Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Sure, and thank you very much, honourable member, for the question. It ties into many of the questions that have been asked today. I think there are a lot of people within Canada who don't understand who we are as a people, which is why we're doing the work that we're doing. You're exactly right: Our people emerged, and we emerged, as a new people in these communities that were distinct, that stood apart from their first nations relatives, that stood apart from their European ancestors as well, and that's exactly why we are recognized as one of the aboriginal peoples in section 35.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. I completely agree with Vice-President LeClair. I think this is an incredibly important part of the bill: recognition of our governments as indigenous governing bodies. Give us the tools we need to utilize Bill C-92, if we need them. That is critically important.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, can I just offer one additional point for members of the committee?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There's a great op-ed piece in today's Hill Times by Theresa Stenlund, who's a regional councillor within our government. It's about a wonderful pilot that our northwestern Ontario Métis community has established. It's the first-ever Métis child and family services agency in the province.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. There are some who are saying they don't want the bill to go forward. I understand that they are saying that it's going to impact their rights. As you've heard already, this bill is about our internal self-government. It impacts only our three Métis governments.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think you've heard all of us say that this bill really is reconciliation in action. It is putting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into action. I wanted to thank the honourable member for the question. Article 3 specifically talks about indigenous peoples' rights to self-determination, and article 4 specifically talks about the right to have autonomy or self-government.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. The legislation does make reference to “treaty”, as do our self-government agreements, but for clarity, these are modern self-government treaties. The rights that are being recognized in the legislation are our inherent rights to self-determination, to self-government, and they will be collected in the form of the treaty.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I am happy to take the start. I think it's very important. Bill C-53 is very clear that it only applies to our three Métis governments. It only applies to those individuals, those citizens who choose to be citizens of our three Métis governments. I think that is the answer to the question.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  As I was mentioning earlier, each of our Métis governments has a well-established registry. There are very clear criteria for applying for citizenship. There's a very rigorous process that is involved for that, and every citizen making an application for citizenship has to meet those criteria in order to be recognized and admitted as a citizen.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'm happy to start. Thank you very much for the question. Yes, it did start back in 2017. We've been building on that ever since. What's next for us? As you've referenced, in our agreements all three of our Métis governments have committed with Canada to enter into negotiation of a modern self-government treaty, taking this jurisdiction that's been recognized around how we self-govern, how we govern ourselves, into treaty form.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, I'm happy to respond. Halu. Thank you for the question, honourable member. Bill C-53 is indigenous recognition legislation. It is the same type of legislation that comes with every indigenous self-governing agreement and every modern treaty in this country's history.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I would agree, as well.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  For the Métis Nation of Ontario, again, we all have very professional registries. Within the next two weeks, it will be approximately 27,000 registered citizens. Currently, it is around the 31,000 or 32,000 mark.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. Yes, again, I would reiterate that there's been a lot of rhetoric and there's been a lot of misinformation, I think, from the very basic point around the denial of Métis communities existing. That is a fact within this country. It's a fact certainly within Ontario.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, honourable member, for the question. Yes, it has been 20 years since we brought forward Powley. Powley was actually part of.... The entire Métis nation and all of our governments were defending our citizens in the courts to try to get a case to go all the way to the Supreme Court so that we could finally get a decision on the issue of Métis rights.