On May 17th 2023, Prof. Sylvia McAdam from Windsor University will deliver a common integrative seminar titled ‘The Indian Act Curse on First Nation Housing’. Currently, the housing deficit on First Nation reserves is greater than 130,000 units, with as many as half a million Indigenous people in Canada having poor or no housing. The racist Indian Act and colonial policies are the crux causing houselessness on reserve, which undermines basic human rights. The Indian Act subjugates First Nation people to be wards of the state for the Crown to abscond control over Native land (including reserve land), resources, charitable organizations, education, regulations for grading lumber, and legal authority, which conspire against housing on reserve.
About the speaker:
Sylvia McAdam (Saysewahum) is from the Treaty 6 lands in what is now called “Canada.” She is a direct descendant of Treaty peoples and Original peoples of these lands. Sylvia is from the nēhīyaw Nation. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Justice from the University of Regina. Sylvia is co-founder of a global grassroots Indigenous-led movement called “Idle No More.” Idle No More has changed the political and social landscape of Canada as well as reached the global community to defend and protect all lands, waters, and animals. Sylvia is also co-founder of the “One House Many Nations” Campaign, which designs off-the-grid sustainable tiny-homes to address and raise awareness about the epidemic unacceptable proportions of homelessness in such a wealthy state as “Canada” especially amongst Indigenous/Original peoples.
