"Residency By-Law Letter to Six Nations Members"

To all Six Nations Members,

In the 1980's we were faced with a major increase in our membership because of Bill C-31. In order to protect our land base, the Six Nations Elected Council passed the Residency By-Law. As you know, this by-law allows only Six Nations members to reside at Six Nations.

Due to a number of issues, we must act to make changes to the Residency By-Law. Federal laws, including the Canadian Human Rights Act and possible changes to Matrimonial Real Property law, may make our by-law ineffective. This may result in our territory being opened up to non-members with little or no input from the community or Council. The Residency By-Law also needs to be revised in order to make it consistent with the Matrimonial Real Property Law that was approved by Council.

Six Nations Elected Council remains committed to ensuring that our land remains in the hands of Six Nations members.

We have directed our staff to begin drafting a new residency law. This law will allow some non-members to live here under clear conditions. It will ensure that families are not broken up and that members can stay in the community no matter who they marry. Non-members will not be permitted to own land or freely access our services.

We are committed to ensuring that all members have an opportunity to provide input on the new law before Council considers approving it. As a part of this, we will be creating a committee made up of community members to advise our staff on the creation of the law. Please watch for advertisements in the near future calling for committee members.

Over the coming months you will see more communication on this issue. Copies of the Residency By-Law or our MRP law are available at the administration building or online at www.sixnations.ca. For more information or to provide your input, you can talk to me or your District Councillor, contact our Policy Department (519-445-2201), email us at feedback@sixnations.ca, or visit the Six Nations Elected Council Facebook page.

Chief William Montour