This is a problem that's been coming for a while. Some of the more hysterical comments on this act like it's an intended cultural genocide; it's not cultural, it's legal. A person's culture is not the same as legal status, though there is a connection; it's absolutely critical that who is legally an Indian be strictly delineated, given all the treaty rights that Indians have.
The mentioned remedy, that is, handing over the definiton of Status Indians to the bands themselves, makes sense. Ottawa is doubtless reluctant because they're not sure how far the bands would choose to extend these rights (recall whenever the idea of reparations for slavery comes up, one of the big points of discussion is who would qualify, given that there are millions of 'white' Americans with slave ancestry). Of course, the bands would generally probably be judicious with that, since legal status is also major cultural leverage, so they wouldn't want to dilute it.
Trudeau's lasting failure was that he never pressed ahead with the recommendations outlined in the White Paper and that he compounded this failure by enshrining native rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Since then it has one debacle after another. It is hard to imagine anything so stupid as massively extending the number of status Indians. Such a ruling almost has been wishing that Harper would win a majority on the off hand chance he might bring so common sense to the issue.
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This is a problem that's been coming for a while. Some of the more hysterical comments on this act like it's an intended cultural genocide; it's not cultural, it's legal. A person's culture is not the same as legal status, though there is a connection; it's absolutely critical that who is legally an Indian be strictly delineated, given all the treaty rights that Indians have.
The mentioned remedy, that is, handing over the definiton of Status Indians to the bands themselves, makes sense. Ottawa is doubtless reluctant because they're not sure how far the bands would choose to extend these rights (recall whenever the idea of reparations for slavery comes up, one of the big points of discussion is who would qualify, given that there are millions of 'white' Americans with slave ancestry). Of course, the bands would generally probably be judicious with that, since legal status is also major cultural leverage, so they wouldn't want to dilute it.
Good point! Thanks!
Trudeau's lasting failure was that he never pressed ahead with the recommendations outlined in the White Paper and that he compounded this failure by enshrining native rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Since then it has one debacle after another. It is hard to imagine anything so stupid as massively extending the number of status Indians. Such a ruling almost has been wishing that Harper would win a majority on the off hand chance he might bring so common sense to the issue.
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