Manitoba premier pushes Ottawa to repeal Indian Act during first ministers meeting
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Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to abolish the Indian Act, calling it outdated, while saying any changes should still involve First Nations governments and must not disturb treaties or constitutional rights.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew used a meeting of Canada’s first ministers and First Nations leaders in Ottawa to ask Prime Minister Mark Carney to repeal the Indian Act. Holding up his own status card, Kinew said the law’s race-based identification does not reflect Canada’s current vision.
He told Carney that it is "long overdue" for Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples to change and that any reform must involve First Nations governments. The Indian Act, first enacted in 1876, has governed many aspects of First Nations life for more than a century and remains the primary legal framework despite numerous amendments.
The gathering, the first of its kind since the 2005 Kelowna Accord talks, brought together the prime minister, most provincial premiers and chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations. Assembly national chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said the discussion aims to build prosperity for future generations.
Kinew noted that eliminating the Act would not affect existing treaties or constitutional rights, adding that self-determination and strong Indigenous nationhood could exist without the paternalistic elements of the legislation.
"You can have self-determination, and you can have strong Indigenous nationhood, while at the same time not having the paternalism and the barriers that come with the Indian Act," Kinew said.
The premier also expressed support for Canada’s international human-rights agenda, while warning that the continued existence of the Indian Act contradicts that message.