Research Start-up Summary and Abstract:

This project examines the extent of service delivery and the organizational infrastructure of the OFIFC that supports urban Indigenous communities. As a leader in the field of Indigenous non-governmental organizations, the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres is an example of a service delivery site has spent many years refining culture based practices of governance and leadership, but they have never been documented or analyzed. The OFIFC has been meeting with key Indigenous leaders to document valuable stories and wise practices that provide insight into how influential Indigenous people exercise leadership within Friendship Centres and other Indigenous service delivery sites through examining existing wise practices in the following urban areas: Peel, Niagara, Hamilton, and London. Another focus of this project is to consider the growth and expansion of urban Indigenous communities within these regions.

Preliminary review of primary data includes: tangible strategies to encourage youth to transform Indigenous community organizing; intersections between organizational management approaches and traditional leadership practices; as well as community partnership building strategies to increase Indigenous peoples’ economic, social, and cultural contributions to their communities and beyond. A report on urban Indigenous leadership is expected in 2017 and examines the intersections between the OFIFC’s “Where are We?” and “Where Are We Going” projects.

Collaborating Friendship Centre and/or other urban Aboriginal organization:

Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC)

 Main contact:

Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC)
Magda Smolewski
[email protected]

• Ontario’s Urban Aboriginal Identity Population (2011, NHS)

  67.1% of Ontario’ Aboriginal population lives in urban areas. 2.4% (301,430) of Ontario’s population identifies as Aboriginal, 3.5% (441,395) report having Aboriginal ancestry.
• 66.7% are First Nation, 28.5% are Metis, 1.1% are Inuit and 3.6% report having multiple or other Aboriginal identities.