Senate committee hears calls to remove second-generation cut-off from Indian Act

Indigenous leaders urged the Senate to remove the "second-generation cut-off" from the Indian Act, arguing Bill S-2 doesn't go far enough to end discrimination. Witnesses told the Senate committee that while Bill S-2 addresses some sex-based discrimination and enfranchisement issues, it fails to resolve deeper injustices like the second-generation cut-off, which removes status after two generations with one non-status parent. Experts estimate removing the cut-off could make hundreds of thousands eligible for status, highlighting the need for Indigenous peoples to determine their own membership according to their laws.