Departmental Results Report 2021 to 2022

Description

This core responsibility encompasses support to Indigenous organizations, individuals, communities and governments in achieving reconciliation and advancing self-determination through strengthening Crown-Indigenous relationships based on respect, cooperation, partnership, the affirmation and implementation of Indigenous rights, and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Activities include negotiating and implementing treaties, self-government agreements and specific claims; consulting and engaging on issues of importance to Indigenous Peoples, providing legislative and institutional frameworks for First Nations' jurisdiction over local taxation and financial management and addressing historic grievances.

Results

The renewal of a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government relationship with Indigenous Peoples is critical to moving forward with reconciliation. CIRNAC continued to work with Indigenous partners in addressing shared priorities, accelerating the resolution of unresolved historical grievances and supporting the long-term reconciliation goals. In 2021–22, Crown-Indigenous Relations focused on 3 departmental results.

Departmental result 1: Indigenous Peoples determine their political, economic, social, and cultural development

The Government of Canada is committed to renewing relationships with Indigenous Peoples based on the affirmation and implementation of their right to self-determination, including the right to self-government. The department's 2021–22 results are outlined below.

CIRNAC continued to make progress in its negotiations with Indigenous Peoples across the country. The department established 23 new discussion tables, bringing the total of discussion tables to 186, to co-develop modern treaties, self-government agreements and other constructive arrangements. These discussions have explored shared priorities and joint propositions for mandates to advance Indigenous interests, foster self-determination, and work towards closing socio-economic gaps. Results in 2021–22 stemming from these discussions include the signature of 14 agreements, the introduction of 2 enabling pieces of legislation and the approval of 5 mandates to advance interests, which have positively impacted 63 communities. These agreements form part of Canada's commitment to support Indigenous in rebuilding their nations and advancing self-determination. Here are a few examples of agreements concluded:

• 2 incremental treaty agreements were concluded with the Innu Nation. They are the first of their kind in Canada and will advance implementation of treaty-related rights and benefits, notably in the areas of commercial fisheries, and will support cooperative management of the Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park.
• Canada presented financial offers to 13 First Nations involved in the British Columbia education jurisdiction discussions, representing the successful conclusion of negotiations in that process. Of these 13, 4 accepted offers and ratified their agreements^{Footnote 1}.
• 2 coordination agreements for child and family services were also signed between Canada and the Cowessess First Nation (July 2021) and Wabaseemong Independent Nations (March 2022) respectively. These agreements were negotiated in collaboration with Indigenous Services Canada and also signed by Saskatchewan (for Cowessess) and Ontario (for Wabaseemoong Independent Nations). Through these agreements, First Nations can exert their jurisdiction over child and family services.
• Canada entered into representation and recognition agreements with the Ocean Man First Nation and the Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation in February 2022. The agreements promote reconciliation by addressing one of the issues that resulted from the First Nations' amalgamation with another First Nation in 1901.

The department continued to listen and reflect the perspectives regarding the review, maintenance and enforcement of Canada's treaty obligations, including the establishment of a National Treaty Commissioner's Office. As part of a co-developed proposal regarding a pre-engagement strategy, Canada provided support to the Assembly of First Nations to develop a questionnaire for pre-1975 Treaty First Nations, and to develop discussion tools to support the pre-engagement process.

In Spring 2021, CIRNAC provided funding to the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba and the Office of the Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan to continue their work to raise awareness and improve understanding of pre-1975 Treaties within their provinces. Through this funding, these commissions have reached over 10,000 individuals, institutions, agencies, ministries, corporations and organizations to advance public awareness on treaties. This included inter-provincial outreach, as well as interest from the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.

More specifically, the Office of the Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, through its Reconciliation Circles with Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners, continued to broaden its outreach and to advance reconciliation through open dialogue. The Office has also developed a framework and process to measure progress on reconciliation to support organizations, individuals, communities and governments. The framework is currently being implemented with multiple partners in the region, and there are plans to extend this to other interested groups in the near term. In addition, the Office initiated the signage on a major highway indicating the treaty boundary for Treaty 4 and Treaty 6. The Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba continued to expand its outreach through its popular webinars and bi-weekly radio series.

With regards to the Comprehensive Land Claims Policy and the Inherent Right Policy, CIRNAC continued collaborative efforts with Indigenous partners to advance joint priorities toward redesigning these policies by:

• establishing distinctions-based processes
• leveraging innovations that are co-developed at negotiation tables
• applying lessons learned from past engagements with Indigenous partners
• building public service capacity to advance culture change in alignment with the affirmation and implementation of rights

Canada also engaged in ongoing work with participating Indigenous Nations and the Province of British Columbia to advance the implementation of Schedule A of the Recognition and Reconciliation of Rights Policy for Treaty Negotiations in British Columbia, specifically on the constitutional status of lands (section 3.a.). Canada participated in working groups that will develop options on new land models. Further, to establish a process for the first review of the Policy, which will take place in 2022–23, Canada, the First Nations Summit and the Province of British Columbia developed an action plan in 2021–22.

Modern treaties and self-government agreements are the foundations for transformative change that move us away from colonial systems of administration and governance. The implementation of these agreements embodies a solemn commitment to the ongoing process of reconciliation. Modern treaty relationships must be flexible and capable of evolution over time. To this end, in 2021–22, CIRNAC worked towards the development of a common process that was established in Spring 2022, consisting of Modern Treaty partners and the Government of Canada, to collaboratively explore:

• new policy tools and approaches to support the implementation of agreements
• modernized governance structures to foster mutually respectful, long-term intergovernmental relationships
• measures to support greater oversight and accountability

CIRNAC continued to collaborate with representatives of the AFN and First Nations, ITK and the 4 Inuit Nunangat regions, and the Métis National Council and its governing members through the permanent bilateral mechanisms (PBM) to advance joint priorities, co-develop policies and monitor ongoing progress. All activities and initiatives undertaken in this work are informed by the application of Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) lens, including the engagement and involvement of women and gender-diverse people to ensure that their perspectives, interests and priorities are included.

In 2021, transitions within the AFN administration and within CIRNAC led to a pause in meetings under the PBM. However, CIRNAC and AFN representatives continued to meet to examine priorities and develop a renewed and streamlined model for future PBM meetings. The intention is for a senior officials meeting to take place before the end of 2022.

The Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee (ICPC) met 3 times each at both the senior officials and leaders level to advance the joint priority areas of Inuit land claims implementation, reconciliation measures, missing and murdered Inuit women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, legislative priorities, health and wellness, infrastructure, housing, Inuktut revitalization, maintenance, protection and promotion, economic development and procurement, environment and climate change, as well as education, early learning and skills development. A key work item of the ICPC in 2021–22 was to finalize the co-development of the Inuit Nunangat Policy , which aims to promote prosperity, and support community and individual well-being throughout Inuit Nunangat.

Despite the challenges created by COVID-19, Métis Nation and Government of Canada representatives were able to advance efforts on some key priorities. Through the PBM, significant work was completed at various technical working groups. The PBM ensures that Métis Nation perspectives are reflected in federal policy (e.g. the development of new federal legislation supporting Indigenous child and family services, and the preservation, protection and revitalization of Indigenous languages). The PBM also supports Métis Nation engagement in the implementation of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples legislation, and potential Indigenous health legislation, on a government-to-government basis. Notable advances in 2021–22 include:

• The Métis Nation Housing Strategy reached year 4 of its implementation. Métis Nation governing members reported on progress for years 1 to 4, and co-developed an enhanced results framework for years 5 to 10 of the Strategy.
• New 4-year agreements were put into place to advance community-based infrastructure projects with Métis recipients that include the Metis settlements in Alberta, governing members of the Métis National Council and the Manitoba Métis Federation.

In addition, the Canada-Métis Nation Joint Committee on a new fiscal relationship has co-developed approaches to streamline funding, including a single-window funding approach. These innovative solutions aim to decrease the administrative burden and delays in providing funding to Métis recipients.

Other accomplishments in 2021–22 include:

• The launch of the Cultural Spaces in Indigenous Communities Program aims to re-establish and revitalize Indigenous cultural spaces to ensure they are inclusive of the needs and perspectives of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities. In 2021–22, a total investment of $8,3 million was made in 13 Indigenous-led projects.
• The funding of 42 projects by the Nation Rebuilding Program helps Indigenous groups of the same nation come together to build their governance capacity and ability to take on greater responsibility. The total funding allocated was more than $12.9 million, with an additional $7 million carried forward from previous years.
• In December 2021, the Government of Canada and the Summit of Treaty 5 Sovereign Nations signed a Memorandum of Agreement for Advancing Reconciliation in order to guide discussion on a number of topics, including treaty rights, treaty implementation, economic self-sufficiency and self-government.

In 2021–22, CIRNAC coordinated the efforts of 6 working groups under the Canada-Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) Political Accord. CIRNAC functions as the secretariat and relationship lead with the CAP, providing support and guidance to participating departments. The 6 working groups developed Terms of Reference and work plans. Regular meetings were held for each working group as well as between CAP leadership and Government of Canada officials. In addition to project funding, CIRNAC secured funding to support the participation of the CAP's affiliates in the engagement process. CIRNAC also funded a post-secondary education needs assessment and co-funded (along with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) the second phase of the CAP's urban and rural housing research project. Finally, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) working group, co-chaired by CIRNAC, also provided funding to the CAP.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for Canada to broaden its approach in order to address existing gaps and barriers and to improve the quality of life for Non-Status Indians^{Footnote 2}, off-reserve and urban Indigenous people, specifically those that are inadequately served or supported by the usual network of service providers. The work undertaken through the Canada-CAP Accord, the Canada-Métis Nation Accord and the ongoing response to the Supreme Court of Canada's 2016 decision in Daniels v. Canada allows the department to continue to support communities in addressing the impacts of the pandemic grounded in healing and reconciliation.

On June 3, 2021, the Government of Canada, alongside Indigenous families, survivors, partners, Indigenous women's organizations, as well as provinces and territories, launched the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan. The Federal Government also released the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People outlining the federal government commitments. CIRNAC's role was key in coordinating the work on the National Action Plan, and leading a whole-of-government approach and the contributions of 25 federal departments and agencies for the delivery of the Federal Pathway. The department also provided support and subject matter expertise to various departments and agencies on their new and expanded programs related to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls (MMIWG) and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. As part of the Federal Pathway, CIRNAC launched several key programs in 2021–22, including:

• the Support for the Wellbeing of Families and Survivors of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People Contribution Program (20 projects funded)
• the Indigenous-Led Data Research Projects Program (19 projects funded)
• the Supporting Indigenous Women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Organizations program (20 funded, including 12 organizations that have not received funding through the program previously)
• the Cultural Spaces in Indigenous Communities Program (14 projects to support safe access to cultural and language programming)

The department continued to build relationships and advance reconciliation with national, regional and community-level Indigenous women's organizations. Four new multi-year agreements began in March 2021, and 14 additional agreements were approved to begin in 2022–23. These longer-term stable agreements will support the engagement and participation of Indigenous women's and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations. Funding was also provided to the 3 national Indigenous women's organizations (Native Women's Association of Canada, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, and Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak) to increase capacity to develop and implement culturally-competent GBA Plus. This funding provides flexibility to the organizations, respective of their priorities, and will also give access to federal departments and agencies to culturally-competent toolkits and guidance. These will inform the development of policy, program and services. New relationships were established with national and regional Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations that will not only support the implementation of the National Action Plan, but will also support efforts to rebuild the relationship with Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, break down systemic barriers to reclaim traditional roles, and ensure Indigenous and 2SLGBTQQIA+ perspectives are included in the development of federal policies, programs, services and legislation.

Furthermore, CIRNAC and Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak signed a whole-of-government relationship agreement (Declaration signed between Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak and the Government of Canada) in August 2021. CIRNAC will work with federal departments and the organization to identify shared interests and co-develop a workplan to advance joint priorities. Progress has also continued with the implementation of the 2 whole-of-government relationship agreements with the Native Women's Association of Canada and the Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada.

The Transitional Committee for the National Council for Reconciliation was launched by the Minister in December 2021. The Committee reviewed a consultation draft of the legislative framework, engaged with experts, and provided recommendations to the Minister in March 2022. These recommendations will inform the development of legislation to establish the National Council for Reconciliation.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (the Act) received Royal Assent and came into force on June 21, 2021. CIRNAC supported implementation of the Act and also took steps to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration) across the department. This included:

• helping Justice Canada to assess over 200 proposals from Indigenous partners for funding (approximately $98 million in funding requested) to support engagement on the development of a Declaration Action Plan
• managing funding administration of approximately 150 approved proposals to support engagement on the development of a Declaration Action Plan by using CIRNAC's existing programs to distribute funding to Indigenous groups, communities and organizations across Canada
• providing Justice Canada with strategic advice on the engagement process for the development of an action plan
• collaborating with Justice Canada and Natural Resources Canada to complete a Budget 2022 submission to advance implementation of the Act
• establishing a departmental taskforce and a working group to advance the implementation of the Declaration within CIRNAC
• coordinating the implementation of the Declaration across CIRNAC, including developing key departmental messages, and coordinating input on reports and documents
• supporting Justice Canada through its work with national, regional, and Indigenous partners, including by advancing modern treaty and self-government partners' interests

Furthermore, Canada's Collaborative Self-Government Fiscal Policy development process was pursued virtually. Canada and 24 self-governing Indigenous governments met monthly to work on developing fiscal policy methodologies, with a focus on infrastructure, Indigenous languages programming, and lands and resources responsibilities.

With respect to the Cabinet Directive on the Federal Approach to Modern Treaty Implementation, collaborative work to improve the Assessment of Modern Treaty Implications (AMTI) process and to report on obligation status began in March 2022. The department is expected to report on its obligations on an annual basis, to consider the implications of modern treaties on any proposal submitted to Cabinet, and to attest to the compliance of the proposals with the legal obligations contained in modern treaties. A government-wide review of AMTI was completed in 2021–22, and results will improve training provided to federal officials. An implementation committee was also created in Spring 2021 to enhance governance and strengthen the oversight and coordination functions of the Deputy Ministers' Oversight Committee (DMOC), whose mandate is to provide oversight of the implementation of the Directive. A framework for escalation of issues and a strategy for partner participation are also underway, and will contribute to improve governance.

In addition, CIRNAC provided 21 Modern Treaty Management Environment (MTME) training sessions to 17 federal organizations and 26 customized sessions, for a total of about 110 officials trained. The MTME is a tool used by federal officials to better manage modern treaty implementation.

To advance federal public servant awareness on working with Indigenous Peoples to implement modern treaties and self-government agreements, CIRNAC delivered the course "Federal Implementation of Modern Treaties and Self-Government Agreements", alongside the Canada School of Public Service and in collaboration with the Land Claims Agreement Coalition (LCAC). In 2021–22, 8 courses were delivered to 151 participants. CIRNAC provided funding to support the participation of modern treaty organizations and contributed funds to the Gordon Foundation's "Understanding Our Treaties" program, which focuses on treaty education activities for the next generation of Indigenous leaders. In addition, 13 tailored training sessions for individual departments were delivered to 268 federal officials.

CIRNAC continued ongoing negotiations and implementation of consultation protocols, bringing the total to 10 signed consultation protocols (supporting 44 Indigenous communities and 15 Métis regions) with 9 in negotiations (representing 48 Indigenous communities and 12 Métis regions). CIRNAC also supported 5 consultation resource centres (supporting 62 Indigenous communities and 18 Métis regions).

Training on the Aboriginal Treaty Rights and Information System was delivered to 341 federal officials through 64 webinars and coaching sessions. Furthermore, the annual federal, provincial and territorial workshop, organized by CIRNAC, had attendees from all provinces and territories. One key focus was on best practices and policies for reliance on provincial and territorial jurisdictions with respect to meaningful duty to consult approaches.

Departmental result 2: Indigenous Peoples advance their governance institutions and regimes

Renewal of the nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government relationships, including treaty relationships, is expressed by putting in place effective mechanisms to support the transition away from colonial systems of administration and governance through support to Indigenous Peoples to advance their governance institutions. The department's 2021–22 results are outlined below.

CIRNAC continued to support First Nation governance by collaborating with the Lands Advisory Board to repeal the First Nations Land Management Act (FNLMA)and replace it with new, concise legislation that is consistent with the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management. The Framework Agreement enables participating communities to withdraw their lands from the land management provisions of the Indian Act, and to implement First Nation governance and laws with respect to their land, resources and environment. Signatory First Nations demonstrated their unanimous support for this replacement initiative at their Annual General Meeting in December 2021 and demonstrated support for the proposed legislation itself at a special meeting of signatory Chiefs in March 2022.

CIRNAC continued to work with the First Nations Fiscal Management Act institutions and the First Nations Infrastructure Institute Development Board on the co-development of amendments to enhance institutional development under the Act. This work aims to establish a national First Nations Infrastructure Institute in 2023, that will provide infrastructure-specific information, standards, support, and capacity development services to communities for the planning, implementation and management of their projects. In addition, the department, the institutions, First Nations and the provincial government of British Columbia continued to advance the development of regulations that would enable Indigenous organizations, treaty and self-governing groups to participate in the pooled borrowing regime under the Act.

CIRNAC also worked with the First Nations Finance Authority to establish an emergency fund to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and future financial shocks. The fund was also used to create the Commercial Paper Program to ensure First Nations continued access to long-term low-interest financing for socio-economic development purposes.

Finally, the department engaged in preliminary discussions with several national and regional Indigenous partners to contribute to an engagement strategy to redesign the additions to reserve policy and better align it with the Addition of Lands to Reserves and Reserve Creation Act and the First Nations Land Management Act. The department also engaged with the Lands Advisory Board to continue to advance the exercise of jurisdiction over land management. In particular, exploratory work towards a First Nation-led registry system is underway.

Departmental result 3: Past injustices are recognized and resolved

Assimilationist policies and practices have led to the denial of Indigenous rights in the past. To resolve grievances, Canada remains committed to pursuing dialogue, mutual cooperation, partnerships and negotiation to advance reconciliation. This is an ongoing process which requires affirmation of rights, acknowledgement of past wrongs, understanding the colonial history of Canada and working with Indigenous Peoples to co-develop solutions. The department's 2021–22 results are outlined below.

In 2021–22, CIRNAC worked closely with First Nations partners on a specific claims reform proposal to reinforce the long-standing position of the Government of Canada that the negotiated resolution of specific claims is more effective than litigation in addressing historical grievances, managing the cost of claims, and advancing reconciliation.

CIRNAC has witnessed clear positive trends in claims resolution in recent years. This trend is expected to continue as the department continues to demonstrate progress advancing resolution of Indigenous childhood claims litigation outside of the courts as demonstrated by:

• the ongoing implementation of the Sixties Scoop Settlement Agreement (Status Indians and Inuit) and the Federal Indian Day Schools Settlement Agreement (McLean)
• the settlement of the Indian Residential Schools Day Scholars litigation with respect to the Survivor and Descendant Classes (Gottfriedson)
• ongoing exploratory discussions with plaintiffs and their counsel to exchange on potential satisfactory avenue of resolution
• collaboration with the Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation and the McLean Day Schools Settlement Corporation and other collaborative work with Indigenous partners

Furthermore, CIRNAC continued to partner with the Department of Justice to assist with the resolution of litigation. In 2021–22, 12 claims from the Specific Claims Tribunal active inventory were closed as a result of judicial decisions or negotiated settlements. Litigation continued to be informed by the Attorney General of Canada's Directive on Civil Litigation Involving Indigenous Peoples.

CIRNAC continued to work with the Department of Finance and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to secure settlement mandates and access funding to help resolve litigation through out-of-court settlements. Financial compensation through these settlements helped Indigenous communities to freely invest towards their priorities. Further, the department worked to resolve litigation with Indigenous Peoples. It concluded 14 out-of-court settlements in 2021–22.

An important step in bringing closure to survivors, families and communities is giving access to Indian residential schools-related records (call to action 71). In January 2022, the department signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) outlining how and when Canada will share historical documents related to residential schools. CIRNAC is also leading a federal whole-of-government process to develop an approach to identify and share additional Indian residential schools-related documents with the NCTR. Moreover, CIRNAC supported the NCTR in the review of documents that may provide important information to be included in the National Residential School Student Death Register (call to action 72). The public Memorial Register, launched in September 2019, is hosted and maintained by the NCTR. It is a searchable online registry of children who died while in the care of an Indian residential school. In addition, the Cemetery Register is currently under development and, once complete, will also be hosted and maintained by the NCTR. Since the identification and recording of burial sites (calls to action 74 and 75) are essential for the creation of the Cemetery Register (call to action 73), the NCTR is preparing to receive this information from communities and archival searches.

Furthermore, following the discovery of unmarked burial sites associated with former Indian residential schools, a federal framework was developed by CIRNAC and the following departments: Indigenous Services Canada, Canadian Heritage, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Public Safety Canada, and Justice Canada. This federal framework aims to develop a comprehensive and collaborative national approach to address the legacy of residential schools. It will be further developed as a horizontal initiative and will be publicly reported on in future years.

CIRNAC continued to work with First Nations and federal partners to redesign the additions to reserve policy and streamline the process. The department identified additional Indigenous partners who will be instrumental to the development of future policy options and contacted them to determine how to best engage First Nations on redesigning the additions to reserve policy. CIRNAC is working with Indigenous Services Canada to develop regional capacity to streamline the process and increase the number of First Nations additions to reserve and reserve creation.

Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

GBA Plus is an analytical process that assesses systemic inequalities and how diverse groups of women, men, and gender diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The Government of Canada is committed to using GBA Plus to advance gender equality in Canada.

In 2021–22, CIRNAC continued to advance gender equality and diversity by applying culturally-competent GBA Plus on all departmental planning documents, Treasury Board submissions, Cabinet documents, budget submissions, regulatory initiatives, and policies and programs. CIRNAC strongly supported the application of GBA Plus at every stage of the policy and program design process and throughout negotiation processes. Together, policy, programming, and legislative responses towards recognizing and implementing Indigenous rights and advancing self-determination reflect principles of diversity and inclusion.

CIRNAC, in collaboration with Indigenous Services Canada, continued to support Indigenous women's organizations to advance culturally-competent GBA Plus resources. The department supported gender-responsive measures with direct and indirect benefits for Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. The department also provided dedicated funds to the Native Women's Association of Canada, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, and Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak – Women of the Métis Nation, and collaborated closely with these organizations to ensure that Indigenous women's and gender-diverse voices are included in the whole-of-government process towards reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. This included support for distinctions-based GBA Plus frameworks and tools that reflect Indigenous worldviews and priorities.

On June 3, 2021, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan was released, and the Government of Canada launched the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People. The Federal Pathway is a key component of the much broader National Action Plan to end the national tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, so that they are safe and free from violence, no matter where they live, work or travel. The development of the National Action Plan and of the Federal Pathway aligns with Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence and takes into account the distinctive ways in which Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are targeted for violence. The Government of Canada continues to collaborate with Indigenous partners to implement the Federal Pathway initiatives in a way that is adapted to different geographies, distinctions, and populations, and supports research through the Indigenous-Led Data Research Projects Program. This program funds innovative Indigenous-led approaches to improving data methodologies specific to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. 

GBA Plus considerations were also included in initiatives presented for a comprehensive and collaborative national approach to address the legacy of residential schools, including missing children and unmarked burials. GBA Plus were conducted using available data, academic and other research, as well as discussions and engagements undertaken to date with stakeholders.

Furthermore, CIRNAC continued to provide guidance and tools to support a whole-of-government approach to consultation and accommodation with Indigenous Peoples. Through coaching, guidance, interdepartmental networking and duty to consult training, CIRNAC raised awareness on the importance of including culturally-competent GBA Plus in consultation and engagement processes. The department also had dialogue opportunities with Indigenous partners on how to best include a diversity of perspectives into consultations and engagements during discussions on the development and implementation of consultation protocols and resource centres (Federal Initiative on Consultation).

The application of GBA Plus in negotiation guidelines helps to ensure that negotiators know how to implement GBA Plus at every stage of the process. For example, the time and place of negotiations sessions are adjusted as required to provide equal opportunities and to accommodate eligible participants, in person or virtually, as well as off reserve. Translated materials in various First Nation languages have also been provided, as well as on-site translators. With respect to the ratification process, transportation or gas vouchers have been offered, and various voting options were provided to accommodate and ensure inclusion (e.g. e-voting, mail-in ballots, and in-person voting). These innovative efforts have resulted in larger participation from Indigenous groups and led to more inclusive outcomes and negotiation accommodations.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

CIRNAC continued to work closely with Employment and Social Development Canada throughout 2021–22, by contributing to the first Annual Report on Canada's 2030 Agenda. CIRNAC is also working on the development of its internal implementation plan.

Through the engagement process on the development of Bill C-15, An Act Respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Act), participants called for strengthening the preamble by addressing the impacts of climate change on Indigenous Peoples and their role in contributing to sustainable development. As a result, Bill C-15 includes a reference in the preamble highlighting that the UN Declaration can contribute to supporting sustainable development and responding to growing concerns relating to climate change and its impacts on Indigenous Peoples. With Justice Canada as the lead in implementing the Act, an engagement process is now underway on the development of the Action Plan, as required by the Act.

Throughout the negotiation of treaties, self-government agreements and other constructive arrangements with Indigenous Peoples, parties developed a common understanding of what is required to advance reconciliation based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership. This work also contributed to the renewal of the Crown-Indigenous relationship and towards closing socio-economic gaps between Indigenous Peoples and the rest of Canada to develop healthier, more sustainable communities.

Furthermore, the department contributed to sustainable development goal 5, "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls", by ensuring GBA Plus informed requests for policy and spending authorities. CIRNAC also contributed to goal 10, "Reducing inequality within and among countries", by continuing to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action. The work of the department linked to departmental result 3, "Past injustices are recognized and resolved", contributed to goal 16, "Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels." Specifically, CIRNAC contributed to implementing goal 16.3 by:

• introducing innovative practices to expedite claims resolution
• replenishing for another year the source of funds for settlements and Specific Claims Tribunal awards (Specific Claims Settlement Fund)
• making collaborative efforts at the research and assessment stages to make significant progress in clearing the assessment backlog
• expediting the resolution of specific claims

Results-based innovation^{Footnote 3}

Over the past year, the department focused on applying innovative approaches to its work and enhancing awareness of the importance of results-based innovation across sectors. Efforts to date have focused on identifying opportunities for innovation in the policy development cycle and fostering a culture of innovation within the department to develop an innovation strategy, which will continue into 2022–23. 

In 2021–22, CIRNAC continued to strengthen relationships with Indigenous youth and Canadian Roots Exchange and focused on delivering a 3-year pilot project advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 66. The pilot paved strong pathways for Indigenous youth from across the country to convene and support each other, and engage with federal institutions on key policy initiatives that impact youth and their communities. Canadian Roots Exchange provided direct support to youth through exceptional programming for community-based youth organizations, and built capacity, as well as confidence, through engagements with federal departments. Canadian Roots Exchange also collaborated with federal partners and used both innovative policy hackathons (event which aims to create functioning software or hardware) and more traditional engagement processes to ensure that youth voices and views were heard and incorporated in key policy initiatives, such as the COVID-19 response and distinctions-based health legislation. Indigenous youth-led projects spanned 12 provinces and territories and reached over 27,000 youth participants.

In March 2021, Canada, British Columbia and the First Nations Summit co-hosted a tripartite negotiators' session on the Recognition and Reconciliation of Rights Policy for Treaty Negotiations in British Columbia. It was the first time that federal, provincial, and First Nations negotiators from across British Columbia came together to share experiences and challenges regarding the implementation of the Policy, which aligns with the department's efforts to advance results-based innovation.

Key risks

The department continued to carry out its mandate in a highly-complex and rapidly-changing environment, characterized by many important inter-dependencies. The exploration and implementation of new, varied and co-developed approaches to self-determination required new ways of working, including new partnerships, new competencies and new processes. A common and aligned policy direction that allowed for a cohesive and mutually-supportive approach to be taken across federal, provincial and territorial partners was critical. As the direction and its implementation are complex, and various perspectives were at play, there were risks associated with the department's ability to establish alignment around its vision, strategic directions and approaches.

While CIRNAC is driving a lot of the strategic change in relation to Indigenous rights and reconciliation, many other federal departments had important parts to play. The ability of the department and its federal/provincial/territorial partners to advance on the negotiation and implementation of new and different agreements remained critical to the establishment of effective and sustainable nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government relationships. The department remained committed to managing these risks and to further address the underlying factors, such as systemic racism and colonialism. These risks were managed by a range of whole-of-government efforts, including governance structures, Cabinet committees and relationship-building mechanisms. At the departmental level, CIRNAC has implemented and periodically reviews risk management strategies. Ongoing risk oversight is performed to monitor progress made on risk mitigation plans and ensure risks are effectively managed to allow the department to carry out its mandate.

All activities and initiatives undertaken in this work are informed by the application of a comprehensive GBA Plus lens to ensure that the efforts towards breaking down barriers and creating sustainable and systemic change include Indigenous perspectives.

Results achieved

The following tables show, for Crown-Indigenous Relations, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2021–22, and the actual results for the 3 most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Financial, human resources and performance information for CIRNAC's program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for Crown-Indigenous Relations, budgetary spending for 2021–22, as well as actual spending for that year.

In 2021–22, the department spent $51.7 million more than the original planned spending as incremental funding was received for key initiatives, including:

• Funding to settle Indigenous childhood class actions including McLean, Sixties Scoop and Gottfriedson (+$1.1 billion)
• Funding for advancing reconciliation by settling specific claims (+$412.2 million)
• Funding for Indigenous Infrastructure Project (+$227.1 million)

The increase was nearly completely offset by the deferral of funds for targeted initiatives, specifically, funding related to the negotiation and resolution of land claims, specific claims, and the outcome of litigation that depend on factors outside of the department's control:

• Funding for advancing reconciliation by settling specific claims (-$1,197 million)
• Funding to settle Indigenous childhood class action including Mclean, Sixties Scoop and Gottfriedson (-$802.1 million)

This funding was reprofiled in the 2022–23 fiscal year through the Main Estimates and the Supplementary Estimates to be aligned with the number of claims received and the payment timelines.

Financial, human resources and performance information for CIRNAC's program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility for 2021–22.

Financial, human resources and performance information for CIRNAC's program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Description

This core responsibility involves support to Canada's Arctic and northern organizations, individuals, communities and governments in the pursuit of a strong, inclusive, vibrant, prosperous and self-sufficient North, the vision of Canada's Arctic and Northern Policy Framework. This includes federal coordination, science leadership, natural resource and environmental management, effective delivery of federal programming, and territorial relations.

Results

CIRNAC, along with Indigenous Services Canada, is the lead federal department responsible for supporting Canada's Indigenous and northern peoples in the pursuit of healthy and sustainable communities, and broader scientific and social development objectives. In 2021–22, the department continued to collaborate with partners in the spirit of reconciliation to help build a strong, vibrant, and prosperous North.

The department also continued to address discrimination and racism by promoting a diverse workforce, integrating GBA Plus considerations into policy proposals and programming, and through the many co-implementation fora the organization participates in with First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners. In 2021–22, Northern Affairs focused on 3 departmental results.

Departmental result 4: Political, economic and social development in Canada's Arctic and North are advanced

Canada recognizes the need for federal leadership and collaboration with partners in the Arctic and North to assist in the development of northern-led solutions to northern challenges and ensure regional needs and priorities are addressed at the local level. The department's 2021–22 results are outlined below.

Canada's Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (ANPF), which was co-developed with Indigenous, territorial and provincial partners, will guide federal policy in the region until 2030 and beyond. The 2021 Framework Leadership Committee meeting was held in December 2021, chaired by the Minister of Northern Affairs and attended by Indigenous, territorial and provincial political leaders representing Framework partners. Discussions were held on the establishment of regional ANPF governance structures and provided partners with the opportunity to share their priorities in advance of federal budgets. Discussions on the establishment of regional governance mechanisms were also held with partners on the purpose of these mechanisms (broadly, to enable the integration of partner priorities into the federal budgetary cycle), and to suggest using existing mechanisms, such as the Northwest Territories Council of Leaders.

Housing is essential to support healthy families and communities in the North and throughout Canada. Through continued investment and ongoing work with territorial and Indigenous partners, the Government of Canada is working to ensure that all Northerners have access to sustainable, affordable and safe housing, and to support the health and welfare of Northerners using made-in-the-North solutions. Furthermore, through committees established in 2021 for Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, the Government of Canada continued to advance solutions and recommendations to respond to critical housing and infrastructure needs.

The Government of Canada, the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. continued to work together and made progress in negotiating the Nunavut Lands and Resources Devolution Final Agreement. The final step will be the completion of section 35 consultations on the Constitution Act, 1982. It is anticipated that the Final Agreement will be signed by the parties and the Minister of Northern Affairs by Fall 2022.

At the May 2021 Arctic Council Ministerial meeting, 4 Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) co-led projects and reports, and 7 Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) reports were delivered to Arctic Council Ministers on key topics of sustainable development, climate change, health, contaminants, and plastic pollution. Canada continued to demonstrate circumpolar leadership on these issues at the SDWG and AMAP in collaboration with Indigenous partners and territorial governments, until the pause of Arctic Council activities in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Moreover, the independent Task Force on Post-Secondary Education in the North submitted its final report, A Shared Responsibility: Northern Voices, Northern Solutions — Report of the Task Force on Northern Post-Secondary Education, to the Minister of Northern Affairs in March 2022. The department also continued to support Northerners through investments in northern post-secondary education, such as Aurora College's transformation into a polytechnic university ($8 million), the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning ($12.9 million), as well as the construction of Yukon University's science building ($26 million).

In March 2022, the construction of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station campus was also completed. Situated in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, this innovative facility can support a wide range of research needs, where Indigenous Knowledge is recognized as fundamentally important to the co-creation of new knowledge.

Departmental result 5: Northern and Indigenous communities are resilient to changing environments

Canada's North and its residents are exposed to the impacts of changing environments due to a number of factors, including rapid climate change, remoteness and inaccessibility, cold climate, aging and inefficient infrastructure, and flooding. CIRNAC is working to ensure that Indigenous and northern communities are resilient to these changing environments, including providing access to safe and affordable housing and infrastructure, which in turn will allow them to respond better to these challenges in the future. Many remote Indigenous and northern communities still rely on imported diesel fuel for heat and electricity; however, as continued reliance on fossil fuels is resulting in negative environmental, social and health-related impacts, many communities are now pursuing cleaner and more sustainable sources of energy. Investments in wind, hydro and solar energy is a vital opportunity for ensuring clean growth while generating skilled jobs and advancing Indigenous self-determination. The department's 2021–22 results are outlined below.

In support of the Strengthened Climate Plan (SCP), CIRNAC worked with Natural Resources Canada and Indigenous Services Canada to streamline community access to federal clean energy programs and to plan for northern clean energy transformation. In 2021–22, through the SCP, the Northern Responsible Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity (REACHE) program received additional funding. The program invested in 46 community renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, as well as in related capacity building initiatives across the territories and Inuit Nunangat. These projects resulted in estimated diesel reductions of over 600,000 litres in 2021–22, with a cumulative total reduction of 1.8 million litres since 2016. The department is on track to exceed the March 2023 target of 2 million litres of diesel reduced. In addition, the program received funding for planning and feasibility for hydroelectricity projects in the North. In 2021–22, 2 projects were funded in Nunavut : the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link Project and the Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Project.

This past year, through the Climate Change Preparedness in the North, First Nation Adapt, and Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring programs, CIRNAC supported the priorities and projects of Indigenous and northern partners to better understand and respond to the challenges of climate change, as well as build capacity and resilience while promoting skills development. These projects provided support in areas such as: identification, prioritization and costing of climate change adaptation options, hazard identification with a focus on flood plain mapping, implementation of adaptation measures, and community-based climate monitoring. In 2021–22, the department funded:

• 122 projects across the North with Indigenous and northern communities, territorial governments, and regional governments that supported them in completing climate change vulnerability and risk assessments, hazard maps, and adaptation plans, including prioritizing exercises, and in implementing adaptation measures to make communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
• 59 community-led projects that supported First Nations in assessing climate change impacts through risk and adaptation assessment projects, flood plain mapping and drainage assessments. The funding also enabled First Nations to participate in regional watershed management initiatives.
• 58 self-determined, Indigenous-led projects that apply Indigenous knowledge systems and science to track climate and the impacts of climate change.
• capacity building initiatives in national Indigenous organizations and their regional affiliates that supported them in engaging on climate policy issues.

The Nutrition North Canada (NNC) program maintained increased subsidy rates introduced at the beginning of the pandemic for all eligible communities and maintained its expanded list of eligible items being subsidized. Also, 5 new Northwest Territories communities became eligible for the retail subsidy during their seasonal periods of isolation. Budget 2021 provided $163.4 million over 3 years, starting in 2021–22, to expand and enhance NNC program and to enable CIRNAC to work directly with Indigenous partners, including in Inuit Nunangat, to address food insecurity. In February 2022, NNC's program expansions were approved and will impact the Harvesters Support Grant (HSG), the retail subsidy program, the introduction of a new Community Food Programs Fund and the Food Security Research Grant. The implementation phase related to the various NNC expansions began in the past year and will continue to progress.

In 2021–22, NNC engaged with Indigenous partners and completed the co-development process for the program's enhancements. These improvements included expanding the HSG and the retail subsidy, launching a research component, and expanding the program mandate to formally address food insecurity as a core objective. The enhancements also align with recommendations from the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs and the Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy to support the totality of northern food systems.

Further, the co-development of program indicators was postponed as COVID-19 health measures restricted travel to and from communities. However, engagements with NNC's Advisory Board, Indigenous Working Group and Inuit-Crown Food Security Working Group remain on-going to inform program improvements.

Departmental result 6: Northern lands and resources are sustainably managed

Many remote Indigenous and northern communities are facing environmental and socio-economic challenges associated with environmental and economic changes. Dealing with these challenges requires increasing participation of Indigenous partners and Northerners in resource management policies and decisions, and strengthening nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government relationships with Indigenous Peoples based on affirmation of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership. The North has a number of contaminated sites, abandoned by previous businesses and operations, that include legacy contamination, primarily from private sector mining, oil and gas activities, as well as Government military activities. The department's 2021–22 results are outlined below.

The department continued to manage contaminated sites in the 3 territories, ensuring the ongoing protection of health and safety for Indigenous Peoples and Northerners located within proximity to these sites. CIRNAC continued remediation work on 12 sites while also monitoring 39 sites that had been previously remediated. The department also undertook care, maintenance and remediation planning activities on the 8 projects funded through the Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program.

The department's 2 largest sites, the Faro Mine in Yukon and the Giant Mine in the Northwest Territories, achieved the following milestones in 2021–22:

• Faro Mine: completed the competitive process for a main construction manager, a care and maintenance contractor, and 3 new contracts for remediation design, environmental monitoring, and regulatory process. The project was also transferred to a delivery model with Public Service and Procurement Canada to advance the remediation design.
• Giant Mine: began the early remediation work. The department also completed the project's final remediation design and cost estimates, and updated the site management and monitoring plans in consultation with Indigenous rights holders, partners, and other stakeholders.

In addition, the department continued to pursue the re-commercialization of abandoned mine sites, which included the completion of an arrangement with the Government of the Northwest Territories on the competitive selection process for the Cantung and Mactung properties in the Northwest Territories. This resulted in Canada receiving additional security measures for Cantung Mine, and a successful sale of the Mactung property.  

To support environmental decision making, CIRNAC funded 25 Indigenous and northern groups to participate in 5 major project impact assessments in the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, of which 4 were newly added in 2021–22. The Northern Participant Funding Program funded 4 Indigenous impact assessment capacity building projects focused on the theme of Traditional Knowledge and Community Planning. An extensive engagement program, comprised of 12 sessions and involving 39 groups, and ongoing exchanges with recipients and other partners provided valuable direction for the program as it moves towards renewal.

CIRNAC also supported Northerners and scientists in the monitoring and research of contaminants in the environment, traditional foods and people, through funding support for 67 projects (21 of which were plastic pollution related) throughout Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, the Yukon, across Canada and internationally. The Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) projects were largely successful in their sample collections and continued to measure contaminants in air, seawater, and key species of importance to Northerners (caribou, ringed seals, beluga, polar bears, burbot, Arctic char and lake trout). These projects support the maintenance of long-term contaminant measurement datasets that are critical to Canada's obligations under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Minamata Convention on Mercury. In addition, CIRNAC hosted the first virtual NCP Results Workshop, held in October 2021, engaging 258 participants. The workshop shared the latest results in relation to contaminants of concern to Northerners, and provided an opportunity for networking amongst Northerners, scientists and government officials, which is critical to co-development of future research and related activities under the NCP.

Further, the department continued to lead and coordinate Canada's engagement in the Arctic Council's Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) on issues of chemical and plastic pollution, health, and climate change, and took on the role of AMAP Vice-Chair in 2021–22. As mentioned, the NCP funded 21 new and ongoing projects related to plastic pollution monitoring and research. These projects will continue to establish baseline trends in the Arctic and North across 10 environmental compartments (freshwater fish, marine fish, seabirds, air, snow, ice, fresh water, seawater, sediments and mammals) as part of implementing Canada's Plastics Science Agenda under the final year of the Towards Zero Plastic Waste in Canada initiative . Efforts to develop a research and monitoring strategy for plastics and microplastics in the North were focused on the collaborative pan-Arctic initiatives under the Arctic Council.

Gender-based analysis Plus (GBA Plus)

In 2021–22, CIRNAC engaged directly with the NNC Indigenous Working Group and the Inuit-Crown Food Security Working Group to ensure GBA Plus was included in program planning. In addition, CIRNAC maintained NNC's increased subsidy rates introduced at the beginning of the pandemic for all eligible communities and maintained the expanded list of eligible items being subsidized. The list was expanded after it was determined that women, especially single mothers and Indigenous women (who are disproportionately affected by food insecurity), are key beneficiaries.

NNC's Harvesters Support Grant (HSG) increases access to country foods by supporting traditional hunting, harvesting and food sharing in 108 eligible isolated communities. Grant agreements enable the collection of key data to help improve the NNC program. While this data does not reflect how many new hunters identified as women or 2SLGBTQQIA+, in the future, CIRNAC will co-develop indicators with HSG recipients to better capture the intersectional nature of food insecurity.

Finally, in 2021–22, the Northern Participant Funding Program began collecting information on what steps Indigenous governments and organizations, as well as Northerners who received funding under the program included GBA Plus and intersectional considerations in impact assessments in the North.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a key federal government commitment of the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (ANPF). In 2021–22, the ANPF goals and objectives continued to guide the Government of Canada's implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDG) in the Arctic and the North. CIRNAC, in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada, supported the Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy by contributing to the Federal Implementation Plan. This plan builds on existing federal efforts to advance the 2030 Agenda. CIRNAC also contributed to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) by identifying commitments and milestones that support the implementation of the SDGs. These include:

• contributions to ending poverty and hunger
• improving health and well-being
• addressing injustices,
• advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
• providing quality education
• improving access to clean and affordable energy
• supporting sustainable practices 
• empowering effective climate action

Moreover, NNC continued to align its program updates with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda goals, supporting Canada's Healthy Eating Strategy, as well as the goals for Sustainable Food, Safe and Healthy Communities, and Connecting Canadians with Nature as part of the FSDS. NNC contributed to Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Goal 3 (Good Health and Well Being) of the United Nations by increasing subsidy rates and the list of eligible items, improving the availability of healthy and culturally-appropriate foods. The program also ensured that all HSG recipients received timely funding, and expanded its mandate to formally address food insecurity in the North.

Result-based innovation

The Northern Participant Funding Program has attempted to use a results-based innovation approach, primarily through pre-and post-testing, since 2019–20, with some success. However, due to the demands of program renewal, staffing changes and operational pressures related to the pandemic, the program has lacked the capacity and resources to engage in any meaningful or well-structured results-based innovation. The program changed one performance metric to better assess results based on innovation, and introduced a new GBA Plus performance indicator as a trial.

Key risks

The department was exposed to risks in the context of the changing climate in the North and Arctic, and with regard to the work to ensure the North and Arctic remain critical to Canada's economic prosperity and environmental well-being. To address these priorities, CIRNAC led a number of governmental and inter-governmental strategies to foster political, economic and social development in the North, as well as environmental resilience. Canada's ANPF aims to set the foundation for policy directions in the North through to 2030 and beyond. This multi-dimensional agenda requires a large number of players to work together to achieve common objectives. The number and complexities of the stakeholders – including other federal departments, provinces and territories, and Indigenous partners – exposed the department to risks associated with aligning and navigating differences of perspectives, agendas and capacities. Although governance is being established to help with this alignment, the arrangements are in their early stages of development. These matters, along with policy imperatives related to economic development, food security, environmental protection and clean energy (to name a few), all require multi-dimensional, collaborative policy solutions to protect and advance Canadian and Indigenous interests in the North. This risk was managed by a range of government-wide efforts, including internal and external governance structures and relationship-building mechanisms aimed to enhance trust, alignment and coordination, as well as specific collaborations with provinces and territories on key matters (e.g. Ad Hoc Committee of Deputy Ministers on the Arctic and its supporting committees, the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, and the Arctic and Northern Policy Framework).

The department also remained exposed to risks stemming from environmental and climate change. Changing and extreme climatic conditions and events are having serious effects on the communities served by the department, particularly in the North. Important advancements were made to address long-standing environmental liabilities, such as the implementation of the ANPF and the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean and Climate Change. The department remained committed to better manage this risk by conducting and supporting vulnerability assessments, and working with Natural Resources Canada and Indigenous Services Canada to support implementation of mitigation measures, with a view to strengthening environmental resilience with regard to climate change.

COVID-19 has been a barrier for implementation across many projects in Canada's Arctic and North. Given the imperative of co-implementing the ANPF with partners, the pace at which ANPF goals and objectives are able to be addressed is difficult to predict and may not be able to be achieved as anticipated. There is more work to do as departments and partners emerge from the pandemic, but all remain focused on implementing ANPF goals and objectives.

Results achieved

The following tables show, for Northern Affairs, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2021–22, and the actual results for the 3 most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

Financial, human resources and performance information for CIRNAC's program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for Northern Affairs, budgetary spending for 2021–22, as well as actual spending for that year.

In 2021–22, the department spent $57.3 million more than the original planned spending as incremental funding was received for key initiatives including:

• Responding to housing and infrastructure needs of the governments of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories (+$50 million)
• A streamlined approach to transitioning Indigenous and remote communities to clean energy (+$44.2 million)
• Funding to increase the Nutrition North subsidy (+$20 million)

This increase is partially offset by the deferral of funds for the following initiatives:

• Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program (-$40.5 million)
• Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan: Phase IV (-$16.5 million)

Financial, human resources and performance information for CIRNAC's program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility for 2021–22.

Financial, human resources and performance information for CIRNAC's program inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Description

Internal services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support program delivery in the organization, regardless of the internal services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are:

• acquisition management services
• communication services
• financial management services
• human resources management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• legal services
• material management services
• management and oversight services
• real property management services

With regards to internal services functions, CIRNAC and Indigenous Services Canada have an internal service structure with a large number of shared services functions located in one or the other department. Therefore, the number of full-time equivalents for internal services is higher.

Results

In 2021–22, CIRNAC continued to support the commitment to increase Indigenous recruitment, development and retention. The department developed data to identify gaps and establish targets that include Indigenous hiring. CIRNAC also recruited Indigenous students through various Public Service Commission programs, and participated in interdepartmental working groups that focus on Indigenous recruitment, including student outreach efforts.

The department's Indigenous ambassadors participated virtually in various public service career promotion events during 2021–22. Several of these events were exclusive to Indigenous people. As well, in accordance with the requirements of the Indigenous Cultural Competency Learning Policy, departmental managers and employees were encouraged to complete a minimum of 15 hours of Indigenous cultural competency learning per year in order to provide Indigenous employees with a more secure work environment where they feel respected, are valued members of the department, and thrive in their careers.

Other activities included monitoring exercises to ensure that CIRNAC's appointments respect the principles and core values of staffing and to identify any corrective options. Managers now have more flexibility to make Indigenous hires due to the CIRNAC's Indigenous Retention and Staffing Policy.

In 2021–22, the department created the CIRNAC/Indigenous Services Canada Accessibility and Persons with Disabilities Employee Network, where employees with disabilities can participate in the development of the accessibility plan, in accordance with the Accessible Canada Act. The network met to develop an action plan, which reflects initiatives to improve accessibility based on the 5 goals of the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada. CIRNAC appointed employee and management champions for diversity and inclusion, and for persons with disabilities.

The department has reduced 90% of its backlog pay cases and continues to work on improving its timeliness. CIRNAC is also contributing to the experimentation and testing of new pay solutions.

The department continued to implement the 2021 to 2024 CIRNAC Workplace Well-being & Mental Health Strategy that was developed to increase psychological safety, reduce the prevalence of psychological risk and put in place support programs and resources for employees. The strategy goals, activities and actions plans were developed using Public Service Employee Survey results of 2020, consultations, the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and the 13 psychosocial risk factors.

Following the coming into force of the Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (harassment and violence) on January 1, 2021, CIRNAC completed a workplace risk assessment and is currently implementing preventative measures to reduce and eliminate the risks of workplace harassment and violence.

CIRNAC continued to optimize the use of innovative digital solutions to maximize service availability, efficiency, security, and consistency. Effective digital services are important given the unique challenges that exist across remote locations in Canada, including the North. CIRNAC continued to modernize its existing information management /information technology (IM/IT) solutions, identify and mitigate risk, and strengthen its ability to deliver on its commitments. In addition, the department continued to provide employees with the tools and technology they need to do their jobs effectively in a hybrid working environment. This includes further implementation and upgrades to secure remote connectivity tools, network upgrades, and implementation of Government of Canada Secret Infrastructure (GCSI). New collaboration technologies such as MS Teams have been further enhanced in support in of videoconferencing and direct messaging.

CIRNAC is advancing the modernization of the security and emergency management program, and is augmenting security awareness given the implications of COVID-19, a hybrid work model and a shift into a modernized work space on the workplace.

Divestment has been at the forefront of real property management activities during 2021–22 with a focus on preparing Nunavut properties for devolution to the territorial government, assisting with the transfer of the CHARS campus infrastructures over to Polar Knowledge Canada, and assisting sectors in their real property transfers to Indigenous communities for treaty and claim settlement purposes.

The implementation of the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business continued in 2021–22 by disclosing information on contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses (proactive disclosure) as per Appendix C of the Directive on the Management of Procurement, and by assessing if the department met the minimum target of 5% Indigenous procurement (Appendix E of the Directive). The participation of Indigenous people, businesses and communities in procurement initiatives and the associated benefits continued to be promoted in 2021–22 to ensure that procurement initiatives include opportunities to support the participation of Indigenous peoples.

Moreover, in 2021–22, CIRNAC began to implement a National Workspace Strategy and started to modernize its office space to support a flexible workforce, with access to modern, accessible and agile workspaces.

Finally, CIRNAC initiated a new Reconciliation Communications strategy to highlight the work being undertaken by the Government of Canada and partners to advance reconciliation together. The department also continued to inform Canadians about its ongoing work via a number of activities as well as digital and traditional media, including press conferences, news releases, videos, social media, web content, and virtual events.

Budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows, for internal services, budgetary spending for 2021–22, as well as spending for that year.

Most of the net difference between planned spending and actual spending can be explained by incremental costs in information technology services ($20.3 million).

Human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows, in full‑time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to carry out its internal services for 2021–22.

Spending 2019–20 to 2024–25

The following graph presents planned (voted and statutory spending) over time.

Note: Due to rounding, figures may not add to totals shown.

Text alternative for the Departmental spending trend graph

This stacked bar graph depicts voted and statutory actual spending from 2019 to 2022 and planned spending from 2022 to 2025:

• In 2019–20, total actual spending was $6,237 million. Of this amount, $6,146 million is voted spending and $91 million is statutory spending.
• In 2020–21, total actual spending was $5,391 million. Of this amount, $5,228 million is voted spending and $163 million is statutory spending.
• In 2021–22, total actual spending was $4,832 million. Of this amount, $4,798 million is voted spending and $34 million is statutory spending.
• In 2022–23, total planned spending is $5,808 million. Of this amount, $5,777 million is voted spending and $31 million is statutory spending.
• In 2023–24, total planned spending is $2,983 million. Of this amount, $2,952 million is voted spending and $31 million is statutory spending.
• In 2024–25, total planned spending is $2,676 million. Of this amount, $2,645 million is voted spending and $31 million is statutory spending.

Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The "Budgetary performance summary for core responsibilities and internal services" tablepresents the budgetary financial resources allocated for CIRNAC's core responsibilities and for internal services.

The $2.4 billion difference between the 2021–22 planned spending of $4.7 billion and the $7.1 billion in authorities available for use primarily reflects incremental new or reprofiled funding received for:

• the Federal Indian Day Schools Settlement Agreement (McLean) (+$611.7M)
• Advancing Reconciliation by Settling Specific Claims (+$412.2M)
• the Sixties Scoop settlement (+$256.6M)
• Indigenous Infrastructure Projects (+$231.4M)
• the partial settlement of Gottfriedson (Indian Residential Day Scholars) litigation (+$212.2M)
• the Métis Nation Housing Strategy, years 4 to 10 of a 10-year Budget 2018 Investment (+$51.1M)
• Responding to Housing and Infrastructure Needs of the Governments of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories (+$50M)

The $1.7 billion difference between the 2021–22 actual spending of $5.4 billion and the $7.1 billion in authorities available for use primarily reflects the deferral of funds to future years for the specific claims settlements (-$1.2 billion).

2021–22 Budgetary actual gross spending summary (dollars)

The following table reconciles gross planned spending with net spending for 2021–22.

Note: Due to rounding, figures may not add to totals shown.

Human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Financial statements

CIRNAC's financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2022 , are available on the departmental website.

Financial statement highlights

Expenses

Total expenses were $14,248 million in 2021–22. The main expenses include transfer payments for a total of $7,749 million (54%), of which $4,904 million related to the provision for contingent liabilities and $2,031 million related to payments to First Nations. Operating expenses represent a total of $6,499 million (46%), of which $2,310 million related to provision for environmental liabilities, $2,231 million related to the provision for contingent liabilities, and $1,392 million related to payments for court awards and other settlements. 

Revenues

The revenues of 2021–22 were $31 million, which are mostly related to the provision of shared internal services to Indigenous Services Canada.

Significant changes

The $5,610 million year-over-year increase in actual expenditures is mainly due to increases in the provisions for environmental liabilities ($2,503 million) and contingent liabilities ($3,671 million). This was offset by a decrease of $919 million in transfer payments to First Nations as there were more high dollar value specific claims settlement payments issued in the previous year.

Planned expenses are based on the 2021–22 Main Estimates, adjusted for anticipated accrued expenses. The $11,332 million variance between 2021–22 actual and planned expenses can be attributed in part to additional spending authorized through the 2021–22 Supplementary Estimates process, and in part to significant adjustments to provisions for contingent liabilities and environmental liabilities according to the pace of claims negotiations and assessments of contaminated sites remediation costs.

Liabilities

Total net liabilities were $40,071 million at the end of 2021–22. The provision for contingent liabilities associated with claims and litigation represents the largest portion of liabilities at $30,587 million (76%). Other significant liabilities include environmental liabilities of $6,307 million (16%) and account payable and accrued liabilities of $3,114 million (8%).

Assets

Total net financial assets at the end of 2021–22 were $609 million and included the amount due from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of $585 million (98%).

Total non-financial assets include tangible capital assets of $178 million and land held for future claims settlements of $39 million.

Significant changes

The change in liabilities of $8,617 million is primarily due to increases in contingent liabilities of $6,619 million and in environmental liabilities of $2,237 million, partially offset by a decrease of $244 million in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.

Core responsibility: Crown-Indigenous Relations

Support Indigenous organizations, individuals, communities and governments in achieving reconciliation and advancing self-determination through strengthening Crown-Indigenous relationships based on respect, cooperation, partnership, the affirmation and implementation of Indigenous rights, and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Activities include negotiating and implementing treaties, self-government agreements and specific claims, consulting and engaging on issues of importance to Indigenous Peoples, providing legislative and institutional frameworks for First Nations' jurisdiction over local taxation, land and financial management and addressing historic grievances.

Core responsibility: Northern Affairs

Support Canada's Arctic and northern organizations, individuals, communities and governments in the pursuit of a strong, inclusive, vibrant, prosperous and self-sufficient North, the vision of Canada's Arctic and Northern Policy Framework. This includes federal coordination, science leadership, natural resource and environmental management, effective delivery of federal programming, and territorial relations.