Summary Statement – ​​Indian ActThe Indian Act was an attempt by the Canadian government to assimilate Aboriginal people into Canadian society through such means as enfranchisement, the creation of elective band councils , the ban on Aboriginal people seeking legal assistance and through the process that provides the Superintendent General of Indian Affairs with extreme control over Aboriginal people, for example by allowing the superintendent to decide who receives certain benefits, during the early stages of political interaction between Indigenous people Canadians. The failure of the Indian Act, however, only led to further confusion regarding the interaction between Canada and Aboriginal people, giving rise to the failed White Paper and the unconstitutional Bill C-31, and the conflict remains unresolved to this day. The Indian Act is a combination of multiple pieces of legislation affecting Aboriginal people residing throughout Canada, such as the Gradual Civilization Act of 1857 and the Gradual Enfranchisement Act of 1869 (Hanson, np). The Gradual Civilization Act was the Canadian government's attempt to passively assimilate Aboriginal people into Canadian society, through a method they encouraged called Enfranchisement. Enfranchisement is basically a legal process that allows Aboriginal people to renounce their Aboriginal status and accept Canadian status (Crey, np). This process, while subject to the Gradual Civilization Act, was still voluntary, but became a forced process when the Indian Act was consolidated in 1876 (Hanson, np). The Gradual Enfranchisement Act introduced in 1869 was important legislation which intruded into the private lives of Aboriginal people. First, he established the “elective band council system” (Hanson, np) which ensures the...... middle of paper ......np). Soon the Canadian government amended Section 12 in 1985 and Bill C-31 was passed for those who have lost their status and want to regain it (Hanson, np). Unfortunately, there was an error in Bill C-31, which stated that Aboriginal status could only be passed down for one generation. Since this was still unconstitutional, the government is now attempting to go back by completely amending the Indian Act (Hanson, np), but is still having difficulty doing so. Aboriginal people reject the idea of ​​abolishing the Indian Act for a reason. Because it still protects the “sacred rights” of Aboriginal people (Hanson, np). It still separates Canadians from Aboriginal people, and Aboriginal people are also afforded benefits under Indian law, and thus still serves as a useful tool for Aboriginal people to gain protection from.