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Indian Act - Exam
Contributed by: Cresswell
  • 1. The Indian Act, enacted in 1876, is a piece of Canadian legislation that governs the relationship between the Canadian federal government and Indigenous peoples, primarily First Nations. This Act was originally intended to assimilate Indigenous populations into mainstream Canadian society by imposing European notions of governance, property ownership, and civil rights. It defines the legal status of 'Indians' and the framework of Indian status, which regulates aspects such as membership in tribes, the management of reserves, and the provision of various social services. The Act has been criticized for its paternalistic approach, as it often undermines the self-determination of Indigenous communities and seeks to control aspects of their governance, culture, and spiritual practices. Over the years, amendments have been made, yet many provisions of the Act are viewed as outdated and oppressive, fueling ongoing discussions and advocacy for its repeal or substantial reform. As Canada continues to address its colonial past and work toward reconciliation, the Indian Act remains a focal point of debate regarding Indigenous rights, sovereignty, and the future relationship between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian state.

    What year was the Indian Act first enacted?
A) 1910
B) 1876
C) 1905
D) 1867
  • 2. Which country enacted the Indian Act?
A) Australia
B) United Kingdom
C) Canada
D) United States
  • 3. What is one major goal of the Indian Act?
A) Assimilation of Indigenous peoples
B) Religious freedom
C) Land division
D) Cultural preservation
  • 4. The Indian Act originally included provisions for which of the following?
A) Indian reserves
B) Land ownership
C) Taxation relief
D) Voting rights
  • 5. The term 'Indian' used in the Indian Act refers to which group?
A) Indigenous peoples recognized by the Act
B) All Indigenous peoples globally
C) Only First Nations
D) Only Métis
  • 6. What was one impact of the Indian Act on Indigenous culture?
A) Suppression of cultural practices
B) Encouragement of traditional languages
C) Promotion of cultural festivals
D) Recognition of Indigenous governance
  • 7. What significant advocacy changed provisions for Indian status?
A) The women's rights movement
B) The labor movement
C) The civil rights movement
D) The environmental movement
  • 8. What system of governance was introduced with the Indian Act for some reserves?
A) City council system
B) Tribal council system
C) Band Council system
D) Traditional governance system
  • 9. What was the primary reason for the creation of Indian residential schools?
A) Education improvement
B) Assimilation into Euro-Canadian culture
C) Personal choice of Indigenous families
D) Cultural preservation
  • 10. Which of the following required Indigenous peoples to obtain permission to leave their reserves under the Indian Act?
A) Pass system
B) Registration process
C) Council approval
D) Land allotment system
  • 11. What is the significance of the 1985 amendment to the Indian Act?
A) It granted full voting rights.
B) It allowed for self-governance.
C) It addressed gender discrimination in status.
D) It abolished all reserve lands.
  • 12. Which aspect of Indigenous identity does the Indian Act primarily affect?
A) Religious beliefs
B) Status membership
C) Language use
D) Cultural affiliations
  • 13. Which amendment allowed Indigenous women who married non-Indigenous men to retain their status?
A) Bill C-31
B) Bill C-21
C) Bill C-41
D) Bill C-51
  • 14. How did the Indian Act affect Indigenous governance?
A) Promoted traditional governance systems.
B) Encouraged self-governance.
C) Imposed external control over governance.
D) Disabled council elections.
  • 15. Which section of the Indian Act deals with prohibiting leased lands?
A) Section 11
B) Section 22
C) Section 28
D) Section 34
  • 16. What term refers to Indigenous people who are recognized under the Indian Act?
A) Métis
B) Registered Indians
C) First Nations
D) Inuit
  • 17. What does the term 'band council' refer to?
A) A local government for a First Nation.
B) A federal governmental body.
C) An organization for treaty negotiations.
D) A cultural organization.
  • 18. How did the Indian Act affect Indigenous land ownership?
A) Promoted private land ownership.
B) Restricted communal land use.
C) Limited individual ownership of land.
D) Allowed for trading of land.
  • 19. Which ceremony was banned by an amendment to the Indian Act in 1885?
A) Tamanawas dance
B) Sun Dance
C) Potlatch
D) Aboriginal costume display
  • 20. What is the term used to describe the system where children of reinstated women face restrictions on their status under Bill C-31?
A) First generation limitation
B) Second generation cut-off
C) Third generation barrier
D) Generation gap
  • 21. When did Bill S-3 come into full effect?
A) June 2018.
B) August 2019.
C) January 2020.
D) December 2017.
  • 22. Until what year could Indigenous persons not have both Indian status and Canadian citizenship?
A) 1985
B) 1974
C) 1960
D) 1947
  • 23. What was required for Indigenous men to be eligible for enfranchisement before 1961?
A) Able to read and write English or French at age 21.
B) Must own land off-reserve.
C) Must have completed higher education.
D) Required military service.
  • 24. Who took her case to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 1981?
A) Jeannette Corbiere Lavell
B) Sandra Lovelace
C) Bonita Lawrence
D) Yvonne Bédard
  • 25. How many Aboriginal people were estimated to have been arrested between 1900 and 1904 for their involvement in 'give-away dances'?
A) 70
B) 50
C) 30
D) 100
  • 26. What was the tenure of land in a reserve limited to?
A) The collective, or tribe, under Crown protectorate.
B) Individual members of the community.
C) Canadian government officials.
D) Private corporations.
  • 27. What was one significant change made to the Indian Act in 2002?
A) The act was completely repealed.
B) It introduced new provinces into Canada.
C) It abolished all treaties with Indigenous peoples.
D) Five major changes were implemented.
  • 28. How many First Nation bands are affected by the Indian Act in Canada?
A) 700
B) 500
C) 800
D) 614
  • 29. In which year was the Indian Act introduced?
A) 1875
B) 1867
C) 1763
D) 1857
  • 30. What did the 1985 amendment to the Indian Act accomplish regarding enfranchisement?
A) Mandated compulsory enfranchisement
B) Voided the enfranchisement process
C) Ended voting rights for status Indians
D) Allowed only men to be enfranchised
  • 31. What was the status of Indigenous people with enfranchisement before 1947?
A) Canadian citizens
B) Permanent residents
C) Indigenous sovereigns
D) British subjects
  • 32. Which year marked the amendment that allowed municipalities to expropriate reserve lands?
A) 1905
B) 1911
C) 1936
D) 1927
  • 33. What does Bill S-3 primarily address in the Indian Act?
A) Language preservation efforts.
B) Environmental regulations for Indigenous lands.
C) Economic policies affecting Indigenous communities.
D) Gender-based inequalities.
  • 34. Which year did the Indian Act undergo amendments that aimed to restore status lost prior to 1985?
A) 1974
B) 1876
C) 1985
D) 1947
  • 35. What year was Section 114 of the Indian Act amended, leading to the criminalization of many Aboriginal ceremonies?
A) 1901
B) 1912
C) 1923
D) 1895
  • 36. What did the term 'enfranchisement' originally derive from?
A) 'Integration', referring to cultural assimilation.
B) 'Franchise', which has gradually been degraded as 'vote'.
C) 'Freedom', meaning liberation.
D) 'Empowerment', relating to self-governance.
  • 37. In what year was the ban on the Potlatch lifted?
A) 1985
B) 1970
C) 1961
D) 1951
  • 38. What was one of the cultural impacts of the Indian Act's provisions on Indigenous communities?
A) They interfered with matrilineal cultures.
B) They had no impact on cultural practices.
C) They supported patrilineal inheritance practices.
D) They promoted bilateral descent systems.
  • 39. Which document is often referenced in relation to Indigenous rights?
A) The British North America Act
B) The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
C) The Criminal Code of Canada
D) The Constitution Act, 1982
  • 40. What were the 'give-away dances' more commonly known as, according to Constance Backhouse?
A) Vision quests
B) Sun dances
C) Ghost dances
D) Potlatches
  • 41. In which year were voting rights on reserves extended under Section Fifteen of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
A) 2005
B) 2010
C) 1999
D) 1985
  • 42. What principle did the 1876 Indian Act enforce that affected Indigenous women's status upon divorce?
A) Bilateral descent
B) Unilineal descent
C) Matrilineal descent
D) Patrilineal descent
  • 43. Which subsection of the Indian Act discriminated against Indian women who married non-Indian men?
A) subsection 12(2)
B) subparagraph 12(1)(a)(iv)
C) subsection 12(1)(b)
D) section 14
  • 44. In what year did amendments make school attendance compulsory for Indigenous children?
A) 1876
B) 1894
C) 1885
D) 1905
  • 45. Which case did the Supreme Court of Canada reference when ruling that the Indian Act was not discriminatory?
A) Corbiere v. Canada
B) Lovelace v. Canada
C) R. v. Drybones
D) Bedard v. Canada
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