The Merchant law group is in a Quebec court this week asking for compensation for treaty women who lost their status when they married a non-status man.
The federal government changed the law in 2011 with Bill C-3, so women could maintain their treaty status when marrying off-reserve men.
However this lawsuit’s plaintiff Denis Sarrazin is asking the courts for an order for women who were given status – but not given benefits – to be compensated for their losses.
She says there may be 100,000 Canadian indigenous people in Canada who lost those benefits for the years they were not considered status Indians.
The case will be heard over the next two days and will be precedent-setting for all of Canada.