Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021
Membership in a First Nation or Indian band
Membership in a First Nation or Indian band
Definition
Membership in a First Nation or Indian band refers to whether or not a person is a member of a First Nation or Indian band. Historically, the Indian Act defined a band as a body of First Nations people for whose collective use and benefit lands have been set apart or money is held by the Crown, or who have been declared to be a band for the purpose of the Indian Act. Many bands have elected to call themselves a First Nation and have changed their name accordingly. With the 1985 amendment to the Indian Act of Canada (Bill C‑31), many First Nations exercised the right to establish their own membership code, whereby it was not always necessary for a member to be a Registered Indian according to the Indian Act. Additionally, some First Nations have negotiated self-government agreements and are no longer governed by the Indian Act.
Statistical unit(s)
Classification(s)
Reported in
2021 and 2016 (25% sample); 2011Footnote 1 (30% sample); 2006, 2001, 1996 and 1991 (20% sample).
Reported for
Population in private households
Question number(s)
Direct variable: Question 27
Responses
Respondents could reply "Yes, member of a First Nation or Indian band" or "No" by marking the appropriate circle in Question 27. If a respondent replied "Yes, member of a First Nation or Indian band," they were asked to specify the name of the First Nation or Indian band.
Remarks
In the 2021 Census of Population, Question 27 asked "Is this person a member of a First Nation or Indian band?"
The following note was provided: If "Yes," which First Nation or Indian band? For example, Soowahlie Indian Band, Sturgeon Lake First Nation, Atikamekw of Manawan.
The following additional instructions were provided to respondents within the help button text.
Answer this question regardless of whether or not this person is a member of a First Nation or Indian band.
Select "Yes, member of a First Nation or Indian band" for persons who:
- are a member of a First Nation or Indian band for which lands have been set apart and/or money is held by the Crown
- are a member of a First Nation or Indian band, as defined by the band itself or the Indian Act
- are a citizen of a self-governing First Nation.
Individuals should report their First Nation or Indian band affiliation rather than their tribal affiliation (for example, "Chemawawin Cree Nation" instead of "Cree").
Users should be aware that the estimates associated with this variable are more affected than most by the incomplete enumeration of certain reserves and settlements in the Census of Population.
Furthermore, estimates for specific First Nations and Indian bands reflect self-reported responses to the census question and may differ from the administrative records held by the First Nations and Indian bands themselves.
As a result, users of the detailed First Nation or Indian band data from the 2021 Census should be aware that these data should not be used as official estimates of First Nations and Indian bands in Canada. Users should refer to the individual First Nations and Indian bands for counts of their members. For more information on First Nations and Indian bands in Canada, refer to First Nations Profiles, Indigenous Services Canada.
For additional information on the collection and dissemination of Indigenous data, including incompletely enumerated reserves and settlements, refer to the Indigenous Peoples Reference Guide, Census of Population, 2021 and the Indigenous Peoples Technical Report, Census of Population, 2021.
Note(s)
Related 2021 data products
- Date modified: