In the last several years, governments have thrown open the door to rights and benefits to collectives and individuals with no legitimate entitlement. Opinion by Alex (Sonny) Batisse
In the 1950s, officials from the Department of Indian Affairs came onto our reserve in the Matachewan First Nation to remove one of our families because they were no longer “status Indians” — that’s the legal term for whether someone is a “real” First Nations person in the eyes of the government.
The elder spoke of the harm and pain this separation caused, both to the family and to our community. While this happened decades ago, it is frustrating that we are still in the position where the government continues to have a role in determining who is and who is not Indigenous. In the last several years, governments have thrown open the door to rights and benefits to collectives and individuals with no legitimate entitlement.
It is painful to have this new group holding up our right to obtain the small size of reserve we are entitled to underAnd if that indignity wasn’t offensive enough, the Ontario and federal Crowns have been tacitly supporting them in making these demands.
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