Intro to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada

 

-    In Section Thirty-five of the Constitution Act, 1982, "Aboriginal peoples of Canada" includes the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples

o  The term “Aboriginal peoples” is slowly being replaced by the term “Indigenous peoples”

o  "Native American" is not used in Canada – it describes the indigenous peoples of the present-day United States

o  Indian remains in place as the legal term used in the Canadian Constitution and it excludes Inuit people

-    The Indian Act of 1985 further divides Indigenous peoples into two categories: Status Indians and Non-Status Indians.

o  Status Indians are individuals who are listed in the Indian Register and are issued identification cards (known as status cards) that contain information about their identity, band and registration number.

o  Non-Status Indians are Indigenous peoples who are not registered with the federal government.