# Indian Act Paternalism and Constitutional Lock-In

> Manitoba's premier calls for Indian Act abolition while BC courts entrench Indigenous land rights secretly.
- Title: Indian Act Paternalism and Constitutional Lock-In | Shortify
- Summary: Manitoba's premier calls for Indian Act abolition while BC courts entrench Indigenous land rights secretly. The Indian Act should be abolished but…
- Keywords: indian act, manitoba premier, wab kinew, b.c. supreme court, section 35, haida nation, conservative government, dripa, crown land, National Post
- Source: National Post — https://nationalpost.com/opinion/donna-kennedy-glans-the-paternalistic-indian-act-should-have-been-abolished-long-ago
- Author: Donna Kennedy-Glans
- Published: 2026-10-30T10:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: indian act, manitoba premier, wab kinew, b.c. supreme court, section 35, haida nation, conservative government, dripa, crown land, news, politics
## Indian Act's history
The Indian Act is a race-based form of identification that has no place in a modern country.

> The Indian Act is a race-based form of identification that has no place in a modern country
## Political promises
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew called for Indian Act abolition while Prime Minister Mark Carney labeled it racist and anachronistic.
## BC court case
The Haida Nation secured a constitutional declaration of Aboriginal title to Haida Gwaii through a consent order.
## Legal secrecy
Provincial and federal governments quietly transferred 400 Crown land parcels with confidential agreements.
## Conservative stance
New BC premier-designate Lorne Doerkson pledged to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
## Legal conflict
Section 35 consent orders cannot be undone by future governments while land transfers happen secretly.
## Youth leadership
Young Indigenous leaders demand practical solutions over political promises for self-determination.
## Systemic issue
Secret constitutional entrenchment and Crown land transfers undermine Indigenous self-determination despite promises of reform.
## Key takeaway

The Indian Act should be abolished but constitutional lock-ins and secret land transfers undermine Indigenous self-determination.