The Prince Albert Indian Métis Friendship Centre will be hosting the feast and forum Tuesday evening (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Indian act amendments

Provincial group coming to P.A. to get feedback on proposed federal bill

Mar 11, 2019 | 5:40 PM

Prince Albert’s Indian Métis Friendship Centre is set to host an important event Tuesday evening.

Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan will host a Forum and Feast starting at 5 p.m. At this event the organization hopes to get feedback from community members about proposed changes to the Indian Act, which is working its way through the upper house in Bill S-3.

Alicia Buckley, the program manager for Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan, told paNOW the changes could have major implications.

“Bill S-3 is allowing more people to be able to obtain their status, whether it was lost through marriage or through disenfranchisement and things like that,” she said.

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Historically Indigenous women lost their status under the legislation if they married a man who did not have status. There were also those who lost their status by agreeing to what was called ‘enfranchisement.’

Buckley said as the changes to the legislation, the federal government provided grant money to Aboriginal Friendship Centres of Saskatchewan to get feedback and compile the report.

One of the potential amendments includes eliminating the 1951 cut off, which would help to extend status to those grandchildren born or adopted prior to Sept. 4 1951.

Along with dealing with gender biases in the current legislation, Buckley said another important issue is determining who has the authority to grant a person status.

“That would be looking at the devolution of responsibility for the Indian register,” she said. “We’ve heard different discussions. Whether it should be up to bands themselves, or should be maybe a third party, should stay with the federal government.”

With status changes, bands could see memberships grow.

“A lot of funding could be changed or switched around,” Buckley said.

This is the second trip Buckley and her group will be making to Prince Albert. The last meeting did not have a good turnout, but she is optimistic they will get more people turning out for their meeting Tuesday evening.

“[These] amendments to the Indian Act will be impacting a lot of people,” she said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn