Listening Event to capture testimony from women who lost status and their descendants
Event will hear impacts of Second-Generation Cut-Off on Tla’amin families
April 9, 2025
Tla’amin will hold a listening event on May 29th at Government House to hear from Tla’amin citizens and members about how Bill C-31’s Second-Generation Cut-Off continues to impact Tla’amin families today.
“Bill C-31 was enacted 40 years ago to correct a problem – instead it deepened inequality on our community,” said Losa Luaifoa, Finance and Administration Housepost. “This listening event will honour the experiences of women in our community and capture the ongoing effects of this harmful legislation.”
The Government of Canada now acknowledges this injustice and is seeking solutions that better reflect First Nations rights, realities, and self-determination. Tla’amin Nation is currently preparing a submission to Indigenous Services Canada on Bill C-31 and wants to ensure it reflects the lived experiences of our community.
The community listening event at the Government House will hear ten-minute submissions from 12 families. Stories will be recorded (with consent) and included in Tla’amin Nation’s formal submission to Ottawa to highlight the human impact of this legislation. Brushing and cultural supports will be available to all families.
Tla’amin families wishing to sign up for one of the 12 spots will receive a guidance document to help prepare. To request to speak at this event please email kylie.paul@tn-bc.ca.
Three things to know about Bill C-31 ongoing impacts:
- 33% of Tla’amin people are currently impacted by the Second-Generation Cut-Off. If the current rules remain unchanged, our population of those eligible for registration under the Indian Act will decline significantly in the coming decades.
- This means fewer Tla’amin children will be recognized under federal law, and the Nation may not receive program and service funding to support them, even though they are deeply connected to our Nation, culture, and community.
- The rule has disproportionately affected the descendants of women whose ties to their Nations were severed by colonial legislation.
Background Information
The Second-Generation Cut-Off started with changes to the Indian Act in 1985, through a law called Bill C-31. The goal was to fix unfair rules that took away status from First Nations women who married non-status men. Bill C-31 gave status back to many women and their children. But it also brought in new rules that still affect families today. One rule created two kinds of status: section 6(1) and section 6(2).
- If you have 6(1) status, your children will get status no matter who you have kids with.
- If you have 6(2) status, your children will only get status if the other parent also has status.
This means that if two generations have kids with non-status partners, the third generation loses status completely. That’s called the Second-Generation Cut-Off.
Contact media@tn-bc.ca