Audit finds federal department couldn’t account for 132 Indigenous artworks

By Alessia Passafiume

An internal audit says more than 130 Indigenous artworks were unaccounted for in a collection managed by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

The report, dated last November, was published earlier this month on the department’s website and looks into the practices of the Indigenous Art Centre.

The audit notes the collection managed by that body consists of more than 5,000 artworks from First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists, valued at roughly $14.4 million.

The audit says the 132 unaccounted for artworks include pieces where the last known location is known but they could not be found.

It offers several recommendations to the department, including to keep better records of where pieces are located and to improve the monitoring and oversight processes of employees tasked with managing the collection.

The audit warns there’s an “increased risk of theft and security breaches” that can go undetected without proper monitoring structures in place.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2025.