The Indian Act was created in 1876, and it was a really controversial law aimed at making First Nations people lose their culture to fit in with Euro-Canadians. Over the years, it was changed many times, especially in 1951, to talk about schools, religion, land claims, and women's rights. People pointed out that the Act forced First Nations children to go to residential schools and made it against the law for them to practice their own religion. After World War II, some changes happened in 1951, allowing First Nations people to practice their religion and vote in band council elections, which was a big deal. But in 1969, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau made things even more controversial when he said that all First Nations people should lose their Indian Status.
In the 1980s, things changed again with Bill-31, which gave status to many First Nations people who had been unfairly denied it before. The Indian Act is still a big topic that people argue about today. In 1999, the First Nations Land Management Act was passed to give First Nations governments more power, which was a step towards change.