The Indian Act is federal legislation first enacted in 1876 that governs matters relating to "Indian status," First Nations bands, and reserves. The Act gives the federal government significant control over First Nations governance, land management, membership, education, and other matters. Historically paternalistic and assimilationist, the Act has been criticized as colonial legislation that imposed foreign governance structures, restricted movement and economic activity, banned cultural practices, and enabled residential schools. While amended many times, the Act remains fundamentally problematic: it defines who is and isn't "Indian" according to criteria many First Nations reject, limits self-governance, and maintains federal control over reserve lands. Some First Nations have negotiated self-government agreements that remove them from the Act's provisions. Reforming or replacing the Indian Act is complicated because it also provides certain protections and rights that First Nations don't want to lose without acceptable alternatives. The Act remains central to understanding federal-Indigenous relations.