North West
Indigenous Council
Serving Off-Reserve First Nations, Inuit, & MÉTIS Peoples
The Northwest Indigenous Council (NWIC) is a provincial advocacy organization that acts on behalf of BC’s urban and off-reserve Indigenous peoples to help organize, protect and facilitate their voice, place, and inherent rights to prosper in the areas of social, economic, educational, cultural, health and personal well being.
Did you know?
Percent of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples in BC live off-reserve
Estimated population growth of Indigenous people by 2036
About Our Organization
NWIC looks to connect to the process of self –determination and Indigenous Nation building and works with Indigenous Nations by respecting the territories in which they live.
NWIC uses the Social Determinants of Health lens as we seek systems change from segregated silos and a competitive relationship model and supports a placed based model of working in partnership with neighborhood organizations to provide affective and relevant services to Indigenous citizens living off–reserve.
We Have the Power to Impact Our Future, and We’re Doing Something About It
Our Board
NWIC’s membership is structured using a regional representative system based on the BC First Nations Health Authority regions: Interior, Fraser, Vancouver Coastal, Vancouver Island, and Northern. We aim to have proportionate representation overall for the province and this is reflected by the composition of the Board of Directors
Cheryl Brooks
Sto:lo Nation
INTERIM PRESIDENT
PIROSKA POTORNAYl
Haida Gwaii and Nisga’a Nations
INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT
Stephen Cain
Métis Nation
DIRECTOR – AT LARGE
Brock Endean
Métis
TREASURER
JO-ANNE RoSS
Haisla
DIRECTOR – NORTH
Piroska Potornay
Haida Gwaii and Nisga’a Nations
DIRECTOR – NORTH
Keith Cameron
Coast Salish
DIRECTOR – FRASER
Chris Beaton
Mohawk First Nation
DIRECTOR – VANCOUVER ISLAND
Matthew Morin
DIRECTOR – VANCOUVER COASTAL
VACANT
DIRECTOR – INTERIOR
Become a Member
WHY YOU
SHOULD JOIN
NWIC is an organization where you can work alongside other urban and rural Indigenous peoples to ensure you have a legitimized voice and a place at the table to ensure your rights and aspirations are brought to important discussion in your neighborhoods, cities, villages and the evolving Nation to Nation discourse.
NWIC’s governance includes an Annual General Meeting that takes place typically in February where all are welcome.
As a new organization NWIC has a volunteer working board and currently has no operational funding. The Board of Directors is elected by, and accountable to, the organization’s membership.
NWIC hosts monthly Board of Director meetings to identify priorities and develop a strategy moving forward on numerous key issues impacting the people NWIC seeks to advocate for.