Proposed status legislation an ambitious attempt to right Indian Act’s historical wrongs

Opinion

Imagine if the United States had the power to determine Canadian citizenship.

It would mean American lawmakers, American judges and American voters would be able to dictate who is and who is not a Canadian.

If Americans didn’t like a decision made by Canadians, for example, they could just simply announce whose opinions, perspectives and votes matter and whose don’t.

Sounds absurd, really.

Any nation that gives up the right to independently determine who makes up its citizenry — and decide who is entitled to the rights, responsibilities and privileges of living in that society — essentially gives up the power to determine what it is and where it is going.

Welcome to First Nations life.

Since Day 1 of Canada’s existence, First Nations have never had the legal ability to deter