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 still has work to do.

Jaime Battiste, a Mi’kmaw Liberal MP, has said the government would need to get buy-in for Indian Act changes from First Nations through the AFN.

Gull-Masty says she supports the aim of the resolution but the government must consult further before it changes the law.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2025.