21 Things You Might Not Know About Canada’s Indian Act of 1876

1. The traditional indigenous systems of government were replaced by an imposed system of chiefs and councils elected democratically.
2. Women were denied status, losing the valuable traditional matriarchal role they had played.
3. The indigenous people were forced to relocate to reserve lands set aside for only them, and which were often located on the poor parts of their traditional territory, often as far away from colonial settlements as possible.
4. Individuals who left the reserve were forced to be enfranchise and thus lose all the rights they had related to any existing treaties and their place on reserve lands.
5. The government could expropriate portions of reserves at their discretion, which often happened, and sometimes to the point of loss of the entire reserve, particularly if it ended up being too close to colonial settlement.
6. Indigenous people were forced to adopt European names in place of their traditional names.
7. A permit system was created by which one needed the permission of the local Indian agents to leave the reserve to transact any business.
8. Fearing possible indigenous uprising, the sale of guns and ammunition was prohibited on reserves. Needless to say, this had a negative effect on their traditional way of life involving hunting, often necessary for the subsistence living they were being forced into.
9. Observing the negative effects of alcohol, rather than work with the indigenous people to help them adapt to this new beverage, its sale was simply prohibited on reserves.
10. All manner of cultural ceremonies, such as Sundances and powwows on the prayers and potlatches on the West Coast were declared illegal.
11. Further restrictions were put in place to limit indigenous peoples' ability to leave their reserves.
12. The infamous residential school system was established.
13. Students in residential schools were forbidden the use of their native language ,which considerably hampered their ability to communicate, not only with their peers, but with their families, as they were not keeping up with the language.
14. The wearing of regalia and cultural clothing was prohibited.
15. Non-indigenous people were given the privilege of leasing uncultivated reserve land, but there was no such reciprocation for off reserve land for indigenous people.
16. Indigenous people were prohibited from forming political organizations.
17. The first nations were not allowed to solicit funds for legal claims such as for a land entitlement or against broken treaties.
18. Indigenous people were prohibited from access to pool halls.
19. The practice of traditional religions was for bidden.
20. 20. Voting rights were denied.
21. The whole purpose of the act was clearly stated, as having its goal of the subjugation of indigenous people under Canadian rule.

- based on Bobby Joseph's book, 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act