Evidence of meeting #54 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was commission.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
You were not supposed to take up the full minute and a half with one question, sir.
Go ahead with a short response, if you can.
9:30 a.m.
Commissioner, Cree-Naskapi Commission
We don't directly get involved with the Washaw Sibi Eeyou, but we do understand that they're in the process of negotiating. The problem is their selection of land on the outskirts of Amos, and that's an ongoing process.
What we do know is the fact that the community may start in 2012-13. Somewhere around there it will start. Right now they are slowly negotiating the process. We understand that in the new relationship with the federal government the Crees are responsible for establishing the community.
9:30 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Fine then.
Thank you, Messrs. Lévesque and Lemay.
Ms. Crowder, for seven minutes.
9:30 a.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you once again for appearing before the committee. I've been fortunate enough to have been on the committee when you've come before us.
I have a quick question before I go into my other question, because it shapes the rest of it. Have you had a response from the government on your 2010 report?
9:30 a.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Okay, in that context, by looking at a couple of your recommendations, and again, Mr. Saunders, just noting your own presentation, I want to talk just a little bit about housing.
When you came before the committee in 2008, at that time you highlighted the critical and urgent need around housing. And here we are in the 2010 report continuing to highlight the critical and urgent need around housing. So I am curious about what the government response has been to your 2010 recommendation around housing.
9:30 a.m.
Chairman, Cree-Naskapi Commission
The government did, as we said, respond to each of our previous recommendations. They did also respond to housing. There are discussions under way at the moment between CMHC and the Cree. However, to be entirely blunt, what we're hearing from the Cree is that CMHC—and you'll find it in the report in our section on responses—has been doing a lot of organizing itself to discuss the problem. And it would be good if they could resolve the issues between themselves and the Department of Indian Affairs and within themselves on how best to address the issue.
When we asked questions of Indian Affairs at our hearings, you'll notice we got a very convoluted answer--extremely convoluted. It was based on, well, we're getting our act together, we're planning to get ready to plan to consult. It was that kind of an answer. It was the bureaucratic runaround answer, to be blunt about it.
9:30 a.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Saunders, this is not a new problem. You've highlighted it in a number of reports that housing is an issue, so this is not new information for either CMHC or INAC.
What do you feel is getting in the way of seeing some progress on this?
9:30 a.m.
Chairman, Cree-Naskapi Commission
Well, I'll give you a frank answer that's just my opinion. That's all it is at this point. And that is that they probably haven't identified how they're going to find the money or where they're going to find it, so they're going through some bureaucratic delaying to get an answer. That's not a very nice thing to say, but I think that's probably the truth.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
In that light—and this fits into it as well—I notice you've also talked about water and sewage treatment. What's happening on that front?
9:35 a.m.
Chairman, Cree-Naskapi Commission
Some progress is being made. There are discussions under way.
9:35 a.m.
Chairman, Cree-Naskapi Commission
We certainly will monitor it. We've said we'll monitor that, and we hope there are positive outcomes. If there are not, we will highlight them and let the chips fall where they may.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
At this point there are talks going on, but there hasn't been commitment to resources?
9:35 a.m.
Chairman, Cree-Naskapi Commission
Yes. I think you also have to keep in mind that certain infrastructure matters are covered by the supplementary agreements that have been made, the James Bay agreement, particularly the La Paix des Braves agreement, in which the Quebec government has responsibility, and the new relationship agreement with Canada, in which Canada has responsibility. So there's some sorting out to be done there as to the responsibilities of the Cree flowing from that and the responsibilities that remain with the federal government.
I think the key here is that federal responsibilities to first nations people across Canada are also responsibilities, generally speaking, to the Cree. And what the Cree have received as compensation is an additional matter: it's for concessions made in relation to the development of the dams and all the rest of it. So we would say the federal government continues to have responsibility for federal programs in the area of housing, and they have a responsibility, we think, to address the issue on its merits, which has to do with the size of families, the formation of new families, and that kind of thing.
We'd be happy to follow up with a briefing on that.
Robert.
9:35 a.m.
Commissioner, Cree-Naskapi Commission
In terms of housing, the problem would be worse if the Cree Nation, as a whole, didn't have programs like “House to Own” and that type of thing. A lot of the native people own their houses now. They have paid for them, and so on and so forth. I, for one, have never received any of this Indian Affairs housing. I put up my own house and so on. There are quite a number of natives in all nine of those Cree communities who have done that. Now, if that weren't done, the housing situation would have been worse.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Do I have time, Mr. Chair? Two minutes?
Can I turn to policing just for one moment? I know that in recommendation 8 you touched on the needs of Cree communities for policing services and a Cree justice system. Recently we saw the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador and the Assembly of First Nations nationally highlight some concerns around potential cuts to policing services. I wonder if you could comment on the state of policing services and the state of funding for policing services.
9:35 a.m.
Chairman, Cree-Naskapi Commission
In our previous report I think Canada's response--which we're printed, and it's on page 46 of the English-language edition--speaks for itself. Let me just quote part of their response briefly here. These are the actual words of the Department of Indian Affairs at our hearing:
In terms of recommendation number 8, policing, just as a lead-in, some of the work that we've been doing internally in the federal government is to try to build what we're calling the Implementation Management Framework. Yes, Indian Affairs coordinates on behalf of Canada the implementation of obligations...
Blah, blah, blah. That speaks for itself.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
So how are you managing policing services in your community when this is the kind of response you get?
9:35 a.m.
Chairman, Cree-Naskapi Commission
Do you want to...? How do you manage policing?
9:35 a.m.
NDP
9:35 a.m.
Commissioner, Cree-Naskapi Commission
We have a program that the justice system established, and they just now put up the regional office in Chisasibi, which is going to be operating possibly at the end of this year or next year. They've already put up some housing for people who are going to be working there.
So the police and justice system per se are improving, in a sense, compared to what they used to be. Every Cree community has its own police force, but what you would call a regional police force will be established. This justice system will be on its own in the Cree Nation. It's going to be more or less governed by the Cree Regional Authority.