Who are the Métis and non-status Indians in Canada? soc.li/wqHOBGU – Status of birth issue much like US citizenship #americansabroad
— U.S. Citizen Abroad (@USCitizenAbroad) January 10, 2013
Those who are NOT Twitter literate will find the article here.
I came across this interesting article. Clearly this is an example of benefits and burdens that are based in part on “accident of birth”. In this sense there is an analogy to U.S. citizenship acquired by birth.This is a group that has been singled out for special tax treatment.
According to the article benefits include (notice tax benefits):
Ottawa keeps a list of aboriginals who qualify for Indian status. There were 840,300 people in the federal Indian registry as of 2009. Registered Indians can apply for postsecondary tuition support, as well as on-reserve social programs that mirror provincial programs, such as income assistance and assisted living. There is also the Non-Insured Health Benefits program, which covers some prescription medication and health services that are not covered provincially.
Registered Indians are also not taxed on income earned on a reserve and are exempt from paying the goods and services tax on items purchased on a reserve.
The article focuses on Metis – who are the Metis:
In its landmark Powley decision, the Supreme Court outlined three factors to recognize people claiming Métis rights. First, they must have long self-identified as Métis. They must have some ancestral connection to the Métis, though not necessarily a genetic link, since one could have been adopted, for example. Lastly, the claimants should be accepted by their Métis community or organization.
