INDG 1220 U6

• Bill C-31

  A Canadian bill passed in 1985 that aimed to address gender discrimination in the Indian Act by reinstating Indian status to women who had lost it through marriage to non-Indigenous men and their descendants
• Enfranchisement

  The process by which Indigenous peoples lost their status as registered Indians under the Indian Act, often through marriage to non-Indigenous individuals or accepting certain government policies
• John Brandt

  A Mohawk leader and political figure who advocated for Indigenous rights and sovereignty, particularly during the 19th century
• Wabasha

  A historic Dakota (Sioux) leader and chief of the Mdewakanton Dakota tribe, known for his leadership during the early 19th century
• Niagara Operation

  A government initiative in the 1950s that aimed to address unemployment and economic challenges among Indigenous peoples in Niagara Falls, Ontario, by providing job training and employment opportunities
• Tecumseh


  • Leader of a pan-Indigenous resistance movement against American expansion into Indigenous lands
  • Shawnee leader and warrior
  • Defended Indigenous territories, cultures, and sovereignty against American encroachment
  • Operated in present-day United States and Canada, particularly the Midwest and Great Lakes regions
  • Late 18th to early 19th centuries
• The Royal Proclamation


  • Issued by King George III of Great Britain
  • Established British policies for Indigenous lands and relations in North America
  • Regulated and controlled British colonial expansion and Indigenous-settler relations
  • Issued in 1763
  • Applied to British North America (present-day Canada) and British colonies in North America
• Gradual Enfranchisement Act

  • Legislation passed by the Canadian government in 1869
  • Aimed to assimilate Indigenous peoples by gradually granting them citizenship rights and removing their status as registered Indians
  • Undermined Indigenous sovereignty
• Manitoba Act

  • Legislation passed by the Canadian government and involving Indigenous peoples of Manitoba
  • Created the province of Manitoba and established terms for Indigenous land rights and representation in government
  • Addressed Indigenous land claims and political representation in the newly formed province
  • Passed in 1870
• Inuit Inclusion and Repeal in the Indian Act

  • Inclusion of Inuit peoples in the Indian Act occurred in the 1930s revisions
  • Repeal of Inuit inclusion occurred in 1951
  • Asserted Canadian government control over Inuit peoples and aimed to assimilate them into mainstream Canadian society
• The Indian Act divisions created legal distinctions and hierarchies among Indigenous peoples based on factors such as blood quantum, marital status, and gender, leading to discrimination, loss of rights, and fragmentation of Indigenous communities
• Series of amendments to the Indian Act from 1876-1950 imposed government control over Indigenous peoples, including restricting cultural practices, regulating land use, and promoting assimilation policies
• The Canadian government has historically been reluctant to officially recognize Métis peoples as distinct Indigenous peoples with rights and sovereignty, leading to legal and political struggles for recognition and rights
• Government policies and programs forcibly relocated Inuit communities from traditional territories to settlements and reserves, disrupting traditional ways of life and cultural practices
• The Royal Proclamation's recognition of Indigenous land rights and treaties influenced legal arguments in the Manitoba Métis Federation Supreme Court case, which addressed Métis land claims and rights in Manitoba
• The establishment of reserves through treaties and government policies allocated land to Indigenous peoples but often confined them to small, marginal territories, limiting their autonomy and access to resources