Indian Act Amendment

An 1890 amendment to section 16 of the Indian Act legislated that "no Indian could be granted more than 160 acres of land." This created barriers to the agricultural and economic development of reserve farmers, as they were unable to expand their farms to produce commercially. This amendment also added sexual offences to the jurisdiction of the Indian Agent. Jurisdiction over this offecse was removed in 1892, but restored in 1894 along with prostitution and vagrancy. The addition of sexual offences increased the jurisdiction of the Indian Agent gave the agent further control over the lives of Aboriginal peoples, especially women, and is reflective of paternalistic perceptions of Aboriginal women as sexually deviant. Departmental officials, missionaries, and teachers were strictly forbidden from trading with Aboriginal peoples.