What non-status Indian Supreme Court ruling means

April 20, 2016

A much anticipated court case about Métis and non-status Indian rights finally came before the Supreme Court of Canada on April 14, 16 years after the legal wrangling began. The top court was asked to determine whether the approximately 200,000 Métis and 400,000 non-status Indians in Canada have the right to be treated as “Indians” under the Constitution Act and fall under federal jurisdiction. Political Science Assistant Professor Robert Schertzer looks at what the outcome of the ruling means in The Ottawa Citizen.