After losing federal funding, former Centre staff rally to create a new self-funded social enterprise.
The new Centre for First Nations Governance aims to improve day-to-day operations while focusing on self-governance.
Last year the Government of Canada cut its funding for the now defunct National Centre for First Nations Governance (NCFNG). Staff rallied to continue offering quality governance services and we are proud to announce the opening of an independent, self-funded social enterprise.
The new Centre for First Nations Governance (CFNG) places a strong focus on effective self-governance, offering nation rebuilding workshops and community forums to help First Nations improve their day-to-day operations while they work to re-assume control of their economic, cultural and political future.
CFNG provides services in three critical areas:
• Visioning and planning for self-governance
• Governing traditional lands
• First Nations lawmaking and policy development
The new centre is positioned to become the best service of it kind because it is built upon the work of its predecessor, the National Centre for First Nations Governance (NCFNG).
NCFNG was established in 2005 as an independent not-for-profit organization with annual funding from the Government of Canada. The Centre operated with 34 staff in six offices across Canada.
In 2006, NCFNG commissioned leading academics and lawyers renowned for their work in Aboriginal law and governance to prepare a body of research that could support the governance work required by First Nations.
The Centre used this research, along with extensive feedback from First Nations citizens and leadership, to build the foundation for a series of nation rebuilding workshops for delivery in communities. In it’s six years of operation the Centre delivered well over 200 workshops to citizens and leaders.
By directly engaging and partnering with First Nations citizens, youth, elders and leadership in the community, NCFNG was able to identify the issues and solutions necessary to create services that resonated with and motivated participants to take action on the governance challenges that mattered to them and their communities.
At the end of April 2012, the federal government notified the NCFNG that funding would not be available in 2013. NCFNG let go of its staff and closed its doors. The announcement of the closure precipitated considerable feedback from clients, academic partners and even government officials encouraging the Centre to find a way to continue its popular work.
Inspired by this support, former staff and a host of volunteers rallied to create a new non-profit enterprise that is self-funded, truly independent and dedicated to effective self-governance. We chose to give the new centre a modest name change. Today we are called the Centre for First Nations Governance.