Cautious support in N.L. for scrapping the Indian Act

Some Indigenous people in Newfoundland and Labrador are cautiously backing Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew's call to abolish the 150-year-old Indian Act, which still defines who holds Indigenous status in Canada. At First Light in St. John's, knowledge sharing guide Kevin Coffey said the law should go, but only if First Nations lead the transition and keep the rights and benefits they now hold. Prime Minister Mark Carney said last month he shares Kinew's view, though he later noted a federal review may not necessarily end with abolition. Leaders recalled that Ottawa's 1969 White Paper attempt was rejected by Indigenous leaders.