Mr. Speaker, yesterday the $350 million community based healing strategy, announced in “Gathering Strength: Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan”, was formally launched by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the federal interlocutor for Metis and non-status Indians. The foundation is a non-profit organization that will be set up and run by aboriginal people to work with those who tolerated abuse in the residential school system.
The next few years will be an important time for teamwork between both the federal government and community groups. As the member of parliament for Nunavut, I ask for co-operation for all concerned as we take these important first steps in recovering the past so that we may move successfully into the future.
This is our chance to truly create the new partnership the federal government promised in its response to the RCAP.
I also take this opportunity to wish the chair of the foundation, Mr. George Erasmus, and other members like Inuit Tapirisat of Canada every success as they begin to implement this important initiative.