Let’s talk about how Indigenous Governance is Strengthening 3000 Urban Indigenous Non-Profits in Canada

Let’s talk about how Indigenous Governance is Strengthening 3000 Urban Indigenous Non-Profits in Canada

Vancouver, Oct 22, 2025 — Indigenous Services Canada has recently announced the cancellation of all funding for urban Indigenous coalitions across Canada. This latest defunding for Indigenous coalitions and federations relies on Canada’s old divide-and-conquer strategies and undermines cost-effective coalition models. While Canada continues to produce policies that cause displacement and urbanization, it is urban Indigenous organisations and charities that are here to protect our families and communities. We have never waited for Canada to advance our rights, and with Carney’s cuts to Indigenous coalitions, we will stand on our rights and Indigenous governance to protect our communities.

Join the National Urban Indigenous Coalition Council (NUICC) on Wednesday, October 29th at 10 am PT/1 pm ET (90min) for “10 Strengths of Indigenous Governance for Urban Indigenous Non-Profits,” a free workshop on good practices to run your urban Indigenous non-profit or charity.  Join with other urban Indigenous non-profit leaders who use Indigenous ways of knowing and doing to improve their organisations. Register to attend.

The 3000+ service-providing urban Indigenous non-profits and charities in Canada are rights holders and use Indigenous governance practices to do our work and build relations. NUICC supports non-profits in coming together as urban coalitions to support mutual aid, policy development, and advocacy tools. Coalitions coordinate local service delivery and support local urban Indigenous multi-sector planning to impact municipal and regional policies affecting our people.

Over the decades, our communities have stepped up to launch and build urban Indigenous organizations to serve our needs and help us thrive. Would you like to share your experiences using Indigenous knowledge and governance systems in how your organisation is operated? Consider participating in an 8-minute national survey about “UNDRIP and the State of Urban Indigenous Organisations in Canada” by clicking here. You will learn from other people’s responses in our report and will receive stylish “Urban Indigenous Rights” clothing in the mail to thank you for participating.

In the face of funding cuts from the federal government, NUICC is continuing to operate without federal funding, and its Urban Indigenous Knowledge Mobilization Hub is taking on the challenge by continuing our work for the urban Indigenous non-profit sector. We invite you to attend our next free Speaker Series event #15 on Oct. 29. What you can expect from this inspiring online event:

• Learn how urban Indigenous nonprofits can use rights-based governance frameworks on their path toward self-determination.
• An opportunity for professional development and learning for non-profit staff, community leaders, coalition builders, and researchers from across Canada.
• Be inspired and come together to explore, build solidarity, and learn insights about challenges and successes that you can apply to your own work.
• Discuss best practices and experiences, share how urban Indigenous communities define and enact our rights. Help us highlight the indigenous standards and governance systems that strengthen our urban Indigenous organizations.
• Learn how to apply rights-based approaches to defend and improve our urban Indigenous non-profits and charities.

Click here to register for free for the training event on October 29.

Who is the Urban Indigenous Knowledge Mobilization Hub

We are a network of urban Indigenous coalitions and allied researchers in urban communities and universities across Canada. The Knowledge Hub was founded by the National Urban Indigenous Coalitions Council (NUICC) in 2021 and is administered by the Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg and Metro Vancouver Aboriginal Executives Council. The Speaker Series is funded by Imagine Canada and the Department of Justice. We welcome urban Indigenous researchers and policy makers to join our community to help make changes for urban Indigenous people. To learn more, contact indigenousknowledge@nuicc.ca and join our newsletter at nuicc.ca

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Survey Link: UNDRIP and the State of Urban Indigenous Organisations in Canada

Event link: 10 Strengths of Indigenous Governance for Urban Indigenous Non-Profits

Email: indigenousknowledge@nuicc.ca

Website: nuicc.ca