Basic standards from the federal government

Recommendation 1: Clearly renounce the racism that status First Nations experience when using this form of identification.

Basic standards from the federal government

Recommendation 2: Clearly articulate the rights of First Nations governments as self-determining, including with respect to what tax regimes are applicable to their own peoples.

Basic standards from the federal government

Recommendation 3: Significantly improve its adherence to its own service standard for processing applications for status cards, and publicly publish its performance data relative to meeting this standard.

Basic standards from the federal government

Recommendation 4: Develop plain-language, standardized public information about status cards for retailers and other front-line staff, in particular a clear online toolbox addressing the question “I am serving someone who is using their status card, what do I need to know?” This should include a clear statement that an expired status card is not invalid.

Basic standards from the federal government

Recommendation 5: Radically improve its distribution network to service providers and retailers about status cards and the fact that they remain valid after expiry.

Basic standards from the federal government

Recommendation 6: Work with First Nations to establish a complaints protocol(s) or process(s) to support continued learning amongst retailers and service providers, and a safe experience for status card users.

Basic standards from the federal government

Recommendation 7: Develop options for, and engage with First Nations on, a consistent and streamlined systems solution for use of status cards to reduce time spent at the till in a way that benefits status card holders, and makes the process less variable and paper-heavy for retailers.

Basic standards from the federal government

Recommendation 8: Add a provision to the status cards to state that an expired card is not invalid.

Continue to study and monitor change

Recommendation 14: Although the experience of racism in the use of status cards is near-universal amongst status First Nations, and the mention of status cards elicits overt and numerous racist responses in online forums, there is very little data collected, studies published, or indicators monitored about this experience. Increasingly, there is broad policy support for the collection and monitoring of race-based data to support equity and dignity for all persons. Future work pursuant to this study should continue, and specifically:

• Be a matter of focus of human rights offices and associated studies.
• Indicators and data collection about experience in the use of status cards, and outcomes data related to the experience of racism, should be embedded in surveying and performance monitoring at local, regional, provincial, and national levels, including by First Nations governments in their primary data collection and research projects. These should consider the unique experiences of LGBTQ2S+ persons as well as other groups that are experiencing intersecting and compounding forms of oppression and discrimination.
• Be tied to clear action plans and accountability for change.
• Be rooted in Indigenous data sovereignty.