Addressing Lost Status: Govt Addressing Lost Status: Govt. attempt at reconciling those that unfairly lost status Bill C-31 Abocide??

Unfairly losing “status” - reminder First Nations lost (or could lose) status if: -earned university degree -went to war -received Veterans Land Act -convicted of a criminal activity -wanted to vote in an election

Indian Act “Status” Criteria 3 main criteria: 1. Any male person of FN blood belonging to a band 2. The children of such a person 3. His wife *** Why does this need to be changed? ***

“Status” and Women = UNFAIR “Indian Status” was discriminatory and unfair for women: Women lost status if: -married non-native (children lost status as well) -her husband lost status or relinquished status Also: -if a woman married a man from a different band her status transferred to her husbands band Men However…. -could marry non-native and still retain status

Double Mother Rule Automatically lose status if: -mother and grandmother gained status through marriage -Children lost status at magical age of 21 Example: Status male marries non native women – have girl Girl marries status man – have child(ren)  at age 21 that child lost status

Bill C-31 – designed to fix “lost status” -addressed “lost status” issues -focused specifically on returning status to those that unfairly lost status -gave Bands control over membership (not DIA)

Bill C-31 comparison Bill C-31 Criteria: Old Criteria: Status is given to: * those who have two status parents OR *1 status parent whose parents were both status Old Criteria: Status given to: *Any male person of FN blood belonging to a band *The children of such a person *His wife

Bill C-31 - Analysis The positives: -115,000+ FN’s have (re)gained “status” -band control over membership (instead of DIA) The Cons: -FNs must maintain racial purity -Leads to avoiding marriage with non-aboriginals  failure to do this = lost status Result: -Bill C-31 is referred to as the ABOCIDE BILL -Abocide meaning “Aboriginal-cide” [genocide] -general decrease in # of “Status” FNs

"We have to ask what would happen if all status indians alive today married a non-indian or someone without status, and their children did the same: within two generations, there would be no status Indians left in Canada." The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, 1985.

Why is status sooo imporantant? No Status = no rights Non-status Indians therefore DO NOT receive the same rights as STATUS INDIANS non-status indians are denied or cannot:  Hunting and Fishing  Practice traditions  Receive compensation  tax exemptions  access to social / economic programs

Jan 8, 2013 UPDATE Landmark court decision: -All Aboriginal Canadians now considered “Status Indians” and thus, should receive the same rights and benefits - Metis / Non-Status / Status / Inuit