Indian Register
Encyclopedia
The Indian Register is the official record of Status Indians
or Registered Indians in Canada
. Status Indians have rights and benefits that are not granted to unregistered Indians, Inuit
, or Métis
, the chief benefits of which include the granting of reserves
and of rights associated with them, an extended hunting season
, a less restricted right to bear arms, an exemption from federal and provincial taxes, and more freedom in the management of gaming and tobacco franchises via less government interference and taxes.
The list is maintained by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
. Sole authority for determining who will be registered is vested in the post of Registrar.
In 1850 the colonial governments of British North America
began to keep records of Indians and bands entitled to benefits under treaty
. For 100 years, individual Indian agents made lists of members who belonged to each band. In 1951 the current Indian Register was established by amendment of the Indian Act, and the many band lists were combined into one.
In 1985, the Indian Act was amended again with the goal of restoring Indian status to people who had lost it through discriminatory provisions of the Act, and to their children. Over 100,000 people who had lost their status in this way have since been added to the Register.
The discriminatory reasons for revoking status were:
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
or Registered Indians in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Status Indians have rights and benefits that are not granted to unregistered Indians, Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
, or Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
, the chief benefits of which include the granting of reserves
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
and of rights associated with them, an extended hunting season
Hunting season
A hunting season is the time when it is legal to hunt and kill a particular species.In the United States, each state has primary responsibility and authority over the hunting of wildlife that resides within state boundaries. State wildlife agencies that sell hunting licenses are the best source of...
, a less restricted right to bear arms, an exemption from federal and provincial taxes, and more freedom in the management of gaming and tobacco franchises via less government interference and taxes.
The list is maintained by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Canada)
The Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who heads two different departments...
. Sole authority for determining who will be registered is vested in the post of Registrar.
In 1850 the colonial governments of British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
began to keep records of Indians and bands entitled to benefits under treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
. For 100 years, individual Indian agents made lists of members who belonged to each band. In 1951 the current Indian Register was established by amendment of the Indian Act, and the many band lists were combined into one.
In 1985, the Indian Act was amended again with the goal of restoring Indian status to people who had lost it through discriminatory provisions of the Act, and to their children. Over 100,000 people who had lost their status in this way have since been added to the Register.
The discriminatory reasons for revoking status were:
- marrying a man who was not a Status Indian
- enfranchisement (until 1960, an Indian could voteUniversal suffrageUniversal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
in federal elections only by renouncing Indian status) - having a mother and paternal grandmother who did not have status before marriage (these people lost status at 21)
- being born out of wedlock of a mother with status and a father without.
See also
- Indian and Northern Affairs CanadaIndian and Northern Affairs CanadaThe Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for policies relating to Aboriginal peoples...
- Indian Agent (Canada)Indian Agent (Canada)Indian Agent is the title of a position in Canada mandated by the Indian Act of that country. An Indian Agent was the chief administrator for Indian affairs in their respective districts, although the title now is largely in disuse in preference to Government Agent. The powers of the Indian...
- Royal Commission on Aboriginal PeoplesRoyal Commission on Aboriginal PeoplesThe Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples was a Canadian Royal Commission established in 1991 to address many issues of aboriginal status that had come to light with recent events such as the Oka Crisis and the Meech Lake Accord. The commission culminated in a final report of 4000 pages,...
- Congress of Aboriginal PeoplesCongress of Aboriginal PeoplesCongress of Aboriginal Peoples founded in 1971 as the Native Council of Canada, is a Canadian aboriginal organization, that represents Aboriginal Peoples who live off Indian reserves, either in urban and rural areas across Canada.Each CAP affiliate has its own constitution and is separately...
- The Canadian Crown and First Nations, Inuit and MétisThe Canadian Crown and First Nations, Inuit and MétisThe association between the Canadian Crown and Aboriginal peoples of Canada stretches back to the first interactions between North American indigenous peoples and European colonialists and, over centuries of interface, treaties were established concerning the monarch and aboriginal tribes...
- Canadian Aboriginal case law