Senate and House Must Uphold Vote to Repeal 2nd Generation Cut-Off From the Indian Act

Press Release

December 1, 2025

(Lheidli T’enneh Territory/Prince George and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/Vancouver, B.C. ) – The B.C. Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) and Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) celebrate the recent decision by the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples (“the Committee”), to amend Bill S-2, An Act to Amend the Indian Act (new registration amendments) to eliminate the second-generation cut-off (s. 6(2) Indian Status) and implement a one-parent rule. The BCAFN and UBCIC jointly call upon all Senators and Members of Parliament to pass these expert amendments without delay and to stand with First Nations to end sex and race-based discrimination in the Indian Act, to uphold our human rights as First Nations peoples and prevent legislated extinction.

While the Committee’s decision is an important step in safeguarding the future of First Nations, the amendments must still be approved by the Senate, followed by a vote in the House of Commons. The second-generation cut-off legally bars the transmission of status and associated rights and entitlements to children after two generations of parenting with a non-status person. These assimilationist rules were introduced by Canada in 1985 and will cause the legal extinction of status Indians in only a few generations.

“True reconciliation demands that the Senate and the House of Commons not only recognize, but uphold, the inherent rights of First Nations peoples,” stated BCAFN Regional Chief Terry Teegee. “It is their duty, in alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, to act with integrity and accountability—ensuring that the promises of justice and equality to First Nations families are not just words on paper, but living, tangible rights for generations to come. First Nations families have been calling for these changes for generations, and now the Senate and House of Commons have the opportunity to stand with us.”

“We honour the unwavering leadership of trailblazers like Sharon McIvor, Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, Chief Barbara Cote, and many others whose steadfast advocacy has illuminated the path toward justice,” stated BCAFN Women’s Representative, Cheryl Rule. “Their courage, alongside the collaborative efforts of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Senators, has given Canada a clear way forward to end the sex and race-based discrimination woven into the second-generation cut-off and two-parent rule. Their work stands as a testament to what is possible when truth guides action and reconciliation becomes a shared responsibility.”

Chief Marilyn Slett, UBCIC Secretary-Treasurer concluded, “The Senate and government of Canada have an opportunity to remove discriminatory provisions from the Indian Act once and for all which have harmed generations of First Nations women and their descendants. First Nations have been clear for decades: Canada cannot consult on whether to continue to discriminate against us and can no longer use piecemeal legislation and the politics of delay to deny our children and grandchildren their birthrights. UBCIC implores senators and MPs to listen to the expert advice of the Senate Committee to repeal the second-generation cut-off and restore a one-parent rule for registration, repeal the arbitrary 1985 cut-off that divides families, and to remove all legislative bars to compensation so that those who have been discriminated against and who have had their rights denied have an avenue to redress.”

First Nations leadership, community members and impacted individuals are invited to join the BCAFN/UBCIC Webinar “First Nations Citizenship / Membership: Eliminating Sex Discrimination in the Indian Act” on December 12 to learn more about Bill S-2, eliminating the second generation cut off and outstanding discrimination from the Indian Act. To register, click here.

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For further information, please contact:

Annette Schroeter
BCAFN Communications Officer
(778) 281-1655

Chief Marilyn Slett
UBCIC Secretary-Treasurer
250-957-7721

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