By Bhagyashree Chatterjee Local Journalism Initiative Who gets to decide who belongs? Bills C-31 and S-3 changed the rules for Indian status, aiming to fix decades of unfair policies in the Indian Act. But these changes have brought new questions and challenges for communities like the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), where membership and identity are deeply tied to these rules. Here’s what these bills changed and why they still matter today. Bill C-31: correcting discrimination in 1985 In 1985, the federal government passed Bill C-31 to address discrimination that had been embedded in the Indian Act for decades. Before this amendment, Indigenous women lost their status if they married non-status men. By contrast, Indigenous men kept their status when marrying non-status women. What Bill C-31 changed: Women who lost their…
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