The department is responsible for two mandates, Indian and Inuit Affairs and Northern Development, which together support Canada’s Aboriginal and northern peoples in the pursuit of healthy and sustainable communities and broader economic and social development objectives.
In Indian and Inuit Affairs, the department’s primary role is to support First Nations and Inuit in developing healthy, sustainable communities and in achieving their economic and social aspirations. INAC negotiates comprehensive and specific land claims and self-government agreements on behalf of the federal government, oversees implementation of settlements and promotes economic development. It is responsible for delivering provincial-like services such as education, housing, and community infrastructure to Status Indians on-reserve, and for delivering social assistance and social support services to residents on-reserve with the goal of ensuring access to services comparable to those available to other Canadian residents. The vast majority of these programs and services are delivered in partnership with First Nations, who directly administer 85 percent of Indian and Inuit Affairs Program funds.

The Northern Development mandate makes INAC the lead federal department for two-fifths of Canada’s land mass, with a direct role in the political and economic development of the territories, and significant responsibilities for resource, land and environmental management. In the North, the territorial governments generally provide the majority of programs and services to all Northerners, including Aboriginal people.
Finally, both mandates include an international dimension: INAC is actively engaged in international indigenous and circumpolar activities involving Aboriginal and northern organizations, states and international organizations.