Timeline of the Indian Act (1876-1985)
Category: Other
Updated: 18 Dec 2019
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Created byVince Amigable
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Events
The Indian Act is enacted
(Indian Act becomes law)Residential schools become official policy
(Residential schools forcibly removed First Nations children from their families and communities to attend distant schools, where many died and many more suffered abuse.)Political organizing and cultural activities legalized
(It was no longer illegal for Indigenous Peoples to organize politically to fight for their rights. And performing cultural activities was no longer illegal.)First Nations people no longer forced to give up their “status”
(It was no longer possible for the government to force people to give up their “Indian status” and lose their Indigenous rights. Passed into law in April 1985 to bring the Indian Act into line with gender equality under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.)Periods
Aboriginal ceremonies banned
(The Indian Act banned ceremonies such as the potlatch, ghost dance, and sun dance.)Reserve land taken from bands without consent
(The government could take reserve land from bands without their consent and could also lease reserve land to settlers without the band’s agreement.)Traditional and ceremonial clothing banned
(It was illegal for Indigenous Peoples to wear their traditional and ceremonial clothing.)Status Indians barred from seeking legal advice, fundraising, or meeting in groups
(It was illegal for Status Indians to hire lawyers or seek legal advice, fundraise for land claims, or meet in groups. Many had to stop organizing, but others continued to do so secretly to fight for their rights.)
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