Excerpt from the movie Hi-Ho Mistahey!

NFB Indigenous Action Plan

The complete text of the plan (2017) is available here.

Click here for an overview of Indigenous filmmaking at the NFB (2017).

In 2017, the NFB launched a plan outlining a series of commitments that respond to the work and recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) and Indigenous creators’ longstanding concerns about systemic inequities in the existing Canadian production landscape.

As Canada’s public producer and distributor of documentary, animation and interactive/immersive experiences that reflect Canada and Canadian perspectives to Canadian and global audiences, the NFB has been producing works by First Nations, Métis and Inuit directors since 1968. Today, more than 465 titles by Indigenous filmmakers are available online, free of charge, on the NFB's Indigenous Cinema page. This enduring commitment to working with Indigenous storytellers and making these films broadly accessible to Canadian audiences, as well as the relationships built with Indigenous filmmakers, communities and partners over the course of the years, form the foundation for the NFB’s plan.

Developed in collaboration with an Indigenous advisory group, the plan contains 33 commitments grouped under four main areas:

Highlights include a commitment to achieving representational parity in the NFB workforce by 2025; an immediate commitment to ensuring 15 percent of production spending is on Indigenous-directed projects; and a commitment to working with Indigenous partners to develop protocols/guidelines for the production and distribution of works on Indigenous content/themes as well as protocols for access to and reuse of archives.

To implement these commitments, the NFB engages Indigenous organizations and experts in working-group discussions on key areas such as education, production, archives, and treatment of the collection. Our advisory group assists in identifying the appropriate experts and filmmakers to ensure a representative approach (e.g., across the Nations, across the generations, and across the disciplines). This process counts on broad participation by NFB staff in all branches.

Indigenous Advisory Group Members

NFB Staff

 

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