Community members from the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba are being urged to sign a petition supporting changes to federal law that would make it easier for future generations to keep their Indigenous status. The petition supports Senate-led amendments to a federal proposal known as Bill S-2, which aims to remove a rule that currently stops many descendants from being registered under the Indian Act.
The Senate of Canada has already voted to remove the “second-generation cut-off,” a rule that prevents a child from being registered if they have only one status parent, and that parent is also registered under section 6(2) of the Act. If the changes are finalized, they would be replaced by a “one-parent rule,” meaning a child could gain status as long as at least one parent is registered.
Organizers are specifically asking off-reserve members of the Peguis First Nation to sign the petition before the deadline on April 2, 2026. So far, more than 3,400 people have signed the document to show support for the new rules and to help influence the parliamentary process.
While Indigenous Services Canada has been studying these rules through a collaborative process, many community leaders believe immediate legislative action is needed to protect the identity of future members. Proponents argue that the current system effectively limits who can be part of the community over time, and the petition serves as a direct effort for residents to voice their concerns to the federal government.
