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The Chiefs of Ontario (COO) is a First Nations political collective in Ontario (see also Indigenous Political Organization and Activism in Canada). The COO was established by the chiefs of First Nations governments in Ontario. The COO is guided by the Chiefs in Assembly, meaning that the collective makes decisions only when assembled. The COO is divided between the political office and the operational secretariat. The Leadership Council and the Ontario Regional Chief support the political function. They work closely with the secretariat, which supports the work established through these mechanisms.
Origin
The Chiefs of Ontario (COO) traces its origins to the first All‑Ontario Chiefs Conference in March 1975. During that conference, leaders established a joint coordinating committee to provide a single Ontario representative to the National Indian Brotherhood (now Assembly of First Nations). In 1982, the committee was formally incorporated under law as the Indian Associations Co-ordinating Committee of Ontario Inc. This continues to be the legal name, but it is commonly called the Chiefs of Ontario. The head office of the COO has shifted over the years, though it is always located on a reserve in Ontario. The COO also operates an office in Toronto.
Mandate and Organization
The Chiefs of Ontario (COO) supports the inherent and treaty rights and self‑determination of First Nations peoples in Ontario (see also Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada; First Nations in Ontario). The COO’s authority derives from three sources:
- Resolutions of the Chiefs in Assembly
- Direction from the Leadership Council
- The mandate of the Ontario Regional Chief.
The organization advances priority areas, including:
- Economic development and infrastructure
- Education and language revitalization
- Environmental protection and climate policy
- Health systems reform
- Housing
- Justice and policing
- Research, data governance and data sovereignty
- Child welfare
- Women’s and youth leadership initiatives.
The COO’s work is grounded in the teachings carried by Elders.
Provincial Governance
Each First Nation in Ontario elects a Chief and Council under the Indian Act or through custom election codes. Governance structures vary by community, and some maintain traditional systems alongside elected councils or integrate them.
Many First Nations in Ontario enter relationships to address shared priorities or to have a stronger, more coordinated and collective voice. One form of collective is known as a Tribal Council, which is generally comprised of nations in geographic proximity. They coordinate shared services and address shared priorities through political, administrative or technical support and advocacy.
On a larger scale than a Tribal Council, most communities in Ontario are members of Political Territorial Organizations (PTO). Each PTO is also a corporation established under law and is represented by an elected Grand Chief.
The elected Grand Chiefs of the four PTOs in Ontario are constituent members of the COO. Collectively, all elected Chiefs of First Nations communities appoint the Ontario Regional Chief through the traditional method of selecting the Ontario Regional Chief where Chiefs-in-Assembly or their proxies stand behind the nominee of their choice.
The COO’s emblem, a circle, map and five feathers, symbolizes unity among the four PTOs and independent First Nations.
Political Office and Operational Support
The Chiefs of Ontario (COO) has a governance structure in which work undertaken by the COO begins through the political office and is implemented with the operational secretariat.
The Political Office
The political office provides direction to the secretariat from the Chiefs in Assembly, through the Leadership Council and Ontario Regional Chief.
The Leadership Council includes:
- Grand Chiefs of the four Political Territorial Organizations
- Chief of Six Nations of the Grand River
- Grand Chief of the Mohawks of Akwesasne
- Grand Chief of Mushkegowuk Council
- Representatives of independent First Nations.
The Leadership Council is responsible for implementing and coordinating the priorities of First Nations leadership and, in partnership with the Ontario Regional Chief, for responding to unforeseen and emergency issues between Assemblies.
The Chiefs in Assembly elects the Ontario Regional Chief who serves as:
- Advocate for all First Nations governments in Ontario
- Ontario’s representative on the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Executive Committee
- Part of the Executive Committee of the AFN, working with the National Chief, other Regional Chiefs, and the Chairperson of the AFN’s Knowledge Keepers Council, to guide the AFN at the national level
- A guide to ensure that directives and mandates provided by the Chiefs in Assembly are undertaken.
Operational Secretariat
Within the secretariat, the COO's decisions are implemented when the Board of Directors or its delegates act or do not act. The secretariat has a top-down chain of command, from the Board of Directors through the Chief Operating Officer to staff. Together, the staff of the secretariat implement decisions of the Chiefs in Assembly, the Leadership Council and the Ontario Regional Chief.
Demographic and Land Context
Ontario’s First Nations population is greater than that of at least 41 countries. As of May 2026, according to Indigenous Services Canada / Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada:
- 249,650 First Nations people are registered with First Nations communities in Ontario all of whom are registered with one of approximately 139 federally recognized First Nations Bands in Ontario.
- 40.3 per cent live on-reserve or on other Crown land
- 59.7 per cent live in off-reserve urban or rural areas
First Nations people collectively control, access or possess at least 853,644 hectares across 214 land parcels. This is more than 86 countries worldwide.
