Status Indians
Status Indians, also referred to as treaty Indians, are Indigenous peoples in Canada who are registered under the Indian Act and belong to a First Nation with a signed treaty with the Canadian government. This legal status provides them with specific rights and benefits associated with being First Nation members. The term "Indian" broadly encompasses Indigenous peoples in Canada, excluding Inuit and Métis; however, many prefer identifiers like "First Nations" or "aboriginals." The Indian Act, established in 1876, defines three categories of Indigenous peoples: status, non-status, and treaty Indians. Approximately 5 percent of Canada's population has Indigenous ancestry, which includes over 630 recognized First Nations communities and a rich diversity of cultures and languages. Historically, relations between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian government have been challenging, marked by discrimination and paternalism, with significant rights being denied until the latter half of the twentieth century. Landmark legislation, such as Bill C-31 in 1985, aimed to rectify past injustices by restoring status to those who had lost it and granting First Nations more control over their membership. Understanding the complexities of Status Indians is essential for recognizing their rights and the historical context of their relationship with the Canadian state.
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Status Indians
Also known as treaty Indians, Status Indians are Indigenous peoples of Canada who belong to a First Nation with a signed treaty with the Canadian government and are legally recognized and registered under the Indian Act. This status gives them rights and benefits as First Nation Members. The term “Indian” describes all Indigenous people in Canada who are not Inuit or Métis. All three, Indians, Inuit, and Métis, are collectively recognized as “aboriginal” under the Constitution Act of 1982. (Many Indians prefer to be known as “First Nations” or “aboriginals.”) While “Indian” has historical significance, it is not an appropriate term in the twenty-first century. Indigenous peoples of Canada may be referred to as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis.
The 1876 Indian Act recognizes three legal definitions for Indigenous peoples in Canada: status, nonstatus (those who are not registered under the Indian Act), and treaty Indians (virtually identical with status). In the twenty-first century, around 5 percent of Canada's population has Indigenous ancestry. There are more than 630 recognized First Nations communities, representing more than fifty nations or cultural groups with nearly sixty languages.
Relations between Indigenous peoples in Canada and the Canadian government have frequently been difficult and discriminatory, as the history of the Indian Act makes clear. It was not until 1960 that First Nation peoples in Canada could vote in federal elections. Before then, many other rights were similarly nonexistent or arbitrarily withdrawn. For example, First Nation peoples lost their status if they left the reserve and moved elsewhere in the country or married an individual of a different ethnicity. Relations were typically conducted in a paternalistic and colonial fashion. Many past problems and injustices were addressed in the June 1985, legislation commonly known as Bill C-31, an Act to Amend the Indian Act. This legislation sought to end discrimination, restore status to those who had lost it, and give First Nations the right of control over their own membership.
Bibliography
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Crey, Karrmen, and Eric Hanson. "Indian Status." Indigenous Foundations, First Nations Studies Program, U of British Columbia, 2009, indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/indian‗status. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.
"First Nations People in Canada." Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Government of Canada, 13 Mar. 2014.
"Frequently Asked Questions about Aboriginal Peoples." Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Government of Canada, 15 Sept. 2010.
Narine, Shari. "Appeals Court Tidies up Ruling on Métis, Non-Status Indians." Windspeaker, vol. 32, no. 2, 2014, p. 9.
O'Donnell, Vivian, and Susan Wallace. "First Nations, Métis and Inuit Women." Statistics Canada. Government of Canada, 30 Apr. 2014.