The First Nations Confederacy Inc. grew out of the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood Inc. which was formed in 1969. The Manitoba Indian Brotherhood Inc. represented the membership of all the Bands in Manitoba. The First Nation Confederacy representation is built on three indomitable facts they submitted in their RCAP presentation: first, they remain a strong, proud and identifiable group of people; second, they refuse to have their lives directed by others who do not know their ways; third, they are a 20th-century people, not a colourful folkloric remnant.
In August of 1980 the structure of the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood Inc. was re-organized and its name was changed to Four Nations Confederacy Inc. This was a deliberate emphasis of the Manitoba Brotherhood’s goal, that "old rights must be attested to - (and) old rights made right". The three-point mandate and philosophy of Four Nations Confederacy Inc. remained the same as that of the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood Inc. In 1981 the northern Bands withdrew their membership from Four Nations Confederacy Inc. and formed their own political organization known as Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak.
In October of 1982 the Four Nations Confederacy Inc. changed its name to First Nations Confederacy Inc. The organization still retained the original mandate and philosophy of the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood Inc. However, membership had declined to 26 member Bands, and the number of employees had declined from over 30 in 1980 to 20 by 1983. A year later, in August of 1988, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs was established by all the Bands of Manitoba to represent the Bands on matters of common concern. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has made significant progress on a number of political issues and has been able to expand its operation to include Staff Advisors in Child Welfare, Economic Development, Education, Health, Housing and Inter-Governmental Affairs.
First Nations Confederacy Inc. was involved with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples beginning in December of 1991. First Nations Confederacy Inc. made an initial presentation to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in April of 1992. It followed up with an Executive summary that covered all the vital issues.
1990-2000