Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Friendship Centre movement grew from the local level initiatives of groups and individuals who helped natives cope with life in urban centres from the 1950's. Formal funding for the Centres at the Federal level of the Secretary of State began in 1972 with the Migrating Native People's program. The name of the program was changed to the Native Friendship Centre Program in 1982. The National Association of Friendship Centres itself was established in 1972. It is a non-political, non-profit organization. It has a four-person executive committee elected each year at the Annual General Meeting attended by delegates from the provincial-territorial associations and individual friendship centres. The NAFC coordinates funding and acts as central information liason between the Secretary of State and other government bodies and the provincial-territorial associations.