Who mostly controls whether someone is registered as a 'status Indian' under the Indian Act?

• A. First Nations themselves
• B. The federal government
• C. Provincial governments
• D. The United Nations

Answer: (B)

The federal government. The Indian Act is a Canadian federal law, and the official process of determining who is a Registered Indian is administered by the federal government (through Indigenous Services Canada). First Nations can set band membership and who belongs to a band, but the status status—who is officially registered under the Indian Act and listed in the federal records—is decided by the federal government based on criteria in the act. Provincial governments do not control status, and the United Nations has no role in this. In short, status registration is a federal responsibility, rooted in federal law.