Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (Canada)
In the Cabinet of Canada, The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development really heads two different departments. As the Minister of Indian Affairs he is responsible for overseeing the corresponding federal government department (Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada), administering the Indian Actand other legislation dealing with "Indians and lands reserved fo the Indians" under subsection 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867. As the Minister of Northern Development he is responsible for supervising federal involvement in the territorial governments of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.There was a Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs in the Canadian cabinet from 1867 until 1936 when the Minister of Mines and Resources became responsible for native affairs and then, in 1950, the Minister of Resources and Development From 1953 the Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources had responsibility for "registered Indians" until the creation of the position of Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in 1966. Until the Indian Act 1985 amendments to the Indian Act abolished compulsory "enfranchisement" of women who married "non-status" Indians, about half of the persons claiming to be Indians were entitled to be "registered" under the Indian Act. A 1983 Commons Committee recommended that "Indian" or First Nations communities be allowed to write their own membership code provided that the code did not violate fundamental human rights. A second report from the 1983 Penner Committee recommended the graudal abolition of the office of Minister of Indian Affairs and a transfer of responsibility for their own affairs to First Nations communities. Recent Ministers of Indian Affairs have chosen, instead, to strengthen their own role and weaken indigenous First Nations institutions.
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