When Outsiders Rewrite Our Story: The Impact of Bill C-31 on Our Nation

Photo of Duncan Testawich, 1911. Source: David Leonard, 1995. Published by Detselig Enterprises Ltd. for the Edmonton and District Historical Society

When Duncan Testawich signed Treaty 8 at Peace River Crossing, he did so for his descendants and for the people of our Cree Nation. That Treaty was a sacred agreement meant to protect our future. It was not meant to be twisted by colonial law or used as a tool for outsiders to take space in our communities.

Yet today, that is exactly what is happening.

With the amendments to the Indian Act under Bill C-31, people who were never raised in our community — and in some cases, who have no lived connection to our land, our people, or our way of life — have gained status and membership. They have entered our Nation not to strengthen it, but to benefit from it.

Instead of bringing unity, they bring harm. Instead of honouring the people who have always lived here, they perpetuate stereotypes against us. They claim leadership, jobs, housing, and contracts, while those of us who were born and raised here are treated as “less than.”

Colonialism, Rebranded

The government will say Bill C-31 was about “justice” and “restoring rights.” And yes, in some ways, it corrected a grave wrong — especially against women who lost status for marrying out. But the truth on the ground is more complicated.

The way this law has been applied in our Nation has opened the door for people who do not carry our history, who were not raised in our community, and who do not live our values. The result? Colonization all over again — this time from within.

What We Are Seeing

• Displacement – Jobs, housing, and education funds are going to those who came in after Bill C-31, while original community members are pushed aside.

  
  

• Stereotypes – Those who don’t understand our way of life treat us with disrespect, judging the very people whose ancestors built and protected this community.

  
  

• Erosion of Values – Our Nation’s policies and decisions are increasingly shaped by outsiders who carry a colonial mindset instead of community-rooted values.

  
  

• Exploitation of History – The name and legacy of our ancestor, Duncan Testawich, is being used for legitimacy and gain, while his descendants and our people are denied opportunity.

What Needs to Change

This isn’t about denying anyone’s humanity. It’s about protecting the integrity of our Nations. Membership should not be a loophole for outsiders to come in and strip resources from the people who have always lived here. Leadership must:

• Create membership codes and custom election codes that protect the voices and rights of original community members.

  
  

• Ensure that opportunities and benefits go first to those who live here and have always been part of this Nation.

  
  

• Educate members and surrounding communities on the difference between Treaty descendants and those who only recently gained status.

Duncan Testawich did not sign Treaty 8 so that others could come centuries later and profit off his name while his descendants are silenced. He signed so that the Cree people of Peace River Crossing and their future generations would have a place, a voice, and a future.

We cannot allow colonial amendments to the Indian Act to erase that truth. If we stay silent, we are allowing colonization to continue through the back door of our own Nations.

Our land, our history, and our rights were never meant to be handed away. We are still here. And we will protect what was signed for us.

What We Must Do Together

This is not the time for silence. Every community member has a responsibility to protect what was signed for us. We must:

• Show up at community meetings and demand answers.

• Insist on a Band Membership Code and Custom Election Code that protect the voices of those who were born and raised here.

• Hold leadership accountable when they allow outsiders to benefit while our own people are left behind.

• Educate our young people so they know our true history and never forget who Duncan Testawich signed for.

If we don’t take these steps, our children and grandchildren will inherit a Nation where outsiders profit from our Treaty while original families are erased.

The Treaty belongs to the descendants of those who signed it, and it is our duty to protect it. The time to stand together is now. We must protect our home, as it is the last of the land.