House of Commons Standing on Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) - First Session of the 35th Parliament (2025)

The Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) reviews, examines and reports on issues affecting First Nations, Inuit, Métis peoples and northerners. 

Monday, June 30th, 2023

By Joshua Brass Fraser, Indigenous Politics (@IndigPoli)

In the House of Commons Standing Committees, members (MPs) are selected based on their experience and interest in specific areas. While Ministers typically do not participate, their Parliamentary Secretaries are involved. Generally, opposition parties assign their shadow ministers/critics to relevant committees.

In the Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) Committee, MPs without specific portfolio assignments may participate due to their background in Indigenous communities or having a significant number of Indigenous constituents in their districts. This diversity enriches the committee's discussions.

The New Democratic Party (NDP), with only seven elected MPs, lacks official party status, limiting their committee participation. Membership on committees is valuable as each member wields voting power and can influence legislation by expediting or delaying it, as well as summoning witnesses for insights, facts and experience on the file, bill or subject the committee is discussing or reviewing.

In the 35th Parliament's first session, the INAN Committee comprises 5 Liberal MPs, 4 Conservative MPs, and 1 Bloc Québécois MP. BQ MP Sébastien Lemire's role is pivotal, potentially influencing decisions within the committee.

Understanding the background and composition of the INAN Committee members provides insight into the diverse perspectives shaping discussions and decisions within the committee.

Below, I break down the background information of INAN Committee members: 

STANDING COMMITTEE ON INDIGENOUS AND NORTHERN AFFAIRS (INAN)

 

Liberal Committee Members

Committee Chair Terry Sheehan, MP for Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma has 12.9% Indigenous voters in its electoral district.

Member: Mi'kmaq MP Jaime Battiste is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services with 10.9% Indigenous voters in Cape Breton-Canso-Antigonish, NS. 

 

Member: Phillip Earle has 42% Indigenous voters in his Labrador, NFLD electoral district.

Member: Brendan Hanley is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs. He is the MP for Yukon, which has 22.1% Indigenous voters.   

 

Member: Ginette Lavack is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Services, where 17% of the voters are Indigenous in her St. Boniface-St.Vital, MB electoral district. 

 

Conservative Committee Members

Committee Vice-Chair: MP Jamie Schmale is Shadow Minister for Crown-Indigenous Relations; he represents Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes, ON. The Indigenous voting population for this riding is 2.7%.

 

Member: MP Eric Meillo is the Conservative MP for Kenora-Kiiwetinoong, ON which has 40.4% Indigenous voters in his electoral district. He is also the CPC Shadow Minister for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario. 

 

Member: Former Enoch Chief MP Billy Morin, and is Conservative MP for Edmonton Northwest, AB, and is the Shadow Minister for Indigenous Services. Edmonton Northwest has 5.6% Indigenous voters in the electoral district. 

 

Member: MP Bob Zimmer is the CPC Shadow Minister for Arctic Affairs & Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. Zimmer is the MP for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, BC. Their is 15% Indigenous voters in electoral district.

 

*Shadow Minister is a term often used by the Official Opposition in place of Critic.

 

Bloc Québécois Committee Member

Committee Vice-Chair Sébastien Lemire is the Bloc Québécois MP for Abitibi—Témiscamingue which has an Indigenous voter population of 15%. Lemire is Bloc Québécois Spokesperson (aka Critic) for Indigenous Relations and Northern Development.

 

GENERAL INFO - https://www.ourcommons.ca/committees/en/INAN

MEETINGS - https://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/INAN/Meetings

 

Why do I always put the Indigenous population of each MP’s riding? As representatives, MPs must consider the diverse makeup of their constituents to ensure inclusive decision-making. Highlighting the number of Indigenous voters in each MP's riding serves as a crucial reminder for them to prioritize the needs of all community members, including Indigenous constituents. This practice encourages accountability and fosters a more inclusive approach to governance.

Note: The information on the Indigenous population in each riding (electoral district) comes from the 2021 Census, transposed on the 2023 electoral district redistribution process. (Source: StatsCan and Elections Canada, 2025)

#INAN #StandingCommitteeonIndigenousandNorthernAffairs #HouseofCommons

#indigpoli #indigmps #firstnation #metis #inuit #35thparl #indigpoli #indigenous

X/Twitter | Facebook | Email @indigpoli 

 

Members

CHAIR

Terry SheehanLiberal

 

VICE-CHAIRS

Jamie SchmaleConservative Sébastien LemireBloc Québécois

MEMBERS

Jaime BattisteLiberal Philip EarleLiberal Brendan HanleyLiberal Ginette LavackLiberalEric MelilloConservative Billy MorinConservative Bob ZimmerConservative

12 Indigenous Members of Parliament (MPs) Elected in April 2025 to the 45th Parliament

12 Indigenous Members of Parliament (MPs) Elected or Re-Elected in 2025, on April 28th, 2025, as a result of the 45th General Election. 

June 10, 2025 (ongoing)

In the 2025 Election, Indigenous candidates secured 40 positions, a decrease from previous elections. Despite this drop, this election showcased the largest cohort of Indigenous candidates, with First Nation, Métis, and Inuit individuals either newly elected or re-elected. With 338 seats in the House of Commons, the 12 chosen Indigenous MPs now hold 3.6% of the total seats, marking a historic high for simultaneous Indigenous MP representation.

Efforts are underway to boost the social media presence of these Indigenous Ministers and MPs. Most MPs actively engage on two to five social media platforms, notably (X/Twitter) and Facebook, with some also utilizing Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. By sharing their public profiles, we aim to shed light on their legislative work and parliamentary contributions. Furthermore, we highlight the electoral districts (ridings) these representatives hail from, providing insights into the diverse communities they serve. Rural and northern ridings often encompass multiple First Nations communities, while urban areas in western Canada may feature a mosaic of Indigenous populations within specific electoral boundaries.

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X(TWITTER) | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

RIDING MAP & COMMUNITIES

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TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

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*MINISTER ATLY ISN'T INDIGENOUS, BUT WAS ADDED 

BECAUSE OF HER IMPORTANT ROLE AFFECTING FNMI.

X(TWITTER) | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

RIDING MAP & COMMUNITIES

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X(TWITTER) | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

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X(TWITTER) | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

RIDING MAP & COMMUNITIES

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X(TWITTER) | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

RIDING MAP & COMMUNITIES

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X(TWITTER) | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

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X(TWITTER) | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

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X(TWITTER) | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

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X(TWITTER) | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

RIDING MAP & COMMUNITIES

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SOURCE: https://tinyurl.com/CBCIndigMPAritcle (April 29, 2025)

and self-identification in Parliamentary Discussion in OpenParliament.ca 

Power of the Indigenous Vote in 2025

POWER OF THE INDIGENOUS VOTE IN 2025

This is a temporary preview of the Power of the Indigenous Vote Document. 

Update coming soon (posted June 14, 2024) 

BATTLE FOR THE NORTH: Political Parties Duke it out to Represent the massive Northern Canadian Ridings

 

April 26, 2024

Are you ready for the Battle of the North? I am not talking about Game of Thrones, it's Canada's northern ridings, and different banners are vying to represent them. 

Do you ever look at a political map after an election, or maps designed by pollsters/aggregators to show what Canada could look like after the 45th (2025) Canadian General Election? 

As you look to the territories and northern ridings in the provinces, large chunks are represented by the Liberals, NDP and Conservative Party for the most part. Just looking at the map, you might think these parties have won a ton of ridings.

Then you find out that many of these large chunks are individual ridings. Particularly in Nunavut, NWT, Yukon, Quebec, Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as Labrador.  British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario have a few more northern ridings, but they are pretty large too. Some northern ridings are larger than European countries.

Another common feature in these northern ridings is that they have large Indigenous populations. Take the Denethé-Missinippi-Churchill riding in northern Saskatchewan, it almost takes up half of the province. This will be an interesting battle as all three major parties have Indigenous candidates. The riding has no incumbent, so it will be one to watch on election night. They include Buckley Belanger for the Liberals, Jim Lemaigre for the Conservative Party and Doug Racine for the NDP. Before his federal run, Buckley Belanger was an Sask NDP MLA in his home province for quite a few terms before running federally for the Liberal Party in this riding. It appears, Buckley and Doug had a few federals and now federal races in the past. Doug Racine is a Red River Métis. he has a diverse background from serving in the military to creating a law firm with 5 other lawyers. Jim Lemaigre is another former Saskatchewan legislator; he was an MLA for the Saskatchewan Party. All experienced leaders and politicians, this will make for an interesting race.

Nunavut is similar, except that NDP MP Lori Idlout isthe incumbent. She is a strong performer in the House of Commons, a strong advocate for Indigenous people and Northerners. If we follow current polls, it will be a challenge to keep it orange. Nunavut is sometimes seen as a bellwether riding changing with the government. Lori won the riding in a by-election after Mumilaaq Qaqqaq stepped down in 2021. Before that, it was held by Liberal Hunter Tootoo, and before that, it was held by Conservative Leona Aglukkaq - both Cabinet Ministers in their respective governments. 

Another interesting race, the northern Manitoba riding Churchill-Keewatinook Aski, is the rematch between Indigenous candidate Rebecca Chartrand and longtime NDP candidate Niki Ashton, who has been the MP since 2008, but Pierre Poilievre has her beat by one term. It will be interesting to see if she gets any of the good energy created by NDP Wab Kinew's win and flipping the province to an NDP government. In a CBC article, it was noted that Premier Wab Kinew didn't endorse federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. 

In 2015, Ashton and Chartrand went head-to-head to win the riding; Niki Ashton beat Rebecca Chartrand by 912 votes. Poll aggregator 338Canada currently has the race as a toss-up between the LPC and NDP. If the NDP lose seats as widely predicted, will Ashton be a casualty? Rebecca has a solid background in working with Northerners and Indigenous people, which helps her connect with many Manitobans. She has a diverse Indigenous background, which includes Anishinaabe, Inninew, Dakota, and Métis, which is a reflection of the diversity of the riding. 

This will be an interesting race to watch! It once took roughly two weeks before they counted all the ballots, with reports of electoral stations running out of ballots. It can take a while to declare a winner, so we may not find out until the day after.

Notably, the famous First Nation leader, Elijah Harper won for the Liberals in 1993.

--- MORE TO COME ON THIS ARTICLE, THIS RACE AND OTHER INTERESTING NORTHERN BATTLES, I AM WATCHING CLOSELY ---

Who is the leader, who runs Indigenous Politics (IndigPoli)

Who is IndigPoli?

I, Joshua Brass Fraser, known as apiw asici kîwêtin ᐊᐱᐤ ᐊᓯᒋ ᑭᐁᐧᑎᐣ in Plains Cree, hail from a blend of Plains Cree, Anishinaabe, and Tsuut’ina heritage. Raised primarily in Calgary, Alberta, my educational journey began at the Plains Indians Cultural Survival School before pursuing my undergraduate studies at Mount Royal University. Let me tell you more... 
...Continued

My professional path led me through diverse roles, from government positions at Revenue Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development, and the City of Calgary to pivotal roles at Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY), Olympia Trust as a Registered Plans Administrator 

SHOWCASE OF MY WORK: 

At Husky Energy, I led efforts to enhance the support system for Indigenous employees. Collaborating with key stakeholders like the Chief Operating Officer, Human Resources, and Indigenous staff across departments, I chaired a committee dedicated to this cause for two years. Our monthly events aimed to engage and educate both Indigenous and non-Indigenous employees on Indigenous culture and perspectives. 

Partnering with similar corporations and their Indigenous employee organizations, including three Energy companies, we organized a significant event called 'One Shoe, One Moccasin. A Walk in Two Worlds – An Understanding of Aboriginal People in the Oil and Gas Industry.' This gathering brought together executive leaders, Indigenous representatives, and interested employees from each participating company. Our collective efforts fostered a more inclusive workplace environment and promoted cross-cultural understanding within the energy sector. 

During my tenure at Husky Energy, I dedicated time to pursuing my Degree in Marketing and Communication from the University of Calgary. Successfully completing my studies, my degree emphasized social and digital media. With over two decades of experience, I've dedicated my time to both volunteer work and diverse professional engagements. For the past decade, I've also delved into marketing, communications, research, analysis, and project management as a contractor. 

Additionally, I've lent my expertise to political campaigns, offering strategic guidance and planning support. Noteworthy is my engagement through the Indigenous Politics Blog and its social media extensions, fostering discussions on the Indigenous Vote's significance, Indigenous candidates across political spectrums, and broader dialogues on politics, governance, and leadership. 

BACK TO THE WEBSITE

Indigenous Politics: 2025 Federal Election Coverage #indigpoli

***COVERAGE WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN ON THIS ARTICLE WITH NUMBERS, AND OTHER INTERESTING RACES GOING ON ACROSS OUR TRADITIONAL TERRITORIES.

Indigenous Politics: 2025 Federal Election Coverage

(April 2024, Treaty 7 Territory) I do my best to cover every federal election from an Indigenous point of view. I am pleased to do my best to cover this short but lively election. Politicos always say this is the most important election. However, from my perspective, this is actually the most important election in a generation. Dealing with global turbulence brought on by the second term of President Donald Trump to issues at home from inflation, cost of living and housing, to the needs of First Nations and Indigenous people from Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast, many important matters impact our people. 

I am partisan in my own beliefs, but when it comes to party Leaders and party platforms, statements and policy announcements to looking at the ridings (electoral districts) that have the largest Indigenous populations, I try my best to cover it all. For now, I will cover known Indigenous candidates from each party, what the riding looks like in terms of an Indigenous (First Nation, Inuit & Métis) population and other related information in the 338 electoral districts. 

I will do my best to share more information about each Indigenous candidate, but it will take a while. Right now, I am keeping up with finding the candidates (with special thanks to all those individuals and organizations who provided tips). 

UPDATE April 14, 2025

There are 36 Indigenous Candidates for the 2025 Canada Federal Election. As the parties are working hard to fill their 338 slates, more Indigenous candidates may be out there. (Please let us know). Here is the breakdown:

The breakdown of 36 Indigenous candidates are:

• 13 LPC | 6 CPC | 14 NDP | 1 BLOC | 2 GPC
• 21 First Nations I 4 Inuit | 12 Métis
• 7 Incumbents (MPs running for re-election)

Feel free to share, and if you are a news agency or news organization, please acknowledge: Indigenous Politics (@indigpoli)

#indigcand2025 #indigenouscandidate #Indigpoli #cdnpoli

#canadaelection2025 #indigenous #Elxn45 #elxn2025

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Interview with CTV on our Indigenous Politics Blog and the 36 Indigenous Candidates that we have listed as of today. Interview: Monday, April 14, 2025.

By Joshua Fraser, Indigenous Politics (@IndigPoli) Founder and Blogger

I got an e-mail from CTV yesterday wanting to interview me on my blog, a producer saw my list on x/twitter and reached out to me with the request for an interview. So, I agreed to get up super early for a morning show segment.

I meant to start with "I am coming at you from Treaty 7 Territory", the traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina and Stoney-Nakoda Nations. But it was a short segment, and the journalist Jefferson went straight into the meat and potatoes of the interview, our IndigPoli Indigenous Candidates list.

RECAP - I discussed that we are now at 36 Indigenous Candidates for the 35th (2025) Federal Election. I let him know what the current stats are (below). He asked about the races I was watching. The are many interesting races across Canada that include Indigenous Candidates.

I chose to start with three Alberta candidates on top of my head, three candidates, all located in Treaty 6 territory, which included Conservative, Liberal and NDP candidates. I will do a deep dive and talk about the potential path to victory.

Then, I will then quickly talk about the other ridings and candidates I mentioned as well.

I will do a deep dive that I wasn't able to provide on the news segment.

• Former Enoch Chief Billy Morin running in Edmonton Northwest. Edmonton Northwest was created as a result of the 2023 redistribution, the results from the ridings from the last election were transposed into this newly recreated Edmonton Northwest electoral district. As a result, the Conservatives would take 19,045 votes or 43.10% of the vote. The following party, the NDP, would have taken 12,215 votes or 27.63% of the votes. This means it would have been a Conservative win under the current riding distribution. I know this is technical, but I am attempting to share the path to victory for candidates. Like the 2025 Conservative candidate Billy Morin. Currently (today), 338Canada has the riding as a toss-up between the Conservatives and Liberals. (04/14/2025)

• The second Alberta candidate I talked about was Blake Desjarlais, who is the incumbent for the riding. He was the first two-spirit person elected to the House of Commons in the 2021 Federal Election for Edmonton Griestbach. Desjarlais is Cree-Métis from Firshing Lake Métis Settlement just east of Edmonton. He beat two-term Conservative MP Kerry Diotte by taking 40.5% of the vote in 2021. Smart Voting currently has the riding as a toss-up between the NDP and the Conservatives. Blake performed well in the House of Commons, his high profile and incumbency factor may help him maintain his seat.

• The third Alberta candidate I talked about was the NDP's Katherine Swampy, who is running in a small-town rural split riding of Leduc-Wetaskiwin. Swampy is a former band councillor of the Samson Cree First Nation, which is connected to Esminsken, Montana and Louis Bull First Nations. There are also several Métis people living near and around Pigeon Lake. The provincial riding of Maskwacis-Wetaskiwin, which covers a portion of the federal riding, has the Alberta NDP at 6,795 or 41.51% and winning the riding under the provincial redistribution process. If Katherine can get the Indigenous vote out, along with building a coalition of new voters like first-time voters and gen-z, she could win the riding, but it will be a more challenging attempt to change some hard C conservative voters over to federal NDP.

Out of Alberta, I talked about Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty, who is a Liberal star candidate. She is the first Grand Chief of the Grand Council of Crees, she resigned from this post to run in the Quebec riding of Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou. The riding includes several James Bay Cree First Nations, as well as up north, the Nunavik Inuit land claim region is an integral part of the riding. The total Indigenous population of the riding is 38%, based on the 2021 Census. In the past, the riding elected Cree First Nation NDP MP Romeo Saganash. Poll aggregator 338Canada has the riding as a toss-up between the LPC and BQ. For those who are into strategic voting, Smart Voting suggests electors vote for Mandy as well. 

Today there are 36 Indigenous Candidates, these are the individual people I feel comfortable putting on my list based on my research at this time. The breakdown of 36 Indigenous candidates are:

• 13 LPC | 6 CPC | 14 NDP | 1 BLOC | 2 GPC
• 21 First Nations I 4 Inuit | 12 Métis
• 7 Incumbents (MPs running for re-election)

Follow us on Socials, we will start profiling the Indigenous candidates on our list below and on our other social media:

• x/twitter 
• Facebook
• TikTok

                                  _________________________________________________________________

Indigenous Candidates - Federal Election 2025

Monday, April 14, 2025

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INDIGENOUS CANDIDATES

Here is a sample of the profiles, more to come of the Indigenous Candidates of our list that is updated regularly. 

WEBSITE

Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty was the first female Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) in the James Bay Region of Quebec. Her home community is Waswanipi. Chief Mandy has served her home community as well as the Grand Council of Cree in several roles. Before her roles with the Cree government, she was a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman. Mandy successfully pursued an educational path that included a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Sciences and another in Public Affairs and Policy Studies from Concordia’s School of Community and Public Affairs. 

She is running in the Northern Quebec riding of Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou which has several Cree communities, further north is the Inuit homeland of Nunavik where several towns and villages that Inuit people call home. NDP MP Romeo Saganash was the MP for the riding for two terms. 

WEBSITE

Former Chief Bill Morin was a Councillor and then Chief of the Enoch Cree Nation, he was the youngest Chief in the history of the Nation. He has several accomplishments through his terms on the Enoch Band Council including including his leadership in securing funding of 1.5 Billion for a Natural Gas Plant and creating the first urban reserve in Edmonton. He also worked in the Government in the City of Edmonton and the Province of Alberta. He is a graduate of the Civil Engineering Technology and Bachelor of Technology Management programs at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). He also holds an Honourary Bachelor of Business Administration degree from NAIT. 

He is running in the riding of Edmonton Northwest in the City of Edmonton, Alberta. According to the 2021 Census (Wikipedia), the Indigenous population in the riding is 5.5%. 

WEBSITE

Blake Desjarlais is Cree-Métis from Fishing Lake Metis Settlement in Alberta. He is the first Two-Spirit person ever elected to the House of Commons as per current information. Blake has served as the NDP’s Critic for Indigenous Housing, International Trade, Diversity & Inclusion, Youth, and Sport. He was part of the NDP’s negotiation team for the 2022-2024 Supply and Confidence Agreement between the NDP Opposition and the Liberal government. He is also the inaugural co-chair of the Canadian Pride Caucus, a multi-partisan group of 2SLGBTQIA+ MPs and Senators in Parliament. As a university student, Desjarlais was involved in student politics and served as firekeeper of the Native Student Union (NSU). When Desjarlais completed his studies, he was appointed the national director of the Métis Settlements General Council in 2016. 

Blake Desjarlais is the incumbent Member of Parliament for Edmonton Griesbach, he flipped the riding from Conservative to NDP taking 40.5% of the vote in 2021. 

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MORE INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS TO COME