History of Aboriginal Insurance Services
Where
Have We Been
When AIS began, we were told we would never make it. They said we were too “niche,” our target market was too resistant, and the insurance space too volatile - it just couldn’t work.
And they weren’t exactly wrong; it was a tough industry for even the mainstream insurance market, not to mention how specific our target market was. If we’d wanted to, we could have had multiple opportunities to throw in the towel.
Could have.
But we didn’t. In fact, it never even crossed our minds; we were just too determined. And that determination came from the fact that every rock that was turned over brought us to another roadblock - another gap in the system that needed to be uprooted before we could progress.
But progress we did. Nearly 15 years later, that initial motivation and drive we had for helping to bridge those gaps is still as strong as it was on day one. AIS has made incredible strides with our First Nations communities and we are very much looking forward to what the future brings - both for AIS and our First Nations communities.
One of the reasons we’ve been able to shake things up so much within the industry is due in part to our highly committed partners and carriers, and also due to our incredible team. Our small but mighty team is passionate about helping First Nations communities and their talent, innovation, and invaluable knowledge are traits that have enabled AIS to stand apart from our competitors for so long.
Our culture of empowerment and teamwork provides our brokers and underwriters with the flexibility and agility to react to opportunities within the marketplace that can best serve the needs of our clients. Our team members adhere to the highest standards of the industry and always remain at the forefront of new and emerging trends to always stay two steps ahead.
First Nations Fiscal
Management Act
The First Nations Fiscal Management Act was
developed as a response to item #44 in the Truth & Reconciliation Commission report. It officially came into authority in 2006. The initial purpose of the Act was to: Strengthen First Nations real property tax systems and First Nations financial management systems
Provide First Nations with increased
revenue-raising tools, strong standards for
accountability and access to capital markets
available to other governments
Allow for the borrowing of funds for the
development of infrastructure and economic
development on-reserve through a
cooperative, public-style bond issuance
As is generally the case with such Acts, it has
been amended many times; most recently in 2023
under Bill C-45 in an attempt to “expand and
modernize the mandates of the First Nations Tax Commission and the First Nations Financial
Management Board in order to better reflect
their current and future activities” (First Nations
Fiscal Management Act (S.C. 2005, c. 9)
Suffice to say, this Act was too little too late and
Canada has spent the better part of a decade
trying to amend it to meet the expectations and
needs of our First Nations people.
Rather than wait for Canada to catch up, AERS
has created programs and services to account for Canada’s failures
Historically, the majority of property insurance for Indigenous communities was handled by Indian Affairs - a government
agency - and they did not care for the opinions of any First Nations peoples. For decades, the federal government
determined which community assets were required and where, how they would be built, and even hired the contractors
and provided their own oversight of the construction projects.
For many generations, Indigenous nations have been living sustainably on lands provided by the Creator for our people.
For many years, our ancestors lived and prospered on the bounty of nature that provided for our livelihood. Mother Earth
ensured that our thirst was quenched, and our bodies were cleaned. All the living beings; the fish, the animals, and the
plants that lived in the waters provided nutrition and strength for our bodies. The forests provided shelter and protection,
and the animals and birds that made the forests their home provided food, clothing, tools, and games for our people. From
the time of creation, we have understood our responsibilities for the safety and well-being of each other and our Mother
Earth. These were our beliefs; this is how we lived.
But with the coming of visitors from ‘across the big waters’ our world quickly changed. The sacred Treaties that we made
in good faith with Canada were not honoured as promised.. Starvation and sickness became the new reality for our
ancestors, as a result of church and government efforts to eradicate and assimilate Indigenous Nations.
Forced relocations to small, unproductive reserves, disruption of our traditional governance structures, residential
schools, and our inability to share the natural resources of our traditional lands, has led to socially dysfunctional
communities while the introduction of drugs and alcohol continues to plague our many communities due to the
astronomically high rate of generational trauma.