Indigenous Rights in Canada By Athena the Bookworm 1951 Major changes to Indian Act remove a number of discriminatory laws 1956 Forced relocation of Sayisi Dean 1958 Totem presented to Queen Mother 1960 Natives are given the right to vote in federal elections 1960 Start of Scooping Sixties - Thousands if Indigenous children placed in foster or adoption homes 1968 Voice of Alberta Native Women's Society found 1969 Department of Indian Affairs assumes responsibility for Residential Schools 1973 Federal government establishes committee to negotiate claims in Yukon 1973 First Aboriginal reserve created in North-West Territories 1973 North-West Territories Supreme Court allows Indian Brotherhood of North-West Territories to file claim for one-third of NWT 1974 Native Women's Association of Canada is found 1974 Ralph Steinhauer becomes first Indigenous person to hold vice-regal office in Canada 1975 Quebec signs James Bay treaty with Cree and Inuit peoples 1977 Willie Adams becomes first Inuit to hold a seat in Parliament 1979 Department of Indian affairs evaluates the twelve remaining Residential Schools and takes initiatives 1980 End of Scooping Sixties 1984 The Inuvialuit Claims Settlement Act gives Inuit peoples of the west Arctic control over resources 1985 Changes to the Indian Act are made to extend Indian status to Métis, enfranchised aboriginals, and aboriginal women who had lost it 1990 The Oka crisis focuses attention of native land claims 1990 Police attempt to storm barricade erected by Mohawk to block expansion of golf course into Mohawk land 1990 Head of Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Phil Fontaine, speaks publicly about abuse at Residential Schools 1991 Prime Minister Brian Mulroney initiates Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1992 Jocelyne Gros-Louis becomes first woamn to be names leader of a First Nation in Cananda 1992 The Inuit people endorse Nunavut 1995 James Bay Cree referendum shows they would rather stay with Canada if Quebec were to separate 1996 Last Residential School closes 1996 Federal and Provincial governments sign land claims with Nishga'a peoples 1996 Final Report of the Royal Commission of Aboriginal Peoples released 1999 Nunavut is created in the western Arctic with land set aside for the Inuit peoples 1999 Supreme Court of Canada rules lower courts should apply traditional disciplinary practices when sentencing Indigenous individuals 1999 Supreme Court rules to open band elections to off-reserve band members 1999 House of Commons votes in favour of bill that would give the Nishga'a right to self-governance 2000 Federal government approves Nishga'a Treaty and gives the tribe $196 million 2000 Nishga'a Traety is given Royal assent 2001 The Nuu-chah-nulth tribal council agrees to sign treaty with Provincial and Federal governments 2003 Mohawks reject building of casino by referendum 2005 The Kelowna Accord is called 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement provides compensation to survivors of Residential Schools 2008 Prime Minister Stephen Harper offers official apology on behalf of Canada for residential skills 2009 Treaty with Tsawwassen First Nations legally takes effect 2010 Canada signs the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2011 Winter housing crisis in Attawapiskat rivets national attention 2012 Prime Minister Stephen Harper holds summit meeting with First Nations chiefs 2013 First Totem Pole in 130 years is erected in Gwaii Haanas 2014 Monument to honour Residential School survivors is unveiled 2015 First official Aboriginal pride event takes place to honour the community of two-spirited people 2016 Supreme Court of Canada changes legal definition of "Indian" 2016 Canada supports United Nations declaration on Indigenous Rights 2017 Energy East pipeline project is cancelled 2017 Sixties Scoop survivors receive settlement
