Reviewing and Evaluating the Indian Act
- In 1946, a Special Joint Parliamentary Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons was tasked with reviewing the Indian Act and other policies surrounding Indian affairs.
- This was one of the first times that First Nations and elders were able to address concerns regarding the impacts of previous policies directly to parliament without going through the Department of Indian Affairs.
- The committee hearings took place between 1946–1948 and they made several recommendations during this time which influences the new draft of the Indian Act, which repealed some policies like the ban on potlatching and other ceremonies and the ban on fundraising to pursue land claims, and while it did scale back some authority of the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, the federal government still had primary control over the lives of Indigenous peoples.
Citation
Canada. Parliament. House of Commons and Senate. Special Joint Committee of the Senate and the House of Commons on the Indian Act, vol. 1. Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence, 2nd sess., 20th Parliament, Meeting No. 1, 1946. https://parl.canadiana.ca/view/oop.com_SOCHOC_2002_2_1/7?r=0&s=1
Policy Sub-Topic
Policy Type
Parliamentary Committee Hearing