Our Story

2006

At the First Nations Socioeconomic Forum, the Provincial Association of Native Friendship Centres proposed a partnership with the governments of Canada and Quebec to conduct a needs assessment of urban Indigenous communities in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal.

2008

The results were published and a community event was organized by the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal and the City of Montreal to determine the type of collaboration needed to address the needs identified. 

It was in this context that the NETWORK was born, then known as the Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network, to address the following priorities : 

• Arts and culture
• Circle of Care
• Communications
• Employment and Education
• Health
• Homelessness
• Justice
• Youth

2019

The NETWORK was incorporated and became known as the Montreal Indigenous Community NETWORK. This incorporation was followed by a growth in the team, from 4 to 20 employees dedicated to supporting the ecosystem of individuals and groups committed to improving the quality of life of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities living in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. 

New working committees were formed and served as a foundation for : 

• The creation of the First Peoples Justice Centre
• The creation of the Mamu Job Fair
• The creation of a strategy for Cabot Square
• The creation of a food security program 

2020

The Youth Advisory Committee was created to develop a community plan informed by the unique experiences and perspective of Indigenous youth. 

As the pandemic evolved, the NETWORK played a central role in sharing the latest information to prevent transmission of COVID-19 among the most vulnerable members of our community and in acting together in response to outbreaks in the community. With our many partners, we mobilized quickly to provide:

• Psychological support and training for frontline workers;
• Health, food safety, testing, and immunization support for individuals and families;
• Virtual gathering spaces for youth to learn new skills while sharing meals and stories; 
• Support for organizations working in the area of homelessness, including site sanitation, access to protective equipment, and coordination of spaces suitable for Indigenous peoples experiencing homelessness, such as containment units, shelters, drop-in centers, etc.

2021

The NETWORK added another string to its bow by becoming an organization that coordinates the distribution of public funds. In our first year, we held over 25 consensus decision-making circles with our partners. A total of $3.5 million was redistributed to meet community needs identified by our front-line partners. 

In addition, the NETWORK became a charitable organization, giving us greater flexibility and independence in redistributing funds to the community.

2022

The NETWORK launched the STRATEGY Report for Safety, Well-Being and Belonging, a multi-year project that aims to develop a plan that addresses the needs identified by Indigenous youth in Tiohtià:ke. After several years of research and consultation, the STRATEGY report outlined 44 recommendations drawn from the insights of Indigenous youth, Elders and support workers. It was decided that the next few years would be dedicated to the implementation of pilot projects aimed at improving the safety, well-being and belonging of Indigenous youth in Tiohtià:ke.