Welcome Letter: Minister of Indigenous Services Canada

On behalf of the National Indigenous Economic Development Board (NIEDB), I extend my heartfelt congratulations on your appointment as Minister of Indigenous Services Canada.

Your historic appointment as the first Indigenous person to lead ISC is a powerful milestone and signals a strong commitment to reconciliation and Indigenous leadership. Having heard of your many achievements, I am especially pleased to see your experience and insight brought to this important role.

The NIEDB is the only federally mandated Indigenous-led body focused on advancing economic policy for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. We provide strategic advice to the federal government, working across more than 20 departments to promote Indigenous prosperity and remove systemic barriers to participation in the economy.

Over the past year, we shared key recommendations with your predecessor, which we hope to continue advancing in collaboration with you. These include:

• National Indigenous Economic Strategy (NIES): Co-developed by the NIEDB and over 20 Indigenous organizations, the NIES offers a clear, actionable roadmap for inclusive economic growth. We encourage departmental adoption of its Calls to Economic Prosperity and collaboration with First Nations University’s new Prosperity Institute, which is tracking implementation.
• Infrastructure and Representation: Coordinated action is urgently needed to close the $400 billion infrastructure gap. We’ve also raised concerns about faIndigenous Procurement: We commend ISC’s support for the First Nations Procurement Authority (FNPA) to manage the Indigenous Business Directory  and related initiatives to strengthen Indigenous procurement. Supporting the FNPA will further help departments meet and exceed the 5% federal target.lse Indigeneity and systemic barriers—including official language requirements—that limit Indigenous participation in the federal public service.
• Strategic Partnerships Initiative (SPI): Several Board members contribute to SPI governance, and we have recommended increasing funding, embedding Indigenous-defined success metrics, and applying the Two-Eyed Seeing model to strengthen evaluations.
• 2024 Indigenous Economic Progress Report: This fourth edition provides key insights on Indigenous economic outcomes and policy gaps.

The Board would also like to express our readiness to contribute to broad national priorities such as the proposed Northern Transportation, Energy, and Fibre Corridor and Indigenous Peoples’ growing role in global trade diversification. It is critical that these initiatives be Indigenous-led and that infrastructure in the North, which is essential for security, access to markets, and clean energy, be guided by Indigenous priorities. Indigenous businesses must also be actively supported in trade and export efforts, including those tied to the clean energy transition. We strongly encourage you to support the development of a national strategy on Nation Building with Indigenous Peoples, government, private companies and capital markets to outline which opportunities to pursue collectively, define roles, timelines, and measures of success, ensuring our collective benefit and progress.

Once again, congratulations on your appointment. We are confident that your leadership will be instrumental in driving meaningful progress and lasting change for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.