“They Sigh or Give You the Look: Discrimination and Status Card Usage” was published in November 2022 by the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. The report outlines findings of a study on stigma and discrimination experienced by Indigenous Peoples in B.C. when using their Indian status card. Recommendations focus on public education and reconciliation and on reducing these incidents and related harms, and are adressed to government, businesses and the media.
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Improve media stewardship
Recommendation 11: Cease reiterating misinformation about status cards and instead utilize and publish links to reputable sources of information about status cards as explainers or background.- First Nations political organizations should consider creating materials suitable for newsroom staff about the genesis and purpose of status cards.
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Improve media stewardship
Recommendation 12: Take seriously their responsibility for comment moderation, both on news sites and when shared to official social media channels.-
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Improve media stewardship
Recommendation 13: Employ credible editorial tools (e.g., Reporting in Indigenous Communities riic.ca) to reduce the continued feeding of anti-Indigenous stereotyping in news headlines and articles.-
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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.
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