Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. I'll start with the second question. I won't sit here today and speak about whether there are inequalities between first nations rights or titles and Métis rights or titles. I'm here on behalf of my community, the Kebaowek First Nation, which is part of the greater Algonquin Nation.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the clarification. Again, I think it comes back to “nation to nation” and trying to be equals around a table. By speaking nation to nation, we're going to hear about all of our concerns and objections—all the positives, negatives and what have you. When we don't get to speak nation to nation, we're just left as....

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I don't want to make it as simple as saying just excluding land would make it amenable and we would be agreeable to the act and how it is being proposed. If we want to put it in a simple solution, that could be part of it, sure. I think that the best solution is bringing the Algonquin nation and other nations that are now within the province of Ontario around a table, as equals, to discuss these matters in detail.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for repeating your question. Yes. if this bill were to go through, it would have large impacts on our unceded Algonquin territory, only because we have been the rights and title holders of these lands since time immemorial. There has never been an established Métis community up and down the Ottawa River, the Kichi Zībī, or anywhere within its watershed.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for this question as well. I'll try to make this as quick as possible. Being a leader in my small community, there are lots of times when I wish we could put a stop to everything for a week, a day, a month or a year, to just catch up on things that we need to play catch-up on.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No, I wasn't aware, but I'm glad to be made aware.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the question, Ms. Gill. The impact on Kebaowek rights.... Again, we're in numerous battles every single day, every single week, on projects, whether they're waste dumps, bridges, dams, pipelines or what have you. We want to be equals at a table. We want to have our rights and our titles recognized.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Once again, thank you for the great question. I'm sorry. I'm still a bit nervous. It's my first time doing something like this. Can you repeat part of the question, Madame Gill? I apologize. I'm overthinking it a bit.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's a very good question. I still consider myself a young leader within my community and my nation. I truly don't have all the answers to questions of that nature. Is the Indian Act 100% correct in how it's written and how it's made us live for the last 150 years? No, it's not.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Meegwetch, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon. Kwe kwe. Thank you for the opportunity to testify with regard to this important but awkward discussion. I do this on behalf of Chief Lance Haymond and the rest of my council members of Kebaowek First Nation. First of all, the Crown representatives and Canada need to find ways to discuss these matters on a nation-to-nation basis.