APTN National News
Can the Indian Act be dismantled?
The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations believes so.
The organization is holding a two day forum examining the issue.
National Chief Shawn Atleo joins us from Vancouver to speak about how the Act can be removed and what this means for First Nations communities.
I am in favour of scrapping the hated Indian Act. Chief Atleo is thinking about all Indians,especially people like myself who are pevented from being registered as band members because sections of the Act are discriminating. My father is on the Ermineskin Band list but the Indian Act disqalifies me. Changes in the Act in 1985 giving the band to makeup their own band membership rules made me a landless as well as a homeless Indian. What’s even more frustrating the Registrar at Indian Affairs told me that a secton of the Act pertaining to the Half-Breed Scrip, which states: a male person who’s ancestors took this land scrip will never become band members. Any other person regadless of color or race can qualify to become a band member before me unless this Act is scrapped