Indigenous

Question 1

What are the three groups included in the Aboriginal category according to the 1982 Constitution of Canada?

Answer 1

Status Indians, Inuit, and Métis.

Question 2

What is the Indian Act of 1876?

Answer 2

Legislation that introduced criteria to determine who qualifies as “Indian” and defined how someone could lose their status.

Question 3

What is enfranchisement under the Indian Act?

Answer 3

The process by which individuals could lose or give up their legal Indian status, such as by earning a university degree or marrying a non-Indian.

Question 4

What did Bill C-31 (1985) achieve?

Answer 4

It eliminated enfranchisement provisions, reinstated status for certain individuals, and allowed bands to create their own membership codes.

Question 5

What is the difference between Status and Non-Status Indians?

Answer 5

Status Indians are legally recognized under the Indian Act, while Non-Status Indians lost their status through enfranchisement or are not included in the constitutional definition.

Question 6

What is the Métis National Council’s (MNC) definition of Métis?

Answer 6

A person who self-identifies as Métis, is of historic Métis Nation ancestry, is distinct from other Aboriginal Peoples, and is accepted by the Métis Nation.

Question 7

How does the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples define Métis?

Answer 7

They use an expanded definition, including recent descendants of mixed heritage from various regions.

Question 8

What challenges do Inuit populations face regarding identity?

Answer 8

Early enumeration lacked clear definitions, and the 1939 Supreme Court decision categorized Inuit as “Indians” for constitutional purposes.

Question 9

What is the significance of the 2016 Supreme Court ruling regarding Métis?

Answer 9

It established Métis as a rights-bearing group within federal jurisdiction, granting Indigenous rights such as hunting for food.

Question 10

What are blood quantum rules in membership codes?

Answer 10

Rules determining eligibility for band membership based on the percentage of Indian blood, often requiring 50% or more Native blood.

Question 11

How are Indigenous peoples overrepresented in Canadian prisons?

Answer 11

Indigenous persons, particularly First Nations, are significantly overrepresented in both federal and provincial prisons.

Question 12

What are common disparities faced by Indigenous people in Canada?

Answer 12

Significant disparities in health, income, employment, and education, especially among First Nations living on reserves.

Question 13

Why did the Canadian government switch from “Aboriginal” to “Indigenous” in 2015?

Answer 13

This change was influenced by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Question 14

What are the three models of band membership developed under Bill C-31?

Answer 14

Bands can define membership through one-parent descent, two-parent descent, or blood quantum rules.

Question 15

What is the debate about self-identification as Métis?

Answer 15

It is highly contested, with disagreements about who qualifies and whether census-identifying individuals belong to the Métis Nation.

Question 16

What did the 1939 Supreme Court of Canada ruling determine about Inuit?

Answer 16

For constitutional purposes, the Inuit were considered “Indians,” which impacted their treatment under federal policies.

Question 17

What is the Métis National Council’s (MNC) definition of Métis?

Answer 17

A person who self-identifies as Métis, has historic Métis Nation ancestry, is distinct from other Aboriginal Peoples, and is accepted by the Métis Nation.

Question 18

What rights have recent court decisions established for Métis people?

Answer 18

Métis are a rights-bearing group in Canada with certain Indigenous rights, including those related to hunting for food.

Question 19

What is enfranchisement under the Indian Act?

Answer 19

The process by which individuals could lose their legal Indian status, often tied to marriage, education, or professional achievements.

Question 20

What changes did Bill C-31 (1985) bring to the Indian Act?

Answer 20

It eliminated enfranchisement provisions, reinstated status for certain individuals, and allowed bands to develop their own membership codes.

Question 21

What is the significance of blood quantum rules in band membership?

Answer 21

They base eligibility on the percentage of Indian blood, often criticized for pressuring communities to maintain “racial purity.”

Question 22

How do Indigenous and non-Indigenous conditions in Canada compare?

Answer 22

Indigenous peoples face significant disparities in health, income, employment, and education, with First Nations on reserves experiencing the most challenges.

Question 23

What is the Indigenous resistance movement “Idle No More”?

Answer 23

A social movement advocating for Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and environmental protection.

Question 24

What is the main division within Indigenous communities, according to Menno Boldt?

Answer 24

Between “elite” Indigenous leaders who control resources and the broader Indigenous underclass.

Question 25

What are examples of Indigenous resistance to oppression?

Answer 25

Maintaining traditional practices, legal battles for land rights, self-determination efforts, and cultural revitalization initiatives.