Class action seeks $2.7B for First Nations descendants in Canada

Thursday, January 13, 2011  

First Nations descendants who were denied government benefits because their grandmother married a non-Native have launched a class action suit against Canada.

For decades, Native women who married outside of their First Nation were unable to pass on their benefits and rights to their children and grandchildren. Attorney Tony Merchant estimates about 45,000 people were affected by the policy.

"Children … have paid tax, have lost Indian programs that would have been available to them," Merchant told CBC News. "The loss that these people have suffered is huge, about $2.7 billion."

Recent changes in law have opened the doors for Native women who marry non-Natives to retain their benefits and rights.

Get the Story:
Suit claims grandchildren of women who lost Indian status are owed $2.7 billion (CP 1/12)
Lawsuit claims $2.7B over Indian status (CBC 1/12)