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Indigenous

Indigenous Relations

  • Indigenous partnerships are critical to advancing reconciliation and operationalizing Nation-to-Nation, government-to-government, and Inuit-Crown relationships.
  • Through Our North, Strong and Free, we are re-affirming our commitment to safeguarding the North – and its people – with ambitious new investments as well as through engagements with Indigenous governments and organizations on Defence investments and planning.
  • In fact, during recent travel to Iqaluit and Inuvik, I heard from my Indigenous and territorial colleagues about the challenges they face.
  • I also had the opportunity to speak to them about challenges to security in the North and the Arctic from a defence perspective.
  • I highlighted our plan to ensure that our work in the North benefits Indigenous and other local partners and communities, including through economic opportunities as well as access to multi-purpose defence infrastructure, where feasible.
  • As I have said before, we will strictly follow the Arctic and Northern Policy framework of "Nothing about us, without us."
  • In addition to the commitments made in our new defence policy, National Defence launched the Indigenous Reconciliation Program in April 2023.
  • Beginning in 2023 and extending through to 2027, this program provides up to $1.5 million annually to Indigenous communities to increase collaboration between National Defence and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners.
  • In the first year of the program, we have provided grants and contributions to the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the T'Sou-Ke First Nation, Assembly of First Nations Yukon Region, Dakota Tipi First Nation, amongst others.
  • National Defence remains committed to working with our partners in territorial and provincial governments, in local Northern and Indigenous communities.

If pressed on validation of Indigenous contracts:

  • National Defence is committed to awarding at least 5 percent of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses and will report on our progress in the 2024-2025 Departmental Results Report.
  • To qualify under this initiative, an Indigenous business must either be registered in the Government of Canada's Indigenous Business Directory or be registered in a beneficiary business list for contracts in a modern treaty or self-government agreement area.
  • To be listed on the Indigenous Business Directory, a business must be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by Indigenous peoples.

Key Facts

Upcoming Engagements:

  • The Minister of National Defence will meet with Yukon First Nations partners during the upcoming Yukon Days from December 5-8, 2024.

Recent Engagements:

  • On 8 November 2024, Minister Blair attended the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee (ICPC) Leaders' meeting alongside Inuit partners. Pointing to mutually beneficial projects such as the Inuvik runway extension, the Minister reiterated the importance of working together with Inuit to achieve common goals in Inuit Nunangat.
  • On October 8, 2024, Minister Blair and Minister Joly jointly met with the Northwest Territories (NWT) Council of Leaders, which reunites both the Government of the Northwest Territories and Leaders from the NWT Indigenous governments and organizations, to discuss Northern priorities and Arctic security.
  • On October 11, 2024, Minister Blair participated in the Arctic Northern Policy Framework Leaders meeting alongside Indigenous and territorial leaders, federal, territorial, and provincial partners. Topics of discussion included Arctic and Northern policy, security and defence.

Other Key Facts:

  • All six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) will be affiliated with regions of Inuit Nunangat by 2026.
  • Representation in the CAF: Indigenous representation in the CAF is 3.0% as of April 2024.
  • 26.3% of Canadian Rangers self-identify as Indigenous.

Details

Indigenous Reconciliation Program (IRP)

  • In Budget 2022, National Defence received a total of $6 million over four years starting in 2023-24 for the IRP.
    • Overall, the program has received 60 applications and the call for applications remains open for the 24/25 Fiscal Year.
    • To date, the program has funded 30 submissions.
  • A proposal to seek renewed funding authorities will be advanced in line with Budget 2026. This approach aims to ensure that there is no lapse in IRP funding.

United Nations Declaration Act

  • National Defence is committed to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and is advancing work on the five Action Plan Measures (2023-2028) led by National Defence.
  • National Defence continues to work closely with the Department of Justice and Canadian Forces Legal Advisors to coordinate yearly reporting, as outlined in the Action Plan 2023-2028.

Indigenous Investments in Procurement

  • Indigenous Participation Plans (IPPs) are a set of contractual obligations intended to provide positive socio-economic benefits to Indigenous businesses and communities when direct award to an Indigenous business may not be possible.
  • IPPs are key to building Indigenous Capacity within the Defence Supply Chain
  • Examples of IPPs incorporated in Defence procurements include:
    • Future Air Crew Training Program: Awarded May in 2024. The IPP requirement represents at least 5% of the total contract price and must remain in place throughout the duration of the contract. The contractor must provide professional employment opportunities including but not limited to; a) apprenticeship programs and on-the-job opportunities; b) skilled and non-skilled labour; and c) professional and executive opportunities.
    • Operational Clothing and Footwear Consolidated Contract with Logistik Unicorp: The IPP includes Indigenous businesses in the supply chain; incentivizing the contractor up to 1% of the annual value of the contract.
      • The contract is valued at up to $3.7 billion over 20 years.

CAF Real Property Operations Group Minor New Construction Contracts

  • In Fiscal Year 22/23, CF RP Ops Gp undertook smaller construction projects with a total IPP value of $23,644,850 (before taxes). This accounted for approximately 7% of contract spending under the Minor New Construction program.

North Warning System In-Service Support Contract

  • On January 31, 2022, Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of National Defence, awarded a contract to the Nasittuq Corporation, an Inuit majority-owned company, for the operation and maintenance of the North Warning System (NWS). The NWS contractor (Nasittuq) plays a key role in economic stimulus and sustainability there.
  • The contract is for an initial period of seven years and is valued at $592 million ($527 million before taxes). The contract also includes four additional two-year Rolling Wave Extensions for a total of 15 years at an estimated value of $1.3 billion ($1.1 billion before taxes).

Defence Construction Canada (DCC) Facility Maintenance Contracts

  • For Fiscal Year 24/25, 32% (6 out of 19) of DCC's facility maintenance contracts contain Indigenous Benefits Plans.
  • The Indigenous Benefits Plans represents approximately 7% ($5,471,803.10 out of $78,571,599.86) of the overall forecasted expenditures under these contracts for the Fiscal Year.
  • The 6 facility maintenance contracts with Indigenous Benefit Plans, awarded by DCC on behalf of National Defence, are with the following companies:
    • ATCO Frontec Ltd, Black & McDonald Limited, Edon Properties Inc, and Black & McDonald Limited.

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2025-03-21