The white card known as the Alberta Indian Tax Exemption Card (AITE) card will no longer be needed for fuel or tobacco purchases made by status First Nations people in Alberta, effective Oct. 4.

First Nations people will no longer need to show the white Alberta Indian Tax Exemption (AITE) card for identification purposes to prove their treaty status and tax exemption.

Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson says this will make it easier for all status First Nations, with just their federal Certificate of Indian Status card the only one required for tax exemption on purchases.

“We had a talk with our minister of Red Tape Reduction. And I says, 'look it, this could be a win-win for everybody. We can get rid of a bunch of red tape and help Indigenous people cut through a bunch of unnecessary steps that they're having to take right now. And so we all agreed, let's get this done. So we went to work on it and, here it is, we finally got it to fruition.”

Wilson says that old, expired or temporary status cards can still be used over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AITE card program has been in effect since June 1, 1991.

For further information on applying for the Certificate of Indian Status card, check out their website at www.canada.ca/indian-status or call 1-800-567-9604.