About us

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples represents the interests of Métis, status and Non-status Indians, and Southern Inuit Indigenous People living off-reserve in Canada.

Our Mandate

Our mandate is to improve the socio-economic conditions of our constituency living in urban or rural areas.

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples works collectively with its 11 provincial and territorial organizations across Canada to promote and advance the common interests, collective and individual rights, interests, and needs of its constituents.

CAP believes that all Indigenous peoples in Canada should be rightfully treated with respect, dignity, integrity, and equality, and experience a high quality of life, founded on the rebuilding of our Nations.

Who we are

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples is one of five National Indigenous Representative Organizations recognized by the Government of Canada. Founded in 1971 as the Native Council of Canada, CAP was originally established to represent the interests of Métis and Non-status Indians. Reorganized and renamed in 1993, the organization has extended its constituency to include all off-reserve status and Non-status Indians, Métis and Southern Inuit Indigenous Peoples, and serves as the national voice for its 11 provincial and territorial affiliate organizations.

Accomplishments

1971

Founding of the Native Council of Canada (NCC) to fight for the rights and interests of Métis and non-status Indians.

1975

The NCC is recognized by the World Council of Indigenous Peoples, signalling their contributions to the pursuit of the recognition of Indigenous rights internationally.

1979

The NCC publishes a Declaration of Rights for Métis and Non-Status Indians defending the right to self-determination, to representation and to preserve identity.

1980

The Métis and Non-Status Indian Constitutional Review Commission is established by the NCC to canvas the views of Métis and non-status Indians across Canada on the subject of a new constitution.

1982

NCC President Harry Daniels plays a key role in entrenchment of the terms “Indian, Inuit and Métis” in section 35 of the Constitutions Act, 1982.

1983 - 1987

The NCC participates in the First Ministers’ Conferences on Aboriginal Constitutional Matters.

1985

Bill C-31 amends the Indian Act to remove some rules that discriminate against women. NCC supports the passage of the legislation, yet continues advocacy because of ongoing inequalities.

1993

The Native Council of Canada (NCC) is renamed and reorganized as the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. CAP participates in the development of the International Labour Organization’s Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Populations, which recognizes the right to self-determination of Indigenous peoples.

1992 - 1994

The NCC makes submissions to the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples in support of equality rights, mobility rights, off-reserve rights and self-governance rights of its constituents, published as the 10-volume report “The First Peoples Urban Circle: Choices for Self-Determination”.

1999

CAP President Harry Daniels, Leah Gardner, Terry Joudrey, and CAP file suit against the Government of Canada for the court to determine which level of government, federal or provincial, has jurisdiction over Métis and non-status Indians. In 2005, Harry Daniels’ son, Gabriel Daniels is added as a co-plaintiff.

1997 -2007

CAP intervenes in a number of key court cases related to Aboriginal rights in the interests of its constituents: Sawridge Band v. Canada (1997), Corbiere v. Canada (1999), R. v. Blais (2003), R. v. Powley (2003), Misquadis v. Canada (2003), R. v. Bernard (2005), R. v. Sappier (2006), and McIvor v. Canada (2007).

2004

CAP achieves special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. (ECOSOC).

2007

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is adopted by the UN on September 13, 2007. CAP, as a non-governmental organizaton, is involved during the drafting of the declaration and present at its adoption. The Government of Canada fails to sign on to the declaration until 2010.

2008

Repeal of the Section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. CAP and other organizations are successful in advocacy for the repeal so that First Nations people now have access to make complaints to the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

2013

A partial victory in Daniels v. Canada, as Federal Court Justice Michael Phelan rules that Métis and non-status Indians are “Indians” under the Constitution Act, 1867. The federal government appeals the decision.

2014

In Daniels v. Canada, the Federal Court of Appeals upholds part of Justice Phelan’s decision - that the Métis are included in s. 91(24). However, the Court of Appeal rules that this recognition would only be extended to non-status Indians on a case-by-case basis.

2016

After a 17-year legal battle, the Supreme Court of Canada confirms in the unanimous Daniels v. Canada decision that Métis and non-status Indians are Indians under Section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1982 and are the federal responsibility.

2018

CAP and the Government of Canada sign a Political Accord that acknowledges the CAP Daniels decision and to reaffirm a “renewed relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership.

2018 - 2019

CAP participates as a party with standing in the National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

TODAY AND BEYOND

 

CAP continues to undertake legal research, interventions, and political action to demand that the CAP Daniels decision be upheld and the rights of our constituents are protected and respected regardless of their residence off-reserve or Indian Act status.

Governance

Our Chief

Elmer St. Pierre

National Chief

Elmer St. Pierre

National Chief

Mr. Elmer St. Pierre was elected as the National Chief on October 3rd 2020 at the CAP Annual General Assembly.

 

Chief St Pierre is a lifelong advocate for the rights of Indigenous people, particularly off-reserve and Non-status communities. In 2006 he became the Vice Chief of the Ontario Coalition of Aboriginal Peoples and became OCIP Chief in 2019. Chief St. Pierre joined the CAP Board of Directors in 2019.

 

As National Chief, his top priority is to see the implementation of the CAP-Daniels Decision which he views as one of the biggest issues facing off-reserve Indigenous Peoples. He will also support implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the fulfilment of the 2018 CAP-Canada Political Accord, and supporting CAP’s provincial and territorial affiliate organizations.

 

Chief St. Pierre hopes to strengthen CAP’s position with the Federal Government through re-instated annual bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister and inclusion at First Ministers meetings.

 

“At age fifteen, one of my daily chores was to check my dad’s trap line before school. I am proud that he taught me to hunt. My mother was a strong woman who taught me the importance of traditional ways, and to this day, I value traditional knowledge in my life. Culture is a big part of my family; my boys are drummers and my daughters and grandchildren traditional dancers. My lifelong goal has been to do the best I can for my family and community and to help other Indigenous families by advocating for their rights.

National Vice-Chief

Kim Beaudin

National Vice-Chief

Kim Beaudin

National Vice-Chief

Kim was born in Edson, Alberta, west of Edmonton, Alberta. His late father is Joe Beaudin, who was a citizen of the Métis Nation and his mother Margaret Callihoo, is a descendant of the Callihoo Reserve.

 

Kim’s Métis roots reach from the Red River in Manitoba all the way to Batoche, Saskatchewan. He is also a descendant of the Callihoo Reserve who signed the treaty in 1876. In 1958, the Michel Band and Indian Reserve 132 were enfranchised. This federal policy was used as a template to apply to reserves all across Canada, however it conflicted with the Canadian Bill of Rights and had to be repealed. Still with a stroke of a pen by the federal government, the Callihoo people became the forgotten people, so Kim understands what it’s like to be a forgotten Aboriginal person in Canada.

 

This drives Kim to do the work he does today as a well-known Indigenous political advocate, who has served in both political and administrative capacities with numerous Indigenous peoples’ organizations in Saskatchewan. He is also a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in recognition of his work for Indigenous Peoples. As President of the Coalition of Aboriginal Peoples of Saskatchewan for 7 years, Kim raised the profile of a wide range of issues that impact the lives of Métis and Status and Non-status Indians living off reserve.  Kim has participated in high-level discussions with the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers and understands how to present issues effectively at the highest level. Kim has worked on Indigenous rights and issues at various governmental tables and continues to be actively involved in ongoing cases. He is also an outreach worker with the anti-gang initiative ‘STR8UP, 10 000 Little Step to Healing Inc.’ in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Staff

Office of the CEO

Jim Devoe

Chief Executive Officer

s.tremblay@abo-peoples.org

Sandra Tremblay

Executive Assistant

s.tremblay@abo-peoples.org

Governance Support

Jessica Dawson

Director of Governance Support

j.dawson@abo-peoples.org

Noah Porter

National Youth Coordinator

n.porter@abo-peoples.org

Terri-Lynne Robinson

Office Manager

t.robinson@abo-peoples.org

Brenda Taylor

Governance Manager

b.taylor@abo-peoples.org

Omar Barclay

Project Manager

o.barclay@abo-peoples.org

David Magee

Project Manager

d.magee@abo-peoples.org

Finance

Biljana Grujic

Director of Finance

b.grujic@abo-peoples.org

Liz Jackson

Accounting Manager

l.jackson@abo-peoples.org

Vlatko Todosov

Financial Assistant

v.todosov@abo-peoples.org

Emmanuel Adenlolu

Manager of Finance

a.adenlolu@abo-peoples.org

Policy

Elizabeth Blaney

Director of Policy Development

e.blaney@abo-peoples.org

Patrick Snider

Policy Advisor (Justice)

p.snider@abo-peoples.org

Miranda Moore

Policy Analyst (MMIWG)

m.moore@abo-peoples.org

Jessica Gibson

Policy Analyst (Family Programming )

j.gibson@abo-peoples.org

Amanda LeBlanc

Policy Analyst (Political Accord Engagement Manager)

a.leblanc@abo-peoples.org

Hedi Gordon

Policy Analyst (MMIWG Program Manager)

h.gordon@abo-peoples.org

Elizabeth Venczel

Policy Analyst

e.venczel@abo-peoples.org

Research

Nazih Nasrallah

Director of Research

n.nasrallah@abo-peoples.org

Lydia Rehman

Research Analyst

l.rehman@abo-peoples.org

Anika Sehgal

Research Analyst

a.sehgal@abo-peoples.org

Iman Dar

Research Analyst

i.dar@abo-peoples.org

Partnerships

Rufus Jacobs

Director of Partnership Development

ru.jacobs@abo-peoples.org

Paul Howes

Partnership Manager

p.howes@abo-peoples.org

Andre Vashist

Social Innovation Manager

a.vashist@abo-peoples.org

Environment

Joshua McNeely

Director of Environment

j.mcneely@abo-peoples.org

Melanie Bateman

Water Resources Coordinator

m.bateman@abo-peoples.org

Indigenous Skills and Employment Training

Randy Martin

Director of ISET

r.martin@abo-peoples.org

Sarah Mitchell

National Projects Manager

s.mitchell@abo-peoples.org

Emma Wiechers

Administrative Assistant

e.wiechers@abo-peoples.org

Fineen Davis

National Training Coordinator - ISET Program

f.davis@abo-peoples.org

Communications

Nigel Newlove

Director of Communications

n.newlove@abo-peoples.org

Government Relations

Robert Russell

Senior Director Government Relations

r.russell@abo-peoples.org

Hope Rumford-Rodgers

Government Relations Manager

h.rumford-rodgers@abo-peoples.org

Family Violence and Shelter Needs

Wanda Lyall

Director of Family Violence and Shelter Needs

w.lyall@abo-peoples.org

Valerie Campbell

Manager Family Violence and Shelter Needs

v.campbell@abo-peoples.org

Linda Sullivan

Project Manager

l.sullivan@abo-peoples.org

Human Resources

Sandra Colin

Director of Organizational Development and HR

s.colin@abo-peoples.org

Adan Elmi

HR Administrator

a.elmi@abo-peoples.org

Today and beyond

All Indigenous peoples in Canada should be rightfully treated with respect, dignity, integrity, equality, and have a high quality of life founded on the rebuilding of our Nations.