Which of the following was a measure used to assimilate First Nations peoples under the Indian Act?

• A. Restricting travel and traditional ceremonies
• B. Encouraging free travel
• C. Protecting language rights
• D. Granting self-government

Answer: (A)

Assimilation policies aimed to erase Indigenous cultures and bring First Nations peoples under full Canadian control by limiting their autonomy. Limiting travel and traditional ceremonies is a clear example because it directly restricted how people lived and expressed their culture. For many communities, leaving the reserve without a pass was forbidden, and sacred or cultural ceremonies were banned or tightly controlled. This kind of restriction pressured Indigenous people to abandon traditional practices and adopt Euro-Canadian ways, advancing the goal of integration over self-determination.

The other options would work against assimilation. Encouraging free travel would lessen government control, protecting language rights would support cultural survival rather than assimilation, and granting self-government would acknowledge Indigenous autonomy rather than undermine it.