Human Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the invitation to address this committee. We're pleased to provide some information that may assist you and your committee in the study of skills development in remote communities. Unfortunately, my notes are in English only. Having said that, I woul

Human Resources committee  The First Nations Land Management Act is a regime that has been very successful, I think, and there is quite a strong correlation between economic development outcomes and people in communities that are managing their own lands and resources. In fact, in the last budget, budget 2

Human Resources committee  One of the things we're doing, I guess inspired by the framework for aboriginal economic development, as well as some of our new programs, like the strategic partnerships initiative.... There are a number of things that I think have changed over the last number of years around re

Human Resources committee  Perhaps I could add a couple of things from the economic development perspective. Back in 2009, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, the government released a new federal framework for aboriginal economic development. That is trying to realign how we work as a federal family, a

Human Resources committee  I can start. I would kind of deconstruct the question a little bit. There is one question around the on-reserve situation with regulations and legislation, that kind of thing, but then there is probably a broader issue to do with resource development and other things that probab

Human Resources committee  I don't know if my personal view is relevant to the deliberations of this committee, but I think there are some obvious things that people are doing that make a lot of sense. I think you go back to the Indian Act. I think everyone would recognize that it is a rather imperfect t

Human Resources committee  I'll try to move through this rather quickly, given the time we have. Thank you very much for the opportunity. Jobs and economic growth are very important and fundamental to improving the lives of aboriginal people in Canada. Opportunities for first nations, Inuit, and Métis peo

Human Resources committee  All right. There are a couple of other examples I can refer you to in the speaking points around opportunities in resource development in the Labrador Trough and the First Nations Power Authority of Saskatchewan, which are two signature projects that are showing how we can suppo

Human Resources committee  I can speak to that. The first nations land management regime is a very critical piece of economic development. There's a very strong correlation between first nations that are in the FNLM and their economic outcomes. In the last budget there were a number of initiatives which w

Human Resources committee  Based on census information that's self-identification, approximately 1.2 million to 1.3 million people self-identify as aboriginal. Within that, you've got first nations, Inuit, and Métis. There are about 350,000 first nations on reserve, and there are probably an equal number o

Human Resources committee  We can provide those data.

Human Resources committee  There's another thing I could offer as well. I could also perhaps get this to the clerk. This is the benchmark report from the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board, which—

Human Resources committee  —talks about economic development outcomes and indicators. We could make sure there are copies available for everyone.

Human Resources committee  The number is somewhere up there around that number, although it has been reduced over the past number of years by some more investments in getting first nations onto the FNLMA rule.

Human Resources committee  Under the 34 sections of the Indian Act that affect land management, yes.