Claudette Dumont Smith appointed Ministerial Special Representative to lead consultations on reform of Indian Act status, band membership and First Nations citizenship
GATINEAU, QC, June 12, 2018 /CNW/ - Today, the Government of Canada announced the launch of consultations under the Collaborative Process on issues of Indian registration, band membership, and First Nation citizenship.
Ms. Claudette Dumont-Smith has been appointed as the Minister's Special Representative (MSR) to lead the consultations to ensure that the dialogues account for and reflect the diversity of viewpoints of the participating individuals and communities. In this role, Ms. Dumont-Smith will lend her expertise to the process and lead various consultation activities where First Nations and Indigenous groups will come together to discuss the issues at the heart of the Collaborative Process.
The collaborative process will involve comprehensive consultation and joint work with First Nations, Indigenous groups, experts and impacted individuals on Indian registration, band membership, and First Nation citizenship reform.
Ms. Dumont-Smith will also prepare a final report on consultation activities including summaries of the input received during the process and recommendations to be used in the preparation of a report to Parliament to be tabled by June 12, 2019.
The Government remains firm in its commitment to ensure that this process will meaningfully inform future reform of Indian registration, band membership, and First Nation citizenship.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada is committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination from the registration provisions of the Indian Act going back to its inception over 100 years ago and to remove barriers to First Nations self-determination regarding membership and citizenship. I am grateful that Ms. Dumont-Smith has accepted the appointment as Ministerial Special Representative to lead the collaborative process to develop a comprehensive path forward in full partnership with First Nations."
The Honourable Carolyn Bennett,
Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, M.D.,P.C., M.P.
"I look forward to working with the Department on the Collaborative Process and providing guidance on the development of the consultation process and leadership in the engagement sessions to obtain input from First Nations, Indigenous groups and impacted individuals."
Ms. Claudette Dumont-Smith,
Minister's Special Representative
Quick facts
- Departmental representatives will hold information sessions with interested First Nations and Indigenous groups from June to September 2018 to provide information on the current issues around Indian registration and the consultation process.
- The Minister's Special Representative's work will begin in summer 2018 and continue through June 2019. Regional events will be led by the MSR from September 2018 to February 2019, across the country to consult and provide a forum for discussion on the issues identified in the Consultation Plan.
- Community sessions will be organized by First Nations, Indigenous groups or by the government from September 2018 to March 2019. Proposal-based funding will be made available to any First Nation or Indigenous group that submits a proposal and qualifies for funding to participate in the Collaborative Process.
- An online survey will be available from September 2018 to February 2019 to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to provide direct and confidential input into the process, with copies available in print through the Department.
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Backgrounder
Date: June 12, 2018
Consultations on the Broader Issues Relating to Indian Registration, Band Membership and First Nation Citizenship
In keeping with Canada's commitment to reconciliation and a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples, the Government is committed to working collaboratively with First Nations, Indigenous groups, and impacted individuals on Indian registration, band membership, and First Nation citizenship reform.
The purpose of the Collaborative Process on Indian Registration, Band Membership, and First Nation Citizenship is threefold:
- to consult on the implementation of the delayed coming-into-force clauses in Bill S-3 to remove 1951 cut-off from the Indian Act;
- to seek input on how to best address any remaining inequities related to registration and membership under the Indian Act; and
- to begin discussions on the devolution to First Nations of the exclusive responsibility for the determination of the identity of their members.
Discussions with First Nations and Indigenous groups to co-design the Collaborative Process were launched in the Fall of 2017. On May 10, 2018, the 'Report to Parliament on the Design of a Collaborative Process on Indian Registration, Band Membership and First Nation Citizenship' was tabled. The Collaborative Process was officially launched on June 12, 2018.
Ms. Claudette Dumont-Smith has been appointed as the Minister's Special Representative (MSR) to lead the consultations and to ensure that the dialogues account for and reflect the diversity of viewpoints of the participating individuals and communities.
The Minister's Special Representative will lend her expertise to the process and lead various consultation activities including regional events where First Nations and Indigenous groups will come together to discuss the issues at the heart of the Collaborative Process.
The Department has also created an Indigenous Advisory Panel consisting of one member selected by each of three national Indigenous organizations which represent individuals and communities impacted by Indian Act status, band membership and First Nation citizenship. The three national Indigenous organizations are:
- Assembly of First Nations (AFN);
- Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC); and
- Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP).
The Panel will provide advice and guidance to the Department and the MSR, as well as review documents, and provide suggestions, for materials used during the Collaborative Process.
The consultation process will begin with an information sharing period and will focus on three streams: the implementation of the removal of the 1951 cut-off, other remaining inequities related to registration and membership under the Indian Act, and next steps for broader reform, including possible devolution to First Nations of the responsibility for determining registration, membership and First Nations citizenship.
The Minister's Special Representative will prepare a final report, including recommendations to be used for the preparation of a June 2019 report to Parliament. The report will specifically address required elements of an implementation plan for the removal of the 1951 cut-off. It will also include input and recommendations on possible broader reform of Indian Act status, band membership and First Nations citizenship.
Associated Links
Eliminating known sex-based inequities in Indian registration
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SOURCE Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
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