Indigenous and Northern Affairs

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs met to study Bill S-2, an Act to amend the Indian Act on new registration entitlements, hearing from Chief Sidney Peters of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, Deputy Chief Jeff Forbes of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, lawyer Drew Lafond as an individual, and Chief Delbert Wapass of Thunderchild First Nation.

Chief Sidney Peters testified that the second-generation cut-off is discriminatory and rooted in colonial assimilation, causing community members to lose status and access to services like housing and education. He called for the passage of Bill S-2 as amended by the Senate, noting that 533 of 634 First Nations supported the Senate version, and emphasized that First Nations should determine their own citizenship, not the federal government.

Deputy Chief Jeff Forbes shared that his own children are denied status due to the second-generation cut-off, and that his nation of 254 members faces potential extinction within this century if the rule remains. He urged immediate action, disagreeing with the minister’s call for more consultation, and stated that the Anishinabek Nation’s 39 member nations all support ending the cut-off.

Drew Lafond argued that the current registration regime is a constitutional deficiency and a human rights liability, and that any federal fix must be paired with a mechanism for First Nations to assume exclusive jurisdiction over citizenship. He recommended implementing a single-parent rule immediately as a transitional measure, with a statutory commitment and timeline for an opt-out First Nation citizenship framework, citing Bill S-3 and Bill C-92 as precedents.

Chief Delbert Wapass stated that the Indian Act’s “disappearing Indian formula” is a tool of genocide and that Canada must end discrimination now, with further jurisdiction issues negotiated later. He supported Bill S-2 as amended by the Senate as a short-term step, but stressed that First Nations have inherent sovereignty to determine their own citizenship, and that consultation cannot be used to delay action when courts and the United Nations have already called for change.

During questions, members explored the urgency of the bill, the recent court denial of an extension in the Nicholas case, and the need for long-term First Nations jurisdiction over citizenship. Witnesses consistently agreed that the second-generation cut-off must be eliminated without further delay, with Lafond and Chief Wapass noting that any solution must eventually transfer control of citizenship to First Nations, while Chief Peters and Deputy Chief Forbes emphasized the immediate human cost of inaction. No procedural debate, motions, or votes occurred during the meeting.