The committee was studying Bill S-2, which addresses discrimination in the Indian Act, and heard from Senator Michèle Audette, Dalia Edwards, Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, Chief Derek Epp, Councillor Hayden Guilderson, Cynthia Lapierre, Chief Marsha Smoke, National Chief Cindy Woodhouse-Nepinak, Mario Huneault, and William David.
Senator Michèle Audette argued that the Indian Act creates two distinct constitutional regimes—one protecting rights and one extinguishing them—and that the Senate amendments, particularly eliminating the second-generation cut-off, are essential to ensure equality. She noted that the James Bay Cree already use a one-parent rule, proving it works, and urged Parliament to pass the bill as amended, with parallel support for nations to develop their own membership approaches.
Dalia Edwards shared her personal story of how status rules divide indigenous families, with her children potentially denied access to their community despite their proud lineage. She called on Parliament to end the second-generation cut-off, stating that indigenous people cannot wait another half-century for decisions and that first nations should implement their own plans for belonging.
Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler emphasized that the solution to Bill S-2 is to give authority and jurisdiction back to communities to determine their own people, rather than trying to fix the colonial Indian Act. He expressed frustration with Canada's inconsistent consultation, citing Bill C-5 as an example where first nations were excluded, and urged the committee to move forward to end harms to women and children.
Chief Derek Epp and Councillor Hayden Guilderson of Tzeachten First Nation supported Bill S-2 with Senate amendments intact, noting that their section 10 membership code already uses a one-parent rule but Canada does not recognize it, putting the nation on a path to legislative extinction. They recommended an opt-in, nation-to-nation implementation approach that includes fiscal planning, capacity support, and respect for first nations jurisdiction, and disagreed with calls for more consultation, stating their community is ready.
Cynthia Lapierre, a Wendat descendant of a woman who lost status for marrying a non-indigenous man, warned that 87% of registered Wendat under age 39 are subsection 6(2) and cannot pass on status, leading to extinction within 50 to 70 years. She called on Parliament to pass Bill S-2 with Senate amendments, arguing that the second-generation cut-off is genocide in real time and that children are being erased as "ghosts" in their communities.
Chief Marsha Smoke of the Anishinabek Nation supported immediate passage of Bill S-2 with the one-parent rule, stating that consultation is being weaponized to delay equality and that the real issue is land and resources. She argued that the federal government must fix its discriminatory legislation while first nations handle implementation, and that delays are a smokescreen for broader concerns about cost and control.
National Chief Cindy Woodhouse-Nepinak of the Assembly of First Nations called the second-generation cut-off a blood quantum rule rooted in colonialism that erodes identity and violates the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She urged a co-developed national implementation framework after passage, with stable funding for housing, health, and infrastructure, and stressed that first nations are ready to move forward without further delay.
Mario Huneault of Les Enfants d'Aataentsic described the pain of Wendat children who are "ghosts" in their community, denied access to school, healthcare, and cultural activities, and said further consultations are an insult. He demanded that Parliament pass Bill S-2 with Senate amendments to end the programmed extinction of his people within 70 years.
William David, in-house legal counsel for the Assembly of First Nations, offered a legal opinion that the second-generation cut-off would very likely be held inconsistent with the Charter, particularly under section 6, though he was less certain about section 11.
The committee also debated scheduling priorities, with some members pushing for an affordability study and a minister's appearance on Kashechewan, while others insisted on finishing Bill S-2 first. The chair was asked to develop a work plan to balance these requests before the summer recess.
AI-generated summary — may contain errors; verify against the official evidence.