Governance and Indigenous Affairs
Strategic support for Indigenous organizations seeking to strengthen their organizational capacity, structure their government relations and achieve their priorities.
Building strong foundations through a strategic partnership
First Nations and their organizations must manage growing responsibilities and complex relationships with various levels of government. Strong governance and well-structured government relations are essential to support decision-making, advance strategic projects and reinforce organizational autonomy.
We offer an approach that transforms your governance and advocacy objectives into sustainable organizational capacity: clarifying authority, modernizing policies, structuring government relations, and supporting the implementation of strategic priorities.
Beyond legal services, we help you develop sustainable organizational autonomy. We work alongside Indigenous leaders and organizations to strengthen governance, build institutional capacity and advance strategic priorities through practical, tailored and sustainable solutions.
Our objective is not simply to provide advice, but to help create the conditions that enable long-term organizational success and self-determination.
Strategic advice grounded in experience
The engagement is led by Maryse Picard. Her experience as Director General of the Huron-Wendat Nation Council, Chief of Staff to the minister responsible for Indigenous Affairs, and an executive within the federal and Quebec public administrations provides her with a unique perspective grounded in Indigenous, political, governmental and organizational realities.
This background enables her to anticipate risks, understand stakeholder priorities, navigate complex environments and develop practical strategies that support successful outcomes. Her practice focuses on Indigenous law, governance and ethics, the drafting of agreements and legal documents, and government relations.
Driven by a desire to contribute to the growth and success of Indigenous organizations, she works alongside them to strengthen governance, advance their priorities and build sustainable organizational capacity that will help them meet the challenges of the future.
Various Support Options
Focused engagement
A limited engagement addressing a specific need, such as an assessment, policy, training session, brief, government relations strategy or agreement.
Phased support
Progressive completion of the relevant phases based on the organization’s priorities, capacity, schedule, and budget
Block of hours
Flexible access to a senior advisor for recurring needs, legal and strategic advice, and ad hoc interventions.
Integrated support
Participation on committees, management initiatives, negotiations, or government-relations efforts, in support of elected leaders and internal teams.
A plan tailored to your needs
- Conduct a governance and organizational-capacity assessment.
- Define roles, responsibilities, authority, and accountability mechanisms.
- Review decision-making processes, operating rules and escalation mechanisms.
- Train and support elected leaders, directors, committee members, and managers.
- Inventory and analyze applicable laws, regulations, policies, directives, and procedures.
- Draft or revise priority internal policies.
- Develop related procedures, forms, tools, and approval mechanisms.
- Plan for the adoption, communication, training, and periodic review of policies.
- Map relevant departments, agencies, decision-makers, partners, and levers.
- Develop a government relations strategy.
- Prepare meetings and advocacy tools.
- Implement a register of government-relations initiatives, commitments, and follow-up activities.
- Define objectives, parameters, scenarios, and approval mechanisms.
- Prepare meetings, simulations, and responses to anticipated issues.
- Support government and institutional negotiations.
- Draft or review funding agreements, protocols, collaboration agreements, and partnership frameworks.
- Develop or update a strategic plan.
- Develop an implementation plan and dashboard.
- Support an organizational structure review or transformation initiative.
- Provide strategic advice and integrated support.