Elder Brother, the Law of the People and Contemporary Kinship Practices of Cowessess First Nation Members: Reconceptualizing Kinship in American Indian Studies

In this essay, Robert Innes challenges the perception that the members of Cowesses First Nation have internalized the legal definitions of ‘Indian.’ Instead, he posits that this community follows kinship-based notions of Indigenous identity that counter both Indian Act definitions of ‘status Indians,’ ‘Bill C-31s,’ and ‘Métis’ people as well as stereotypes of conflict between ‘old’ and ‘newly recognized’ community members. This kinship approach grew out of the traditional law of the people, transmitted through the stories of Elder Brother.