Welcome to the joint initiative of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) and the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, raising awareness and inspiring action to end the longstanding injustices caused by discriminatory provisions in Canada’s Indian Act. 

For decades, First Nations families – particularly women and their descendants - have faced systemic discrimination under the Indian Act, leading to the loss of Indian status, band membership, and access to critical rights and entitlements. These colonial laws and policies, designed to assimilate Indigenous peoples, have created intergenerational harm and fractured families and communities. 

The federal government continues to take a piecemeal approach to changing discriminatory provisions within the Indian Act, without fully addressing systemic inequities and delaying the implementation of several pieces of legislation, resulting in ongoing discrimination that is a threat to the cohesion of our families and the population of our Nations.

Why This Matters

Restoring justice and equality for First Nations women and families is critical to advancing reconciliation and honoring the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples. Historical and ongoing discrimination in the Indian Act disproportionately affects First Nations women and their descendants, stripping them of their rights and erasing their voices from governance and community life. These injustices have led to:

• Loss of identity and cultural connection for individuals and families.
• Divisions within communities, where some members are granted status and others are excluded.
• Reduced political representation and diminished roles for women and marginalized groups in decision-making processes.
• Implications for the First Nations population, including a gradual erosion of recognized status holders.

Recent projections indicate that 27% of B.C. First Nations peoples are registered as 6(2) in the Indian Registry. Unless they parent with another status person, their future descendants will no longer be entitled to registration under the Indian Act, and they will no longer have access to the rights and entitlements that the government provides those individuals. Within one generation 1 in every 4 children born on reserve is expected to lack registration entitlement and eligibility. This is a result of the second-generation cut-off. 

Why Act Now

The upcoming federal consultation Collaborative Process presents a critical opportunity to address ongoing discrimination in the Indian Act. By participating and advocating for substantive change, we can ensure that the voices of First Nations women, descendants, and communities are heard, and that the federal government takes definitive action.

As a First Nation citizen, your voice matters. Together, we can hold the Canadian government accountable and ensure that these inequities are eliminated once and for all.

Here’s how you can help: