idEntiTy

Indigenous Identity and the Indian Act

Following the Depression and World War II, social awareness arose in Canada and the general public began to take notice of how Indians were treated, especially in light of their significant contributions in both World Wars. At this time, stories about the government-funded residential schools, the abuses, the high death rate, and the overall conditions were creeping out into mainstream society. A Special Joint Committee was established in 1946 to look into Canada’s policies regarding Indians, as well as look into the management of Indian Affairs.

Despite the recommendations of the Committee, the treatment of Indians did not improve under the Indian Act of 1951. It was at this time that a central registry for all people registered under the Act was established.

The next revision of the Indian Act was in 1985 when An Act to amend the Indian Act (Bill C-31) was passed. The criteria used to define who was and who was not a status Indian was expanded considerably.

Indigenous identity

Now that you have an understanding of the motives and the methods used by the government to classify Indians it’s time to take a look at how those motives and methods impacted Indigenous communities, cultures, and traditions in terms of identity.

The assimilation policies caused deep and significant harm to the continuity of families, cultures, languages, and traditions - the very fabric of identity for most Indigenous Peoples. It’s estimated that 150,000 children were sent to residential schools. While at the schools those children were forbidden to speak their home language or practice their spirituality or traditions. When they returned home, many were too traumatized to speak their language, and a great many felt alienated from family and community. And so began the erosion of family and community bonds, language, culture and spirituality - of identity.

Indigenous individuals will often respond to “Where are you from” with the name of their band or nation, not the city, town, or province in which they live. It is also common to hear Indigenous individuals identify themselves in genealogical terms - who their parents and grandparents are. They rarely answer the question with the typical name, profession, and city response that is used by non-Indigenous individuals. Identity is not so much about personal identity as it is about where that person belongs in the collective identity of their band, cultural, or familial collectives.

Indigenous Identity and the Move to Self-Determination

From the perspective of the colonial governments, Indians were initially “savages”, then they were “children” but they were always “others.” Now Indigenous individuals and communities are moving towards self-determination. Communities are increasingly expressing that they are fed up with the historical interference in determining who belongs to their community. They no longer want bureaucrats in Ottawa telling them who are members and who has Indigenous identity.

There will be challenges because some people who were adopted out don’t know who they are.

Self-determination more than ever has become a political force for government to reckon with.

Indigenous identity is complicated but it is getting sorted out. The long-term solution will be self-determination by the communities and not legal decisions passed down by “others.”