In March of 1975, at the First Annual All Ontario Chiefs Conference, a joint First Nations Association Coordinating Committee was formed, constituting an unincorporated federation of the four major Ontario First Nation organizations. The purpose of the committee was to provide a single Ontario representative to the Assembly of First Nations (then, the National Indian Brotherhood). From this committee emerged the Chiefs of Ontario office whose basic purpose is to enable the political leadership to discuss and to decide on regional, provincial and national priorities affecting First Nation people in Ontario and to provide a unified voice on these issues.
Former Ontario Regional Chiefs, from left to right: Grand Council Chief Pat Madahbee, Deputy Grand Chief Gord Peters, Angus Toulouse, Charles Fox, Chief Tom Bressette.
About the Logo
The circle and the map represents the continuity, strength and harmony of the First Nations peoples of Ontario; the five feathers signify the four political organizations of the Chiefs of Ontario; the fifth feather represents the independent nations and First Nation peoples living off reserve, First Nations who are not forgotten. The overall symbol represents the continuance of the First Nations peoples of Ontario struggle for pride, culture, self-determination and spirituality.
THE LATEST FROM CHIEFS OF ONTARIO
Media Releases
Call for Proposals: One-Time Mental Health & Addictions Funding
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Ontario Health and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, is launching a
Federal Indian Residential Schools Day Scholars Class Action Settlement – Important Information
The Claim Process for the Federal Indian Residential Schools Day Scholars settlement opened on January 4, 2022. The deadline to submit
Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare Offers Condolences to Families of Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, and Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, and Calls for Justice to Address Genocide against Indigenous Women across Canada
(Algonquin Unceded Territory, Ottawa, Ontario – December 8, 2022) Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare issued the following statement offering condolences to
Media Advisory: First Nations Leadership Urges Government of Ontario to Repeal Bill 23
(December 6, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario) On December 7, 2022, during the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly, First Nations