IHC Mission
The Indigenous Heritage Circle (IHC), founded in 2016, is dedicated to the advancement of cultural heritage priorities that are of importance to Métis, Inuit, and First Nations Peoples in Canada.
Working with partners from many Indigenous communities, the IHC developed a holistic definition of Indigenous heritage that emphasizes connections, relationships and values.
Indigenous Heritage is complex and dynamic. Indigenous Heritage encompasses ideas, experiences, belongings, artistic expressions, practices, knowledge, and places that are valued because they are culturally meaningful and connected to shared memory. Indigenous Heritage cannot be separated from either Indigenous identity or Indigenous life. It can be inherited from ancestors or created by people today as a legacy for future generations.
IHC Vision and Goals
IHC Vision
Healthy and vibrant Indigenous communities in which Indigenous Peoples are supported and recognized in their role as the caretakers of Indigenous heritage in all forms.
IHC Goals
- Celebrate and promote Indigenous heritage and the role of Indigenous peoples in preserving this
- Advocate for cultural heritage programs, protocols, laws, policies, and funding opportunities that recognize Indigenous Peoples as the rightful caretakers of their heritage
- Support Indigenous communities in stewarding and safeguarding their heritage
Further understanding and respect for Indigenous heritage, laws, values, and protocols through facilitating dialogue and learning opportunities.