By Jathinder Sandhu, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Megaphone Magazine The Indian Act of 1876 has been used as an “instrument of oppression” against Indigenous peoples throughout history, according to Bob Joseph, author of 21 Things You May Not Know About The Indian Act. As Canada marks National Indigenous History Month (June) with June 21 designated as National Indigenous Peoples Day, it is important to remember that this legislation is not something in our country’s distant colonial past. It still remains the foundational legal framework for addressing Indigenous Peoples and issues in Canada. Today, despite undergoing many amendments since 1876, the Indian Act still shapes political and socio-economic reality for many generations of Indigenous Peoples. A federal law, it sets the legal framework for the government’s relationship with First Nations people,

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