Cuthand: First Nations people are Canadian citizens

This week social media in Indian country lit up with news stories of Conservative Senator Lynn Beyak and her advice to Canada’s First Nations. Beyak’s advice was that we turn in our treaty cards and become Canadian citizens.
It is a simple solution, but she’s late. The Indian Act of 1951 extended Canadian citizenship to First Nations. In fact, during the 1950s Indian Affairs was a branch of the federal Department of Citizenship and immigration. In 1960, the Diefenbaker governme