A Mi’kmaw man from Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick says his granddaughter will be the first in his family to not be eligible for status because of the Indian Act’s second-generation cut-off rule.
Elsipogtog man worries his family will be ‘erased’ under Indian Act rules
Sis’moqon · CBC News
· Posted: Oct 22, 2025 2:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago
DJ Joseph holds his new granddaughter, Oaklynn, who is the first in his lineage not to be eligible for Indian status. (Submitted by DJ Joseph)
A Mi’kmaw man from Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick says his granddaughter will be the first in his lineage to be ineligible for Indian status.
“To me it’s the fear of being erased from history,” said DJ Joseph.
Joseph was born, raised and worked most of his life in Elsipogtog, a Mi’kmaw community 90 kilometres north of Moncton.
However, due to the second-generation cut-off rule that removes status after two generations of one non-status parent, his new granddaughter is not eligible for status under the Indian Act.
Advocates say amendments to the Indian Act currently under review in the Senate fail to address the issue, leaving more families to face similar circumstances as the Josephs in the coming years.
“My granddaughter, and other grandchildren to come… Are they even ever gonna be able to say that they’re Mi’kmaw?” said Joseph.
This story was brought to Nouzie by RSS. The original post can be found on https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/second-generation-cutoff-elsipogtog-9.6945702?cmp=rss
