Press Release: Michel Callihoo Nation Society calls for urgent passage of Bill S-2 to restore justice and foster Reconciliation

October 27, 2025 (Unceded Algonquin Anishinabek Territory | Ottawa, ON) The Michel Callihoo Nation Society (MCNS), representing the descendants of the historic Michel Band #472, is calling on Parliament to urgently pass Bill S-2, An Act to amend the Indian Act (new registration entitlements). This legislation marks a critical step toward reconciliation and justice for thousands of Indigenous peoples who have been systematically stripped of their identity, rights, and community through Canada’s historic enfranchisement policies.

“We are in Ottawa to urge Parliament to act now”, said Beverly Asmann of the MCNS Board of Directors. “Many affected individuals are aging and further delay means some will never see justice in their lifetimes. The Society stands ready to work with Indigenous Services Canada to reconstitute the Michel First Nation and restore a sense of belonging and pride to its people.”

MCNS is composed of representatives from five societies, united in advocacy for those who lost status due to collective and individual enfranchisements in 1928, 1958, and earlier. Enfranchisement was a process under the Indian Act, where enfranchised Michel Band #472 members lost their legal status as Indians as well as all of their rights as Treaty 6 registered Indians. No other modern collective has suffered more from these policies than the descendants of the Michel Band,\ who were targeted by discriminatory government actions designed to dispossess them of their land, culture, and Treaty 6 rights.

Bill S-2 offers hope. If passed, it will provide a pathway for non-status descendants to regain Indian Act status and facilitate the creation of a new First Nation under s. 17 of the Indian Act – a true home and renewed identity for those long denied their rightful place in Canada.

MCNS leadership, including those with current status on the Alberta 838 General List and those denied status entirely, have shared stories of anguish – children losing homes, families torn apart, and elders waiting decades for justice. The passage of Bill S-2 is not just a legislative fix; it is a moral imperative.

The time for reconciliation is now. MCNS calls on all Canadians to support the passage of Bill S-2 and stand with the descendants of the Michel Band in their pursuit of justice, dignity, and cultural renewal.

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Media contact:

Kim Beaudin, MCNS

email: kim.michelnation@gmail.com

phone: 306-717-1429