2. Women's Perspectives - Christian Aboriginal Infrastructure ...

put forth, such as introducing new legislation, amending the Indian Act, or referentially
incorporating provincial laws on this matter. Any such amendments or legislation would
have to recognize and respect Indian custom marriages. Rather than amending the Indian
Act, which would involve much energy, effort and resources, another approach would
address the concerns of Aboriginal women and serve the ultimate goal.
In our vision of self-government, nations are made up of thousands of individuals — who
should not be categorized as status or non-status, 6(1) or 6(2). All should be equal
citizens of strong, healthy nations. The most offensive parts of the Indian Act cannot be
changed overnight, but in re-establishing their concept of nationhood, Aboriginal people
can overcome the many divisions that have arisen over the years as a result of federal
policies. Many Aboriginal women who appeared before us spoke in eloquent terms about
this important task.
In Volume 2, Chapter 3, we argued that in the reconstruction and recognition of
Aboriginal nations, the intrusive, sex-biased and outdated elements of the Indian Act can
be eliminated. The three-stage recognition procedure we recommend includes
• organizing for recognition (including the enumeration of potential citizens);
• preparing the nation's constitution and seeking endorsement; and
• getting recognition under the proposed Aboriginal Nations Recognition and
Government Act.
One of the most important tasks in the first stage will be enumerating potential
populations of citizens. At this early stage in the recognition process, the errors and
injustices of past federal Indian policy should be corrected by identifying candidates for
citizenship in the Aboriginal nation. Candidates should include not only those persons
who are now members of the communities concerned but also those persons who wish to
be members of the nation and can trace their descent from or otherwise show a current or
historical social, political or family connection to that nation. Financial resources to meet
the needs of all citizens of a nation will be a matter for treaty negotiation between
Aboriginal nations and the federal and provincial governments.
As nations are rebuilt, it is envisioned that their citizenship codes will embrace all
individuals who have ties to the nation but who, for reasons highlighted here, have been
excluded in the past. These new citizenship provisions will eliminate concerns about the
effects of Bill C-31 in creating categories of 'full Indians' and 'half Indians'. Rather than
imposing restrictive band membership codes that may result in the destruction of
communities over time, 83 Aboriginal nations, renewed and strengthened in the ways we
have proposed, would implement a citizenship code that fosters inclusion and nurtures
nation building.
The role of Aboriginal women in nation building cannot be underestimated and must not
be ignored. As we have observed, many Aboriginal women play a special role in
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