FACT SHEET RE: PROPOSED SKEETCHESTN MEMBERSHIP LAW

Who Will Be Entitled To Apply For Full Membership?

  • People who are either the biological or adopted child of a person who has Skeetchestn ancestry and either: is a full member; was a full member at the time of their death; or was a full member but had their membership revoked
  • People who were entitled to be Skeetchestn members before 1985, when INAC still controlled membership
  • People who have Skeetchestn ancestry and they either lost or were denied membership by INAC before September 4, 1051 under old Indian Act rules
  • People who are temporary members first for at least 1 year, and if they are between 18-55 years of age, they have to show that they have adequate knowledge of: Skeetchestn history, culture and language; Skeetchestn institutions; the relationship between INAC and Skeetchestn; and the responsibilities and privileges of being a member

Can A Person Lose Their Full Membership?

  • Yes – If they are found guilty of: causing death or physical harm to another member; damaging Skeetchestn-owned property; defrauding Skeetchestn; or theft of Skeetchestn property
  • Yes – If they do not revoke their membership in their other band, or they get accepted into another band as a member
  • Yes – if they are not of Skeetchestn ancestry and they are a member through marriage, but they separate/divorce, or their Skeetchestn spouse dies and they remarry or find a new common-law partner

Can a Person Who Loses Full Membership Apply Again Later?

  • Yes – but they must wait 5 years first

Who Will Make Decisions Regarding Full Membership?

  • A membership committee decides whether to grant full membership.
  • To revoke or cancel full membership, a ratification vote must be held and all full members over age 18 get a chance to vote

Who Will Be On The Membership Committee?

  • While the new law comes into place – for the first year – Council will sit on the membership committee
  • No later than one year after the new law comes into force, the committee will transition and from that point forward, there will be 2 Council members and 3 full members who sit on the committee. All full members are eligible to be on the committee regardless of where they live, and there will not be more than one person from the same immediate family unless nobody shows interest from other families. Elders can also sit on the committee but cannot vote; instead they are there to provide guidance and traditional knowledge

Who Will Be Entitled To Temporary Membership?

  • Must be a registered status Indian;
  • Must be either: legally adopted by a full member; adopted by Skeetchestn by custom adoption; or be married to a full member who has Skeetchestn ancestry;
  • Must agree to give up membership in other band when the become a full member;
  • Must not be a person who has been violent towards other members, unless they show they’ve taken meaningful responsibility for their actions and will not do it again;
  • Must not have been convicted of a heinous crime within last 7 years;
  • Must not have been found guilty of: causing death or physical harm to another member; damaging Skeetchestn-owned property; defrauding Skeetchestn; or theft of Skeetchestn property

Can A Person Lose Their Temporary Membership?

  • Yes – If they are found guilty of: causing death or physical harm to another member; damaging Skeetchestn-owned property; defrauding Skeetchestn; or theft of Skeetchestn property
  • Yes – If they are violent towards another member endangering life or safety, unless they can prove they took meaningful responsibility for their actions and will not do it again;
  • Yes – If they are convicted of a crime Council has deemed to be a heinous crime

Who Makes All The Decisions Around Temporary Membership?

  • The membership committee makes all decisions about temporary membership

How Can a Person Appeal a Decision of the Membership Committee, or a Ratification Vote?

  • If a person needs to appeal a decision, they can take it to the Federal Court for a review. This process does cost money for the person seeking the review, but it provides for a decision from a neutral person that is a binding decision. It is also the most cost-efficient for Skeetchestn to manage.