Indian Act: An Historical Perspective‪.‬

In 2001 the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Robert Nault, announced that the government would be introducing legislation to overhaul the Indian Act. In anticipation of this legislation in February 2002, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs began hearing from various witnesses on issues relating to the Act. For the sake of simplicity, this article uses the term "Indian" throughout. The Constitution states that Canada's Aboriginal Peoples are Indians, Metis and Inuit, but the Indian Act does not apply to Metis and the 1951 Indian Act specifically excludes Inuit from its operation. The Indian Act is a complex piece of legislation that has evolved in scope, content, and sophistication since about the mid-19th century. The philosophical principles and practices of Indian policy are reflected in the legislation of the period. A couple of points should be Sept in mind.