Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada was a government agency responsible for Indigenous affairs and the administration of Canada's North. This department played a role in managing relations with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, including the implementation of the Indian Act and the administration of reserves.1

The department's responsibilities also extended to the governance and development of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, areas with significant Indigenous populations. Historically, the Canadian government's approach to Indigenous peoples involved treaties, land claims, and assimilationist policies, which the department would have been involved in executing. The department's work reflected the evolving relationship between the Canadian government and Indigenous peoples, including efforts towards self-government and land claims.123