Based on coverage from The Star, The Star, Times Colonist, and iPolitics.
Pressure is building on Parliament to pass Bill S-2, a long-running attempt to fix who qualifies for First Nations status under the Indian Act. The immediate fight is over whether Ottawa should accept a Senate amendment that would scrap the “second-generation cutoff,” a rule that can prevent status from being passed down when a person has a non-status parent and grandparent.
Conservative MP Billy Morin, a former chief of Enoch Cree Nation and the party’s critic for Indigenous Services, says more than 4,000 letters have been sent to the House of Commons Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee pushing for quick action. Outside Parliament, First Nations leaders and advocates are also making a last-minute push before MPs leave Ottawa for the summer.
Bill S-2 and Indian Act status rules
Bill S-2 started as legislation aimed at eliminating certain gender inequities in the Indian Act and responding to a B.C. Supreme Court decision known as the Nicholas ruling. The bill, as originally drafted, was expected to make about 3,500 people newly eligible for First Nations status.
The bigger political flashpoint now is the Senate’s change to the bill: an amendment that would eliminate the second-generation cutoff by allowing a child to receive status if at least one parent is registered.
Supporters argue the current formula creates discrimination and destabilizes communities over time, with some chiefs warning that without reform, future generations could end up with no federally recognized members, threatening rights tied to recognition.
Senate amendment targets second-generation cutoff
Sen. PJ Prosper, who introduced the amendment, says more than 500 First Nations have voiced support for the one-parent rule. Prosper’s office has pointed to a map showing communities backing the change, and he argues Ottawa should not demand anything close to unanimity before acting.
Morin’s letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney makes the same case more bluntly. He calls the cutoff discriminatory and says the Senate has provided a workable path to remove it. He also claims that despite government suggestions some First Nations oppose the Senate amendment, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty and Parliamentary Secretary Jaime Battiste have not produced a First Nation witness at committee to argue against it.
Morin also points to reporting by the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail that said Battiste privately raised concerns with Carney about how delays are being perceived by First Nations.
Liberal government stance and Mandy Gull-Masty consultations
Gull-Masty, who is Cree, has said the government supports ending the second-generation cutoff, but does not support the amended Senate bill as written and wants more time to consult with First Nations on the best path forward.
Her spokesperson, Livi McElrea, said Canada has an obligation to “carefully and appropriately consider and consult on all proposed solutions,” citing First Nations’ right to self-determination.
Gull-Masty’s office has also signalled it is looking at options beyond the Senate’s one-parent approach, and has promised separate legislation to address the cutoff, but without a timeline. Critics, including advocates quoted by iPolitics, describe that as a stall that delays meaningful change.
Parliament Hill push before June 19 recess
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak joined a march on Parliament Hill alongside Caldwell First Nation Chief Nikki van Oirschot and other Indigenous leaders to demand Parliament pass S-2 before the summer break.
Van Oirschot framed it as a basic justice issue, arguing Parliament should “separate political convenience from justice.” Woodhouse Nepinak acknowledged broader reforms are still needed, but said Bill S-2 is a practical step that should not be held up by longer debates about citizenship and jurisdiction.
Advocacy pressure is also showing up in the numbers: Sharon McIvor, tied to the Indian Act Sex Discrimination Working Group, submitted an e-petition that drew nearly 14,300 signatures calling for S-2 to pass as it stands.
Committee delays, court pressure, and next steps
Even with the urgency, the House committee is jammed. iPolitics reports the bill was only introduced in the House in late February and sent to committee in April. Liberal MP Terry Sheehan, the committee chair, has cited competing committee priorities, including studies on Indigenous policing and Arctic affordability.
There’s also legal pressure. The Nicholas ruling set a deadline for Ottawa to act, and iPolitics reports a B.C. Supreme Court judge recently refused to grant the federal government more time. The government has a 30-day window to appeal, and a lawyer for the plaintiffs said he expects Ottawa may wait until the end of that window.
Morin has moved to speed up the committee’s clause-by-clause review, proposing it wrap by Tuesday. But Liberals now hold a majority on the committee and in the House, so any fast-tracking will require government support or Liberal MPs breaking ranks, with the House scheduled to rise June 19.
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