Thank you, Mr. Chair. Meegwetch.
I agree with what many have said. Practices that we must condemn still exist today. The removal of indigenous children from their communities is a disturbing practice, and those children need to be better protected.
At the end of the day, the overrepresentation of indigenous children in foster care is largely due to a political system underpinned by Eurocentric ideals as well as successive governments that failed to address the root causes of poverty. Knowing indigenous peoples' stories and perspectives is paramount.
The paradigm has to fundamentally change. Living together also means codeveloping, trusting indigenous nations and providing financial predictability to support indigenous communities in their decisions. This will ensure that supports for families and children are put in place, supports developed by the communities for the well-being of their children. Indigenous communities need time to make the necessary preparations and build their capacity to deliver services.
Those are the things that stand out from my discussions with indigenous communities. Their needs have to be taken into account.
According to your graphic, more than $200 million is being provided for capacity-building. How much of that money has actually been disbursed to indigenous communities to date?