History of the Chiefs of Ontario

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.