Gull-Masty signals go-slow approach to changing First Nations status eligibility

OTTAWA — Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty says the Assembly of First Nations sent a strong signal to her government to end the second-generation cutoff in the Indian Act, but her government won’t make that change without broad consultations with leaders.

First Nations chiefs voted last week to support Senate amendments to a government bill that would expand eligibility under the Indian Act by eliminating the provision that prevents individuals from registering for status under the Indian Act if they have a parent and a grandparent who did not have status.

Gull-Masty says that while she has heard from chiefs who want the issue addressed, not all chiefs participate in AFN meetings.

She says that while there’s a national consensus on dropping the second-generation cutoff, she