First Nations foreign policy seeks to embed the unique experiences and perspectives of indigenous people into a country’s international policy priorities and programs.

When a country adopts a First Nations foreign policy approach to their interactions with the world, it is often based on the principles of mutual respect, collaboration, co-design and reciprocity. This relational approach to diplomacy aligns closely with Indigenous ways of knowing and being. 

First Nations foreign policy can also be framed as a means of leveraging the diplomatic skills, knowledge and capacities of indigenous peoples, cultivated over thousands of years prior to colonisation. In this framing, indigenous peoples are considered a strengths-based resource that can strengthen the quality and authenticity of a country’s engagement with other nations, communities and peoples in an interconnected world.