Indian Act Research Paper

The year marked 1876, and the Canadian government had just passed the Indian Act, a way of comprehending native identity. This act focuses on Indian status, Indian reserves, and bands. The laws within this act have been extremely controversial, as it allows Canadian government to manage the lives, and communities of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The governments control was able to place Indians in predetermined areas, known as reservations, as well as limit the practice of Native American ethics, culture, and tradition, by the creation of tribal band councils. Perhaps the most widely recognized part of the Indian act, allows councils to define who is able to qualify for Indian status. This piece of legislature heavily oppresses aboriginal …show more content…
Despite the mother being of Kahnawake blood, the family is denied acceptance due to the mother deciding to marry out of the tribe, a white man she had met from Texas. This is a prime example of gender discrimination found in the Indian Act, and was highly criticized by Aboriginal women, specifically Jeanette Corbiere, and Yvonne Bedard, who took the Government to court over violation of the Canadian Bill of Rights. Section 12 of the Indian Act states that “a status Indian woman who married a non-Indian man would cease to be an Indian” (Indigenous Foundations). This means the woman would lose treaty and health benefits, status, and even be removed from the reserve. One primary reason for controversy over the Indian Act was gender discrimination. Look further into the bill and you will find out that if an Indian man marries a non-Status woman, he would keep all his rights, along with granting status to the non-native woman. Since the creation of Section 12, the Indian Act was amended in 1985, and a Bill known as C-31 had passed fixing gender discrimination issues previously noted. Bill C-31 was also passed so those who previously lost status would be able to regain it, however it would only be passed for one