Why does canada have an Indian act

[maryjane48]

Since Canada was created in 1867, the federal government has been in charge of aboriginal affairs. The Indian Act, which was enacted in 1876 and has since been amended, allows the government to control most aspects of aboriginal life: Indian status, land, resources, wills, education, band administration and so on.

Between 1879 and 1996, tens of thousands of First Nations children attended residential schools designed to make them forget their language and culture, where many suffered abuse. On behalf of Canadians, Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a formal apology in 2008 to Canada's Aboriginal Peoples for this policy that sought to "kill the Indian in the child."

The government, and formerly the Crown, had a fiduciary obligation to protect aboriginal interests and the lands reserved for their use during the process of colonization," explains anthropologist Pierre Trudel, an expert on aboriginal issues.



http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/back ... -1.1056988


Very little is known about the pass system. It was a troubling piece of Canadian policy, put in place in 1885 to control the movements of First Nation people, and enforced until the 1940s.

It required all First Nation people living on reserve to get written permission from an Indian agent when they needed to leave their community If caught without a pass, they were either incarcerated or returned to the reserve.


http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/indigenous/ ... -1.3454022

[Urbane]

In 1969 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Indian Affairs Minister Jean Chrétien published a "White Paper" that proposed abolishing the Indian Act, getting rid of the reserves, making payments to individual Natives to help in the transition, and as fully as possible integrating Natives into society. The chiefs screamed, "Cultural genocide" and the government backed off.

It is what it is but one has to wonder if Natives wouldn't be better off if the 1969 White Paper had been enacted into law. Earlier this year I heard a Native leader on CBC radio saying that Canada 150 wasn't something to celebrate and he made a reference to Natives having to live on reserves. The reserve system has worked well for the chiefs and it's no wonder they screamed, "Cultural genocide," but the system hasn't worked out as well for individual Natives.

[Ken7]

In 1969 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Indian Affairs Minister Jean Chrétien published a "White Paper" that proposed abolishing the Indian Act, getting rid of the reserves, making payments to individual Natives to help in the transition, and as fully as possible integrating Natives into society. The chiefs screamed, "Cultural genocide" and the government backed off.

It is what it is but one has to wonder if Natives wouldn't be better off if the 1969 White Paper had been enacted into law. Earlier this year I heard a Native leader on CBC radio saying that Canada 150 wasn't something to celebrate and he made a reference to Natives having to live on reserves. The reserve system has worked well for the chiefs and it's no wonder they screamed, "Cultural genocide," but the system hasn't worked out as well for individual Natives.

I feel they should go ahead and make them part of Canada. We hear it over and over about their reserves, their hardships. It makes more sense to me to mix them in and make them part of Canada, the separation is not healthy for them or others who have become Canadian.

In saying this do we ever get anything from their people as to what they want and see what they too would feel best.

[maryjane48]

In 1969 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Indian Affairs Minister Jean Chrétien published a "White Paper" that proposed abolishing the Indian Act, getting rid of the reserves, making payments to individual Natives to help in the transition, and as fully as possible integrating Natives into society. The chiefs screamed, "Cultural genocide" and the government backed off.

It is what it is but one has to wonder if Natives wouldn't be better off if the 1969 White Paper had been enacted into law. Earlier this year I heard a Native leader on CBC radio saying that Canada 150 wasn't something to celebrate and he made a reference to Natives having to live on reserves. The reserve system has worked well for the chiefs and it's no wonder they screamed, "Cultural genocide," but the system hasn't worked out as well for individual Natives.

No one wants to end indian act more than first nations.problem is settling the treaties. .its canadas govt thst delays the process

Tell your mp to get on with it

[Urbane]

No one wants to end indian act more than first nations.problem is settling the treaties. .its canadas govt thst delays the process

Tell your mp to get on with it

Hmm . . .

As with most social issues, simple remedies do not exist. There is no call for repeal from First Nations or their organizations, which may account for the lack of political appetite for change, even with a plan. Whenever provincial assumption of some program is suggested, First Nation opposition is vehement; special federal status is not to be tampered with. Among the 29 policy topics on the Assembly of First Nations website, “Indian Act” is nowhere to be found.
http://www.lawnow.org/the-indian-act-ca ... abolished/

— Pierre Trudeau attempted to repeal the Indian Act in 1969. Met with deep skepticism by the First Nations, Harold Cardinal wrote then: “In spite of all government attempts to convince Indians to accept the white paper, their efforts will fail because Indians understand that the path outlined by the Department of Indian Affairs through its mouthpiece, Jean Chrétien, leads directly to cultural genocide. We will not walk this path.” What’s the difference now?
Dave Mowat, Alderville First Nation, Roseneath, Ont.
http://nationalpost.com/opinion/letters ... indian-act

So it's not as simple as you suggest MJ.

[seewood]

No one wants to end indian act more than first nations.problem is settling the treaties. .its canadas govt thst delays the process

I understand one of the issues is the various bands defining their traditional territory. BC asked the bands to do this and before we knew it 115 +% of BC was claimed as traditional territory. OK fair enough as we know there will be overlap, but to award bands land where cities and towns are located might be a bit difficult today.
Your right in FN wanting out of the Indian Act, some of them anyway. The rights of women and property rights I believe are archaic but maybe that is on a band by band basis. Care to enlighten?
Some FN find the Indian act an impediment to make positive changes , but some, I understand, don't mind the status quo...perhaps wrong here but friends mother working with FN said much the same.
Going to be some big changes in the future in how BC operates. Glad I'm about to retire...

[Urbane]

^^ Not my quote. That was MJ's.

[hobbyguy]

FN's politics is beyond me in the sense that it is just as complicated as any other set of politics.

I see things like the SCOC challenge brought by a hereditary chief arguing that he, not the elected band council, had the over riding authority to make agreements for the band.

I see things like BC has 8? maybe 10 indigenous languages. That implies 8-10, maybe up to 20 nations. Yet in BC we have 198 First Nations - many of whom, like the West Moberley, split off from the bands they were originally part of.

Then I see things like the group that wants to rename Calgary and I see that as a counterproductive move.

And so it goes.

In the end, the answers may not lie in legislation, and may not lie in FNs as entities, but the people coming together. We are all Canadians, and when folks come to grips with that, even terms like FN could become obsolete. How do we get there?

[Ken7]

Trying to satisfy so many groups will not work. As I see it even if it was a cash payout the limit would be set and then their would be one or two that would buck it.

Years ago the Provinces thought there should be a CANADIAN traffic act so that it would be consistent as you drive from Province to Province.

End of the day, egos get in the way. IF you can't do it on something such as a Provincial Law being turned into a Federal just consider trying to make all bands with their own agenda happy with any given settlement.

I say give Canada back, and I will become a Immigrant and will require, food housing and money to live.

[KevinJP]

The government should suck it in and make a settlement. In return, they should give up their rights under the Indian Act and become live under the laws of Canada and pay taxes. We've been paying civil servants year after year to administer the Act. Cut the department and spend the money on those who need it.

[Ken7]

The government should suck it in and make a settlement. In return, they should give up their rights under the Indian Act and become live under the laws of Canada and pay taxes. We've been paying civil servants year after year to administer the Act. Cut the department and spend the money on those who need it.

I agree with you, I do hope you are under 25 years old, you might see it in your life time. Sadly as I said before having more then ten bands trying to agree to agree will likely never happen.

Lastly I really do not believe they wish to settle the treaties, would it be in their benefit to abolish their Government and cut their monthly paychecks?

[maryjane48]

So hear we have bigot ken trying to imply no natives work and they just sit around waiting for checks


Lol facts are there wont be no settlements with out treatys and land claims settled ss it is in canadas. Rights and freedoms .you know our constatution.

So for ken or any other bigot to put forth the idea there will be some typecof pay out without land claims and treatys. Is a,liar .it wont ever happen that way

[Bsuds]

Lastly I really do not believe they wish to settle the treaties,

Bingo! Give the man a cupie doll.

[Ken7]

Lastly I really do not believe they wish to settle the treaties,

Bingo! Give the man a cupie doll.

Why would they wish to abolish their Government? They as a result of the past Treaties are now your landlord, trust me.

I would not for a moment make changes to settle anything if I was negotiating with the Canadian Government. What would the benefit to doing so be from any business prospective?

Help me if I missing something, but I do believe they have the Government by the short hairs and are in no way wanting settlement, they have a partnership which they can control.

[Ken7]

So hear we have bigot ken trying to imply no natives work and they just sit around waiting for checks

y

LMAO at you is this not the pot calling the kettle black. Again your attempt to put words in ones mouth. As another poster stated you do have difficulty in comprehension.

Oh, and read my post, not for a moment did I suggest that..so why would you?