The second-generation cut-off was introduced through the 1985 amendments to the Indian Act, also known as Bill C-31. While those amendments removed some of the sex-based discrimination in the Indian Act, it also created new forms of discrimination. The second-generation cut-off effectively denies status to any children who do not have full status parents. A child may have First Nations ancestry, be connected to their community, and maintain familial and cultural relationships but still lose legal recognition under the Indian Act because of who their parents or grandparents are. As debate grows around new amendments, many are advocating for the removal of the second-generation cut-off.
This resource is part of the Yellowhead special report, Acting Indian: Reflections on Status, Citizenship & Belonging
