Anglican Council of Indigenous People, following the terms of Canon XXII – The National Indigenous Ministry, guides the work of Indigenous Ministries.  The purpose of this Canon is to provide canonical recognition of structures through which the National Indigenous Ministry may be a self determining community within the Anglican Church of Canada.  The leadership includes the National Indigenous Bishop, the Indigenous House of Bishops, and Sacred Circle.

In 1969, the Anglican Church of Canada ended a century of running residential schools. It also committed to a new relationship with Indigenous peoples, heeding Charles Hendry’s call (Beyond Traplines), for a partnership based on solidarity, equality and mutual respect.  Since then, there has been Indigenous staff working at the national office.  The Council of Native Ministries was established by General Synod in 1975 and confirmed at the 1980 General Synod giving Council members the responsibility to carry the concerns of the native people directly to the National Executive Council (Council of General Synod) and General Synod.

In 1995 the Anglican Council of Indigenous People was established when The Anglican Church of Canada accepted and affirmed the Covenant adopted by the Council of Native Ministries in 1994 pledging, “Under the guidance of God’s spirit we agree to do all we can to call our people into unity in a new self-determining community within The Anglican Church of Canada. To this end, we extend the hand of partnership to all those who will help us build a truly Anglican Indigenous Church in Canada.”  This vision was realized as the number of Indigenous Bishops increased, and as Canon XXII was amended at General Synod 2019 to confer the title of Archbishop on the National Indigenous Anglican Bishop and to make the National Indigenous Ministry more self-governing.

Preceeded by the Council of Native Affairs (1975-1984) and the Council of Native Ministries (1984-1995).

Fonds consists of terms of reference, minutes, meeting dockets, reports, correspondence, subject files, and graphic materials.

The fonds includes the records of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples (1995- ), Sacred Circles, as well as the records of the department of Indigenous Ministries.