Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is responsible for two separate mandates: Indian and Inuit Affairs and Northern Affairs. This broad mandate is derived largely from the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Act, the Indian Act, territorial acts and legal obligations arising from section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867. INAC’s mandate is complex and its responsibilities encompass a broad range of services.
In general, INAC has primary, but not exclusive, responsibility for meeting the federal government’s constitutional, treaty, political and legal responsibilities to First Nations, Inuit and Northerners. To fulfil this mandate, INAC works collaboratively with First Nations, Inuit and Northerners, as well as with other federal departments and agencies, provinces and territories. |
