Legislation
In 1982 the Métis were officially recognized in the Canadian Constitution as one of the three Aboriginal Peoples of Canada.
From 1951 onward, Indian women who married men without Indian status lost their own Indian Status, until the law was repealed in 1985 by Bill C-31. They, along with their children, lost Indian status, the right to live in the reserve community, and the right to treaty benefits.
In December 2006, the federal government introduced legislation to repeal section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act which prevents First Nations peoples living or working on reserves from making complaints of discrimination related to actions taken or decisions made based on the Indian Act.
There are 8 Métis Settlements in Alberta. The settlements are governed by the Métis Settlements General Council which has legislative authority over membership, hunting, fishing, trapping, timber and other matters relating to land. These laws (General Council Policies) are equal in status to other provincial laws.
Until the 1940's, First Nations people enrolling in post-secondary institutions were required to surrender their status as "Indians" through a process called enfranchisement.
Until 1960, registered First Nations people were required to give up their treaty rights and status under the Indian Act in order to vote in federal or provincial elections. This requirement was removed by the federal government in 1960 and by the Alberta government in 1965.
(Teachers' Guides for Junior and Senior High included)
Alberta has the only legislated land-base for the Métis in Canada.
