The IHC is an Indigenous-designed and Indigenous-led organization founded in 2016. We are 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 across the country, we have developed the following definition of Indigenous heritage:

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.

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.

The IHC was formed to support the following goals:

• To celebrate and promote Indigenous heritage and the role of Indigenous peoples in preserving this;
• To advocate for cultural heritage programs, protocols, laws, policies, and funding opportunities that recognize Indigenous Peoples as the rightful caretakers of their heritage;
• To support Indigenous communities in stewarding and safeguarding their heritage;
• To further the understanding and respect for Indigenous heritage, laws, values, and protocols through facilitating dialogue and learning opportunities.