SCO Calls on Parliament to End Legislative Discrimination

Press Release

February 19, 2026

“No government should have the power to decide who belongs in our Nations or who is worthy of Status. Members of Parliament have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to correct this injustice.”

– Grand Chief Jerry Daniels

ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) has launched a campaign to call on Members of Parliament to end the second-generation cut-off in The Indian Act. The campaign includes efforts to educate the public on this issue, including informational billboards displayed in airports and Winnipeg, Treaty One Territory.

The second-generation cut-off is a discriminatory provision. It prevents many First Nations people with status under The Indian Act from passing entitlement on to their children and grandchildren if they choose a non-status partner.

It is also important to recognize that the second-generation cut-off continues a legacy of sex-based discrimination in The Indian Act. Historically, First Nations women who married non-Status partners were far more likely to lose their status and their ability to pass identity on to their children. The ongoing effects of this policy continue to disproportionately impact First Nations women, their families, and future generations, having profound and lasting impacts on First Nations.

In late 2025, the Senate passed amendments to Bill S-2, which is legislation addressing the second-generation cut-off. These developments have brought renewed attention to the issue. While the proposed changes aim to end the second-generation cut-off and have advanced through the Senate, final action now rests with the House of Commons. SCO stresses that any delay or inaction will allow discriminatory conditions to continue affecting First Nations citizens. SCO urges Manitoba Members of Parliament to vote against this racist provision.

“The Indian Act has been used for generations as a tool to control and erase First Nations identity,” said Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “The second-generation cut-off is one of the clearest examples of cultural genocide. It has separated families, undermined our Nations, and denied children their rightful place in their Nations.”

SCO emphasizes that ending the second-generation cut-off is not a symbolic gesture—it is a necessary step towards upholding basic human rights and fulfilling Canada’s commitments to reconciliation.

At the SCO Chiefs-in-Summit held in January 2026, a resolution was made to end the second-generation cut-off. The resolution passed unanimously. Chief Gordon Bluesky moved the resolution.

“First Nations identity is not something Parliament should be defining or limiting,” shared Chief Gordon Bluesky of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation. “Southern First Nations have the inherent right and authority to determine our own citizenship and eligibility for registration. No government should have the power to decide who belongs in our Nations or who is worthy of Indian Status. Members of Parliament have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to correct this injustice.”

SCO is calling on the Government of Canada to ensure equitable funding is in place for First Nations citizens, as Bill S-2 amendments are expected to significantly increase the registered population.

“This is about fairness, equality, and dignity,” Grand Chief Daniels said. “Ending legislative discrimination against First Nations families is long overdue. SCO encourages all citizens of our member Nations to connect with Manitoba Members of Parliament and urge them to vote against the second-generation cut-off. Parliament must act now.”

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The Southern Chiefs’ Organization represents 33 First Nations and more than 92,000 citizens in what is now called southern Manitoba. SCO is an independent political organization that protects, preserves, promotes, and enhances First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.

For media inquiries:

Email: Media@scoinc.mb.ca

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