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nonstatus Indian
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nonstatus Indian

Canadian people
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In Canada, "nonstatus Indian" refers to a First Nations person who does not have legal status under the Indian Act of 1876. This status can be lost through intermarriage with non-Indigenous individuals or by choosing to give up status rights. However, Canadian law has evolved, allowing those who lost status through intermarriage to reclaim it, and marriage no longer automatically results in loss of status.1

While the term "non-Indian" can broadly mean a person who is not an Indigenous American or a native of India, in the Canadian context, "nonstatus Indian" specifically relates to First Nations individuals and their legal standing within the country's Indigenous policies. Despite not having legal status, nonstatus individuals are still recognized as Indigenous peoples in Canada.21

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5 Britannica Sources
  1. non-Indian
  2. Canada - Indigenous peoples
  3. Native American - International developments
  4. Native American - The outplacement and adoption of Indigenous children
  5. Canadian aboriginal reserves

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