Why is INAC creating a new and improved Status card?
• This initiative is called the Secure Certificate of Indian Status Project. It originated through a joint initiative between the Assembly of First Nations and the Lands and Trust Services Sector of INAC and a related project with Treaty 7 First Nations. The goal is to address the need for increased security features on Status cards so issues of stolen identity and fraud can be reduced or eliminated. The current version of the Status card is a laminated paper document that is not protected from forgery or counterfeiting. It can easily be misused through alteration or illegal reproduction. This has caused problems in accessing benefits for some legally entitled First Nation individuals and has led to significant pressures to replace the current card with a card that incorporates the security features of a modern identification document. The new Secure Certificate of Indian Status features several security improvements that significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized alterations or dup
