Frequently Asked Questions - National Consultation Circle on the Future of the Wendat Nation

1. The preferred approaches for addressing our Nation’s demographic challenges and ensuring its long-term viability;
2. Potential solutions for guaranteeing the continuity of services to the Wendats as well as the associated financing;
3. Paths to follow to ensure the continuity of Wendat identity.

The Activities of the Circle

These will be divided into two phases:

1. Preparatory work for the Circle;
2. The actual Consultation Circle.

Preparatory Work for the Circle

In addition to the information sessions that were held during the summer of 2026, which focused on the Indian Act (registration, transmission of status, and membership), the Wendats will be invited, through various communication channels, to increase their awareness and deepen their understanding through three specific reports:

1. A study on the Nation’s demographic projections (2026);
2. A study on the Nation’s financial projections in areas such as education, health, and wellness (2026);
3. A study on membership codes and their impacts on identity and culture (2027).

Each report will be made available and accompanied by a discussion starter and questions to be raised during the Consultation Circle. Furthermore, prior to the Consultation Circle, various methods will be used to share the information contained in each of these reports and to reach the greatest possible number of Wendats, both in Wendake and elsewhere.

The Consultation Circle

The person in charge of the Circle will be announced in December 2026. Consultations will begin in March 2027 and span 15 months, running until June 2028. The summer of 2028 will be dedicated to drafting the report, which will be submitted in September 2028.

Indeed, the Wendat Nation is faced with major demographic issues :

1. If the Indian Act remains unchanged, 50 years from now, the Nation’s established population will be decreased by half.
2. If the Indian Act is amended and the elimination of the second-generation cut-off rule is adopted, the Nation’s established population will increase.

These demographic issues have impacts on, among other things, the transmission of Wendat culture, Wendat identity, and the funding of services.

The website will be updated regularly to enable the population to stay informed.

Information will be disseminated in various formats to reach Wendats of all ages, both in Wendake and outside of Wendake.

This is a rule imposed by the federal government in the Indian Act regarding the registration of an “Indian”, which limits the transmission of status.

In concrete terms, after two consecutive generations in which one parent is not registered, the following generation is no longer entitled to Indian status.

This rule was introduced during amendments to the Indian Act in 1985 and is an example of the federal government imposing rules that define Indigenous identity without regard for Indigenous peoples’ understanding of their own identity, culture, and traditions.

If this rule is not changed, some communities could, in the near future, no longer have children who are eligible for registration.

Initially, Bill S-2 aimed to address four main issues :

• Repeal provisions related to enfranchisement
• Allow deregistration upon request;
• Facilitate reaffiliation to the natal band;
• Remove terms deemed outdated or offensive.

On November 18, 2025, the Senate added the following objective :

If Bill S-2 is passed, with the amendment proposed by the Senate, status can be passed on indefinitely by a single parent with status

2026-06-03 - According to LEGISinfo, the second reading of Bill S-2 concluded on February 27, 2026. The Bill has been referred to the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs for further study. The Committee’s work began on April 16, 2026, and is ongoing. For more information: INAN – Bill S-2, An Act to amend the Indian Act (new registration entitlements)

*Please note that this information will be updated regularly as the file evolves.*

The Registrar is the ISC official responsible for the Indian Register.

In 1985, the Indian Act was amended, and First Nations received the right to adopt their own membership codes (section 10).

Most communities in the country have not adopted a membership code. This is the case for the Wendat Nation.

It provides for a decision-making mechanism based on a vote with specific conditions including the double majority voting threshold.

• A majority (50% + 1) of eligible voters must participate in the vote.

  Example: For a population of 5,000, 2,501 people must vote.

• A majority of those who voted must be in favour.

  Example: Of the 2,501 voters, 1,251 must have voted in favour.

The elimination of the cut-off after the second generation could mean adding registered “Indians” to the Wendat Nation membership list.

In the consultation materials provided by Indigenous Services Canada (2025), it is stated that if the double majority voting threshold requirement remains, it could become increasingly difficult for a community or nation, given its growing registered population, to reach the double majority threshold and therefore increasingly difficult for it to adopt its own membership code.

Also, the following statistic was included in the consultation materials provided by Indigenous Services Canada (2025) for the collaborative process on the post-second-generation cut-off and voting thresholds under Section 10 :

The band is then governed by section 11 of the Indian Act, and its membership list is maintained by the Indian Registrar at Indigenous Services Canada. This is the reality for the Wendat Nation.

If a community has not adopted a membership code, a person registered in the Indian Register is automatically a member of their band.

A band member means they meet the membership rules established by their community under section 10 of the Indian Act, or those established by Canada under section 11 of the Indian Act. Therefore, it is possible for a person to be a band member without being a registered Indian.

Membership rules may differ from the registration rules of the Indian Act.

*Please note that this information will be updated regularly as the file evolves.*