Annotation:
This report examines the proposed Bill C-31 amendments to the Indian Act. The report argues that the amendments will cause increased differentiation within Aboriginal communities and will limit the number of individuals able to claim Indian status. The report begins with a review of the features of Bill C-31, then moves to examine the general situation of Aboriginal women in Canada and the disadvantages experienced by these women. The report includes a detailed discussion of the Canadian Human Rights Act and the deliberate exclusion of the Indian Act from these provisions. The report also reviews the relevant international human rights law and notes that the treatment of Aboriginal women in Canada falls well below these standards. In conclusion, the report recommends a full review of Bill C-31 by the federal government to assess and address its negative impacts on Aboriginal women. [Descriptors: Indigenous Women, Canada]