 | 1 year, 275 days (first instance) | Liberal (McGuinty) | Concurrently Attorney General. |
| | Kathleen Wynne | October 20, 2011 | November 5, 2012 | 1 year, 16 days | Liberal (McGuinty) | 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) | Liberal (McGuinty) | 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 | Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation | Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation | Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation | 5 years, 137 days | Liberal (Wynne) | |
| | David Zimmer | June 13, 2016 | June 28, 2018 | 5 years, 137 days | Liberal (Wynne) | |
| Minister of Indigenous Affairs | Minister of Indigenous Affairs | Minister of Indigenous Affairs | Minister of Indigenous Affairs | | | |
| | Greg Rickford | June 29, 2018 | present | 6 years, 203 days | PC (Ford) | Concurrently Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines. |

## Related links

* Ontario Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation
* Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada - Canadian federal government branch