In this important history lesson (in a short amount of time), Leah and Falen take you through the history of The Indian Act, a complicated policy, which after 144 years is still embedded in Canadian identity. Check out The Secret Life of Canada podcast on CBC Listen or wherever you get your CBC Podcasts: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/203-the-secret-life-of-canada #canadianhistory #history #backtoschool | CBC

The Indian Act is the primary law the federal government uses to administer Indian status, local First Nations governments and the management of reserve land. It also outlines governmental obligations to First Nations peoples. First introduced in 1876, the Act subsumed a number of colonial laws that aimed to eliminate First Nations culture in favour of assimilation into Euro-Canadian society. The Act has been amended several times, most significantly in 1951 and 1985, with changes mainly focusin