Aboriginal native of canada - Essay Example

ossible for the government to determine the land base for these groups in the form of reserves, and defined who qualified to an Indian in the form of Indian status. The governing structures on Aboriginal communities used the Indian Act to come up with band councils that has control over the rights of Indians to practice their culture and tradition. However, this legislation in now regarded as obsolete since what it stood for in the past does not apply in the modern world. Modern land claim settlement have been formulated which has overshadowed the authority of the Indian Act over specific Indigenous groups.

The Indian Act has been the cornerstone for the Aboriginal natives in Canada since its inception into the parliament in 1876 (Steckley & Cummins, 2008). The Act continues to be an important element in the management of Aboriginal affairs in the country. However, the act was legislated without the Indian consent, participation or meaningful consultation. The act became a means to separate the indigenous people from the rest of Canadian society by members of the dominant society until they are ready for transition.

The government gave itself authority over the lives of Aboriginal people in order to control their lands and lives, denying them of their basic Canadian civil and personal rights. The Aboriginal people got the Indian status under the act, which gave them membership to the Indian bands created and recognized under the act. The government appointed Indian Agents who however had more powers than the Aboriginal officials did. The indigenous people also had fewer rights than the Canadians, which meant that they could not get the opportunity to vote.

The government tried to make the act work by introducing the concept of enfranchisement, which involved the removal of an individual from the list of status Indians. The government considered these individuals ready for entry into the Canadian mainstream. They enjoyed the freedom of being a Canadian citizen.