Over 700 Innu community members in Quebec stripped of status take Ottawa to court – CBC

Apr 28, 2026

Decision over 18th-century lineage being challenged by members of Essipit First Nation

More than 700 members of the Innu First Nation of Essipit in Quebec have lost their Indian status following a federal decision that is now being challenged in court.

The names of 738 people — all descendants of Christine Kichera and Adelaïde Matshiragan — have been struck from the Indian Register by the federal Office of the Indian Registrar.

According to their lawyer, Audrey Mayrand, the two women who were Innu lived in the late 1700s and married non-Indigenous men. Under earlier provisions of the Indian Act, Indigenous women who married non-Indigenous men lost their status and could not pass it on to their children.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/hundreds-essipit-innu-9.7179104