Wesakechak

The Conservative government introduced new legislation to amend the Indian Act that, if passed, could recognize an additional 45,000 Canadians as status Indians.

“This addresses the difference in treatment between how descendants of aboriginal women who marry non-aboriginal people are treated differently than aboriginal men. So this is a gender equity issue,” said Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl, who introduced the bill in the House of Commons on Thursday.

Under the proposed legislation, the grandchildren of women who marry non-natives would be granted Indian status. People who have registered Indian status are entitled to certain benefits, tax exemptions, federal programs and rights guaranteed under specific treaties.

The changes come after Ottawa lost a court case challenging the discrepancies in the way men and women are treated when it comes to Indian status under the Indian Act.

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Indian Status entitles a person to a wide range of services and programs. Take a look at the full news article from the CBC News web site here.