INAC is responsible for policies relating to Aboriginal peoples in Canada, that comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
The current working title under CIRNAC was introduced in the 29th Ministry on August 28, 2017, in which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada would be gradually abolished.
[10][11] According to a 2004 AADNC Government of Canada document, the term "First Nation", has been used since the 1970s instead of the word "Indian", which some people found offensive.
For example, the term "Indian" continues to be used in the historical and legal document, the Canadian Constitution and federal statutes.
[16][17][18][19][20] In their Fourteenth Report released on December 3, 2018, the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples listed improvements, changes and concerns related to the relationship between CIRNAC and agencies such as the Lands Advisory Board also known as First Nations Land Management Resource Centre (FNLMRC), the First Nations Tax Commission (FNTC)[21][Notes 1] and the First Nations Financial Management Board [22][Notes 2][23]: A15 [24][25] Prior to Canadian Confederation in 1867, the Indian Department for British North America was responsible for relations between the Crown and Indigenous peoples.
Proposed changes died on the House of Commons' Order Paper at the end of the parliamentary session and have not been re-introduced.
By 2017, CIRNAC and the minister of Indigenous services were responsible for federal government relations with First Nations, Inuit and Métis.