Bill C-8 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's call to action number 94)

This enactment amends the Citizenship Act to include, in the Oath or Affirmation of Citizenship, a solemn promise to respect the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, in order to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s call to action number 94.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I call this meeting of the indigenous and northern affairs committee to order. I will start by acknowledging that, when in Ottawa, we meet on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin people. In my personal case, I am on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinabe and Chonnonton people.

Pursuant to the order of reference from the House on December 10, 2020, the committee is continuing its study of Bill C-8, an act to amend the Citizenship Act, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's call to action number 94.

I'd like to welcome officials from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada who are with us to answer questions members may have about the content of the bill, and perhaps questions from the chair as well.

I would like to provide members of the committee with some instructions and a few comments on how the committee will proceed with the clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-8 in this hybrid meeting format. As the name indicates, it's an examination of all the clauses in the order in which they appear in the bill. I will call each clause successively and each clause is subject to debate and a vote. If there is an amendment to the clause in question, I will recognize the member proposing it who may explain it. The amendment will then be open for debate. When no further members wish to intervene, then the amendment will be voted on.

Amendments will be considered in the order in which the clauses they propose to amend appear in the bill or they appear in the package each member received from the clerk. Members should note that the amendments must be submitted in writing to the clerk of the committee or by email for members participating virtually.

Since this is the committee's first clause-by-clause consideration of a bill in a hybrid meeting format, I'll be going slowly to allow members to follow the proceedings properly as well as to accommodate my own procedure through the process. Amendments have been given an alphanumeric number in the top corner to indicate which party submitted them. There is no need for a seconder to move an amendment. Once an amendment is moved, unanimous consent will be needed to withdraw it.

During the debate on an amendment, members are permitted to move subamendments. These subamendments must be submitted in writing or by email for members participating virtually. They do not require the approval of the mover of the amendment. Only one subamendment may be considered at a time and that subamendment cannot be amended. When a subamendment is moved to an amendment, it is voted on first, and then another subamendment may be moved, or the committee may consider the main amendment and then vote on it.

Once every clause has been voted on, the committee will vote on the title and the bill itself, and an order to reprint the bill may be required if amendments are adopted so that the House has a proper copy for use at the report stage.

Finally, the committee will have to order the chair to report the bill to the House. That report contains only the text of any adopted amendments as well as an indication of any deleted clauses.

Thank you, all, for your attention, and let's hope for a productive clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-8.

Now I'd like to pose a question for my own enlightenment. With regard to the schedule, on the of the agenda there's a note that if BQ-1 is adopted, then the following two NDP amendments cannot be moved. Could I have an explanation of what that entails?

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Before we begin, through you, I would ask the witnesses, if it is possible, for those who had any to send their opening statements to the committee so that they can be translated. This would help us in the clause-by-clause debate on the bill. I extend the invitation, if possible, of course. Thank you very much.

During the meeting with the first group of witnesses, I mentioned that the Bloc Québécois really wanted the gist of Bill C-8 to pass, but as you may have understood, there are discussions surrounding the Constitution issue. That's why most of my questions will be directed to Mr. Cardinal.

Mr. Cardinal, since we've talked about it, I'd like you to start by explaining what an inherent right means, in indigenous law, because it's been mentioned, but it hasn't necessarily been explained.

[Éric Cardinal, As an Individual]

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to testify in the context of your work. I am doing so in a personal capacity while wearing several hats.

I wear the indigenous law lecturer's hat first. For the past 15 years, I have had the great pleasure of passing on my passion for indigenous law to university students. Currently, I teach the course entitled Canadian Law and Indigenous Peoples at the University of Montréal.

I am also vice-president of Acosys Consulting Services, an indigenous company that offers training and coaching services in governance for indigenous communities. In this capacity, I participate in negotiation tables with the federal government. In all, I have been working for more than 25 years in the field of indigenous law and policy.

The issue of the recognition of aboriginal and treaty rights is therefore part of my daily life. I am very honoured to be able to speak here today on Bill C-8, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's call to action number 94).

First, let me commend the initiative behind this bill, which responds to the government's commitment to implement the commission's calls for action and foster reconciliation between indigenous people and Canadians. I respectfully submit, however, that the text as proposed in the bill does not truly reflect the intent of the legislation.

The purpose of the bill, as outlined in its accompanying summary, is to include in the Citizenship Act a solemn promise to respect the aboriginal and treaty rights of first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

However, the new wordings of the declarations proposed for both the oath and solemn affirmation do not require the person to promise respect for indigenous rights, but rather respect for the Constitution. May I remind you of the text in question:

[…] I swear to faithfully observe the laws of Canada, including the Constitution, which recognizes and affirms the aboriginal and treaty rights of first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

We swear to uphold the Constitution, but we do not swear to uphold aboriginal or treaty rights. Some may say it's a theoretical or linguistic nuance, but I don't think so. On the contrary, it is a fundamental nuance, given the principles of nation-to-nation relations between the Canadian Crown and aboriginal peoples.

As you are surely aware, aboriginal rights are known as inherent rights, that is, they exist independently of state recognition, whether by the Constitution or otherwise. The oath should therefore simply lead the person to promise respect for aboriginal and treaty rights, without a reference to the Constitution being necessary.

Moreover, the term Constitution itself is not used in an accurate and correct manner. Now it is the meticulous professor of law speaking. In Canadian law, the Constitution is the body of law that organizes Canada's institutions and determines the fundamental rules that govern society. When we say “the Constitution”, we are not talking about a single document. The Constitution is a mixture of laws, orders in council, court decisions and constitutional conventions.

Finally, let me also point out that section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, is itself a promise made by the Crown to indigenous peoples. This promise has not been fully kept. On the one hand, there are still many nations that are negotiating or awaiting recognition of their rights by the state. On the other hand, in interpreting section 35, the Supreme Court has limited its scope by allowing the government, in some cases, to infringe upon indigenous and treaty rights.

To be fully consistent with the concept of reconciliation and the principles of nation-to-nation relations, I believe that the reference to the Constitution should be removed and that the declaration should simply, directly, include a solemn promise to respect the indigenous and treaty rights of first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

Thank you very much, and congratulations for the work you are doing.

[Lorraine Whitman, President, Native Women's Association of Canada]

Wela'lin, Chair.

Good afternoon. Taluisi Lorraine Whitman, Grandmother White Sea Turtle. I am the president of the Native Women's Association of Canada, and I am speaking to you today from unceded traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq Lnu people. Kwe kwe.

I would like to thank the Government of Canada, and the members of the House Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs in particular, for inviting me here today to talk about Bill C-8 and the proposal to change the oath of Canadian citizenship to recognize the rights of indigenous peoples.

It has been more than five years since Justice Murray Sinclair released the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission after its multi-year study of the horrors that occurred behind the walls of Canada’s Indian residential schools. I commend the Government of Canada for committing to act upon all of the 94 calls to action contained in that report.

I also understand that in just two days you will be doing your line-by-line review of the proposed Bill C-8 and that I am speaking to you at what can only be described as the last minute. I hope that the members of Parliament sitting around the table will excuse the fact that NWAC seems to be offering an opinion so late in the day. The truth is that it was only last week that we were advised about the contents of Bill C-8 and the committee's work.

If you have further legislation that will affect the lives of indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in Canada, we would be pleased to be part of the discussion right from the start, at the same time as you hear from the male-led indigenous organizations. I urge you to keep in mind that NWAC, which has been in existence since 1974, is the largest organization representing indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in Canada. When you consult with us, you are consulting with grassroots first nations, Métis and Inuit women in every part of Canada.

Moving on to the matters at hand, we are extremely glad to see that the government is going forward on this recommendation of the TRC. I believe that all of us around the table would agree that far too many Canadians who were actually born in this country lack a basic understanding of the history of colonialization that shaped the relationship between Canada and the indigenous people. Too few Canadians have been taught about the importance of first nations, Métis and Inuit, not just to the history of this country’s formation but to the present-day realities.

Most do not realize that when ore is extracted from the ground, it is being taken from our traditional territory, and that in many cases, it has been extracted based on the agreements we call treaties. They do not know that when trees are cut, it is because we have agreed to share the bounty of our ancestors with settlers. To have that reflected in the oath of citizenship is indeed an important step to righting some of the wrongs and injustices that were revealed by the inquiries of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

We agree with the changes in wording you have made in the original TRC call to action to recognize the three distinctive groups of indigenous peoples who call Canada home. I think it is fair to say that indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, despite their resilience, have suffered exponentially under colonialism. The national inquiry that examined the root causes of why so many of us are murdered or go missing found that there has been nothing short of a genocide. For that reason, we believe the realities of gender must also be reflected in the oath of citizenship and accompanying guidebook and that all new Canadians must affirm that they understand the importance of indigenous women to the land we now call Canada.

I close today by commending your efforts. I hope that this legislation finally becomes law, five years after the release of the report of the TRC. I look forward to the day when I can congratulate you for fulfilling all the calls to action of the TRC and the calls for justice of the national inquiry.

Wela'lioq.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for listening to my words.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Chief Poitras, thank you for your testimony, which I listened to with great interest. It was well documented, very consistent and very clear.

Before asking my questions, I would like to make a small preamble to explain the position of the Bloc Québécois and its support for first nations' claims.

When the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was being discussed in Geneva, the Bloc Québécois was present. In 2004, it was part of the working group for the development of the declaration. The Bloc Québécois was also in Geneva in 2006 to finalize the process. In 2007, when the agreement was completed, Canada did not ratify it. The Bloc Québécois then lobbied, insisted in the House and asked questions of the Harper government until 2010, when the declaration was finally signed by Canada.

It's one of the things we've been supporting for a long time. We also agree with the recommendations and calls for action contained in the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. We strongly support the principle of Bill C-8, which seeks to recognize the rights of first nations in the oath of citizenship.

I'd like you to tell me about the exact wording of the text; you've already touched on it a bit. It may be a very small detail, but what is being recognized is the Constitution in which the indigenous and treaty rights of indigenous people are mentioned. Would you agree that indigenous and treaty rights should be recognized more specifically, rather than specifically referring to the Constitution?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Ladies and gentlemen, guests of the committee, I see that we have quorum. We have our guests in place. Accordingly, I call to order this meeting of the indigenous and northern affairs committee.

We will begin as usual by acknowledging that in Ottawa, when we meet there, we're on the traditional territory of the Algonquin people. I'm located on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinabe and Chonnonton first nations.

Pursuant to the order of reference from the House on December 10, 2020, the committee is continuing to study Bill C-8, an act to amend the Citizenship Act, regarding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's call to action number 94.

To ensure the meeting is orderly, especially for our guests just joining us, it's critical that we have a clear and proper translation. That requires you to locate the interpretation icon, which is at the bottom centre of the screen, and select English, which I'm going to do right now, or French, whichever language you wish to speak in and hear.

That being said, the other thing I want to assure you of is that we keep fairly strict on timing in order to get through the complete cycle of questions. It may seem that we are cutting off answers that are important—and they are all important—but we do need to have the timing in place, which is rounds of questions of six minutes, five minutes, two and a half minutes, and so on, so that all of our questioners get in.

With our guests having that information, we're going to open up with six minutes of presentation, starting off with Ms. Poitras.

Please go ahead, for six minutes.

[Patrick Weiler, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the witnesses for joining the committee meeting today and for the very meaningful testimony already.

I'd like to begin by mentioning that I'm streaming from the traditional unceded territory of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations.

I want to get to a question about education. I apologize for belabouring this initial point that we've been talking about, but there is a big difference between recommendation 94 from the TRC and Bill C-8. That's really with reference to aboriginal rights and having that constitutionally protected.

I know there has been some umbrage taken with the change of wording, including “Constitution”. From someone who's part of my legal practice who has worked for first nations throughout British Columbia on various matters, including rights and title cases.... In B.C., of course, there are almost no treaties. Most nations have given up on the treaty process, but of course the province is covered many times over with claimed but not yet proven rights and title cases, and with very strong claims, of course. I believe the reference to “aboriginal rights”, and indicating that it's constitutionally protected, is a very crucial one to give it relevance in B.C. Saying that it's constitutionally protected elevates this protection to the highest law in the land, which in my opinion is quite meaningful.

With that in mind, I guess this is my question for Ms. Wilson. I was hoping that you could speak to why this wasn't in the original recommendation 94. What type of feedback from consultation with first nations in B.C. was related to that particular recommendation?

[Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Chair, Governing Circle, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation]

Thank you.

Ahneen. Good evening. My name is Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux. I am the chair of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation governing circle and an honorary witness for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I'm also a proud member and resident of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation in Lake Simcoe, Ontario. Together with the Chippewas of Beausoleil and Rama and the Mississaugas of Alderville, Curve Lake, Hiawatha and Scugog Island, we are signatories to the pre-Confederation 1923 Williams Treaties, signed throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, which covered lands in different parts of south central Ontario.

First, I would like to acknowledge that I am also speaking to you from the original lands of the Chippewa. I want to thank the House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs for inviting the centre to appear in order to contribute to your study of Bill C-8, an act to amend the Citizenship Act. This is an important initiative, one that will breathe life into one of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada as set out in its call to action number 94.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation would like to thank the Honourable Ahmed Hussen for sponsoring Bill C-99 on this matter and the Honourable Marco Mendicino for sponsoring Bill C-8 and its predecessor, Bill C-6. We encourage all parliamentarians to ensure that Bill C-8 receives royal assent during this parliamentary session. We applaud the effort to be more inclusive as a society, as part of the very act of welcoming people to become citizens of our country. This addition to the citizenship oath, one which “recognizes and affirms the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples”, is in the true spirit of reconciliation.

At second reading of this bill, Minister Mendicino stated that at the time of the publication of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, too few Canadians knew about the tragedy of residential schools. He also noted, “Our government firmly believes that we must acknowledge the injustices of the past and envision a new relationship based on the inherent rights of indigenous peoples.” We agree, and note that considerable progress has been made towards creating awareness, developing a new relationship, and recognizing the rights of first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples as contained in section 35 of the Canadian Constitution. Indeed, much progress has been made in recognizing and upholding the international human rights of indigenous peoples.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission called the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples the “framework for reconciliation”, as it supports the development of new relationships as described by Minister Mendicino, relationships based on co-operation and mutual understanding, as well as recognition and respect for the human rights of indigenous peoples.

In this regard, we would like to express to the federal government our support and appreciation for the introduction of Bill C-15, an act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was co-developed with first nations, Inuit and the Métis nation. Bill C-15 is itself a symbol of reconciliation and a new approach to the relationship. It is complementary to the aim of Bill C-8, to recognize and affirm “the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples”.

There is so much that we hope new citizens and all Canadians will understand about the history and relationship with indigenous peoples. This is why the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended that the information kit for newcomers and the citizenship test be amended to reflect a more inclusive history of the indigenous peoples of Canada, including information about aboriginal rights, treaties and the history of residential schools. Although Bill C-8 does not address needed changes to the information kit, we do hope this complementary policy action to support the intent of call to action number 94 will be undertaken by the Government of Canada. This type of education and awareness building is important work, as has already been stated.

It is important for newcomers to have an understanding of the laws of Canada, including the Constitution, which recognizes and affirms the aboriginal and treaty rights of first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We need to build societal understanding about the rich, diverse and vibrant cultures and histories of the indigenous peoples in Canada. I myself have dedicated my life to building bridges of understanding among individuals and peoples. I see endless merit in bringing people from diverse cultures, ages and backgrounds together to engage in practical dialogue. I remain deeply committed to public education and youth engagement from all cultures and backgrounds, and spend a considerable amount of time throughout the year delivering those kinds of educational processes to people across the country.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation was established because of a shared vision held by those affected by the residential school system in Canada to create a safe place of learning and dialogue where the truths of their experiences are honoured and kept safe for future generations. They wanted their families, communities and all of Canada to learn from these hard lessons so that they would not be repeated. They wanted to share the wisdom of the elders and traditional knowledge-keepers on how to create just and peaceful relationships amongst diverse peoples. They knew that reconciliation is not only about the past; it is also about the future that all Canadians will forge together.

Bill C-8 is an important part of this journey we take together to create a brighter future for all Canadians.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and its governing circle stand ready to support the government's reconciliation [Technical difficulty—Editor].

Meegwetch.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

I appreciate that feedback, Mr. Melillo. I know that my colleagues, Minister Bennett and Minister Miller, have been working as hard as they can, particularly on the issue of reducing long-term drinking water advisories. I know that 99 have been lifted since November 2015, but there is still a long way to go.

With regard to what my department and I can contribute to reconciliation, we have invested our energy in Bill C-8. We recognize that it's one step, but it is a significant step, because as has already been articulated by a number of our colleagues, this is about educating new Canadians as they join our family—not just them, but equally everyone—on the role of reconciliation as part of the Canadian experience.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Thank you for the question, Mr. van Koeverden.

The most practical implication is that if we amend the oath, it will certainly change the wording of that oath to better reflect reconciliation with the proposed language that has been put forward in Bill C-8.

This allows me to also reaffirm some of the earlier answers that I gave to your first question on why this is important. This is a reflection of our government's commitment to move forward in partnership with rights holders and indigenous leaders on the path to reconciliation. It is directly responsive to call to action 94 and, of course, we look forward to continuing to work with all parliamentarians to achieve that important step as we move forward together.

The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-8, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's call to action number 94), be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Citizenship Act

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent for his very interesting speech. I could support most of what he had to say, but there was one thing that disappointed me.

It is important to reach out to indigenous nations and make up for the mistakes made in the past in some small way, even if it is only a very small way, since we are talking about putting a few words in an oath of citizenship. I do not think that is going to solve all the problems. However, there is a negative element in what is proposed in Bill C-8, and yet I did not hear my colleague talk about it. Quebec did not sign the Canadian Constitution, but now new citizens are being asked to take an oath on the Canadian Constitution. There is something wrong with that. It is a disgrace.

Unless I am mistaken, Mr. Mulroney, the former leader of the Conservatives, recognized this at the time. He said that he wanted to bring Quebeckers back in with honour and enthusiasm. Once again, that was a failure in terms of closing the rest of Canada to Quebec.

I would like to know what my colleague, as a member from Quebec, thinks about that. Does he still intend to vote in favour of Bill C-8, or does he intend to support amendments that could be made to it?

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure and honour for me to participate in this debate.

The bill before us, Bill C-8, is essentially about the respect and consideration that we here in the House always owe to first nations. This applies as much to Canadian citizens as it does to those who will one day join our country as citizens. When these new citizens come forward, they will have to swear this oath of allegiance, which, thanks to Bill C-8, now recognizes first nations. This is therefore an important issue, one that calls for reconciliation and consideration and, above all, respect.

We all know that the first nations have been living on the land known as Canada for a very long time. We all know that when the Europeans arrived in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the first nations were overcome in the events that unfolded. We must, however, always acknowledge their indelible presence on this land and their tremendous contribution to building this great country known as Canada.

This process was not a seamless one. Unfortunately, there was a litany of sad, unfortunate and unjust events that led to what is currently going on in this country. We cannot erase 400 years of difficult relations with the stroke of a pen, but we can learn from our mistakes and never repeat them. We can take a different approach, a different attitude, to see the future from a better perspective, while showing the patience necessary to acknowledge that mistakes were made in the past and to establish trust and reconciliation.

It is an honour and a privilege to have the community of Wendake, previously known as the Huron Village, in my riding of Louis-Saint-Laurent. I was born in Loretteville, right next to Wendake, in 1964, so I grew up very close to the Wendat people. I still have some very dear and very close childhood friends from that community. I am lucky, because I have been around first nations peoples my whole life, which may help me better understand some concerns. Still, who am I to talk about their experience? All I can say is that the Wendat people have made exceptional and extraordinary contributions to the community and in particular to Quebec City.

The Wendat people have lived on this land since the dawn of time, but in a more sedentary way. After being threatened with outright extinction through wars and battles, they went from Île d'Orléans to Sillery to what is now known as L'Ancienne-Lorette, before ultimately settling at the foot of the Kabir-Kouba Falls in 1696.

Of course I have nothing but good to say about them because I know them very well. I have been their neighbour for 56 years. It is a privilege and an honour to represent them in the House of Commons, as it was to represent them some time ago in the National Assembly of Quebec. I have to say that I am the one who is privileged in Canada, and I say it with all due respect. I am tempted to say that it is the best nation in Canada, but other nations might dispute that.

Instead I will say that Wendake and the Wendat people are an inspiration for all Canadians with respect to collaboration and living together harmoniously, and we should look to the Wendat people's relationship with non-indigenous people in the Quebec City area and follow their example everywhere in Canada. They are an inspiration.

The Wendat community I represent is made up of proud, positive and constructive people. They are also business people. In Wendake, in my riding, there are dozens of businesses that hire indigenous and non-indigenous workers. Nearly 400 non-indigenous people work in these businesses located in Wendake territory.

Just recently I had the pleasure of visiting a factory that makes snowshoes. Raquettes GV was established in Wendake in 1959 and employs dozens of people. It sells its products throughout Quebec and Canada and around the world. Naturally, I am very proud of these people, and that is why I am so pleased to represent them in the House of Commons. They are hardworking people who can look to the future while being extraordinarily attached to the heritage of their ancestors and proudly representing it.

Sadly, we were recently called to pay tribute to Max Gros-Louis, who, as hon. members know, was a high-ranking indigenous leader. For more than 50 years, he was committed to defending his nation and the first nations. He did so with the fighting spirit of a proud Huron-Wendat, but also with respect for the people he was dealing with. That is why, when Grand Chief Gros-Louis passed away, everyone unanimously spoke of his extraordinary contribution to the good relationship we need to have.

There was an election in Wendake roughly a month ago. A young man by the name of Rémy Vincent was elected. I congratulate him. He succeeded Konrad Sioui, who held that position for 12 years. I worked with him during the 12 years of his mandate since his term began about a month and a half before I started mine at the provincial level. We always collaborated with respect. We had differing opinions. I could recognize certain things that he could not and vice versa. That is what living together is all about. We can have different points of view and agree to disagree. We must work together to improve the things we do not agree on, and we must work together when we have common views. I know that is the approach that the new chief, Rémy Vincent, is taking as he begins the mandate that his nation has just given him.

I do not claim to be better than anyone else, but it so happens that I have the great privilege of knowing the first nations well, especially the Huron-Wendat people, having grown up alongside them from my earliest days. As I said in my introduction, we have a responsibility to recognize that relations between indigenous and non-indigenous people have been particularly difficult and rocky. I will have the opportunity to talk about a few aspects of that.

On the other hand, we have the responsibility to recognize that some steps have been taken that have had such an important impact on how we live today. Let me remind members that it was the Right Hon. John George Diefenbaker who recognized the fact that first nations should have the right to vote.

We must also recognize that on June 11, 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered the Canadian government's formal apology to the first nations for the residential school tragedy. For an entire century, residential schools were opened by successive governments, from Sir John A. Macdonald to the Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau, forcing over 140,000 first nations children to renounce and deny their most precious heritage, the legacy of their ancestors. It is arguably the greatest tragedy in Canadian history.

It took courage and honour to recognize this tragedy. I am proud to know that the Right Honourable Stephen Harper is the one who offered this formal apology to the first nations on the recommendation of the late Jack Layton of the NDP. Yes, we must acknowledge our mistakes, but we must also build on the good things we have done and look to the future.

We salute the government for placing a lot of emphasis on reconciliation with first nations in its statements. We hope that this reconciliation will be based on concrete, positive action that focuses on the future of relations between first nations and non-indigenous peoples. We noted, as did everyone, that the current government made a commitment to first nations that they would have clean drinking water, which seems obvious to those of us who do not have this problem. Unfortunately, the government has failed. We salute the minister for having the honour and dignity to admit it, but we hope that he will redouble his reconciliation efforts and that it will not be just talk.

From our perspective, the fact that the recognition of first nations is included in the oath that will be taken by new Canadians is important, even essential, and it must be perpetuated by this reality.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are discussing Bill C-8.

I must say that when we first looked at the bill, we found it interesting. The government wanted to reach out to indigenous nations, which is good, considering all the harms inflicted on them in the past.

We are obviously not particularly attached to any oath for new Canadian citizens, given that we want to be independent and have our own oath for Quebec citizenship.

However, after examining the bill more closely, we realized that it contained a poison pill. On the one hand, the government wants to reach out to indigenous peoples, but on the other hand, Quebec gets a slap in the face. In fact, new citizens would have to swear an oath on the Canadian Constitution, which Quebec never signed. It was forced upon us; we never voted on it, either.

I would like to hear my Conservative colleague's thoughts on the fact that the government is trying to surreptitiously slip something past us that is actually quite insulting to Quebec.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour and a bit of a surprise to virtually stand in the House of Commons to continue my speech on Bill C-8, an act to amend the Citizenship Act (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's call to action number 94).

I want to reiterate that despite the fact that Canada is one of a few countries in the world where indigenous rights and treaties are entrenched in the constitution, our relationship with indigenous people is far from perfect. It represents, unfortunately, a very dark chapter of Canadian history, which has left a damaging impact on the lives of indigenous peoples across our country today.

In the first half of my speech, I talked about the damaging history of residential schools and the impact they have had on indigenous people to this day. This terrible act committed by the Canadian government saw thousands of children ripped away from their families and forced to assimilate with what it perceived as Canadian values, which could not be any more un-Canadian.

In a 100-plus year period, over 150,000 indigenous children were removed from their families and forced to live in terrible conditions. Their rich culture and history was stripped away from them. The abuse endured by these children had an everlasting impact and an adverse effect on indigenous cultures for generations to come.

I really cannot imagine what it would be like, as a father of a five-year-old and a seven-year-old, to have my children taken away from me, along with everything that I hold dear: my personal values, family values and religion. I cannot imagine my children being put into a foreign environment where they are unable to connect with the generations before. I find it deeply troubling that it ever occurred in Canada.

The history of abuse represents a shameful portion of Canadian history and reminds us of the importance of respect and dignity that should be afforded indigenous peoples across Canada. I look forward to a better day when we see the process of reconciliation moving forward and everyone walking strongly together, building a better Canada for everyone, indigenous and non-indigenous. In this modern day and age, however, indigenous people across Canada continue to face many important issues and we, as a country, have a lot of important work ahead of us on the path to true and meaningful reconciliation.

I have been shocked and, quite frankly, disgusted by some of the recent news articles that outline the ways our indigenous people are still being treated to this very day. There are still many indigenous communities that do not have access to clean drinking water. While the government has committed to ending long-term drinking water advisories for all first nations communities, there are still 61 indigenous communities that do not have access to clean drinking water.

As the member of Parliament for Northumberland—Peterborough South, I am honoured to be the representative of the Alderville First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation. Both of these first nations are extremely well led by Chief Carr and Chief Mowat, and I have been honoured to have conversations with both.

While Alderville First Nation was connected to clean drinking water in 2017 and Hiawatha First Nation is in the process of this, the fact that both of these great powerful nations have had to endure going without clean drinking water in the 20th and 21st centuries is incredible to me. It is something that should never have happened in Canada. I find this appalling.

Beyond that, indigenous people across Canada are facing a mental health crisis. With a lack of access to mental health services, Statistics Canada found that overall, indigenous people in Canada die by suicide at a rate nearly three times as high as non-indigenous Canadians. There is no doubt that this must be related to the troublesome history indigenous people have had in our country, and we need to do better. We need to make sure indigenous people are not committing suicide, and certainly not at three times the rate of non-indigenous peoples in Canada.

Another huge issue is missing and murdered indigenous women. Between 1980 and 2012, despite the fact that indigenous women make up 4% of the female population, indigenous women and girls represented 16% of all female homicides in Canada. This is shocking.

Bill C-8, which would expand the Canadian oath of citizenship to include recognition of the treaty rights of the first nations, Inuit and Métis people, is an important step toward true and meaningful reconciliation. By including this historic amendment, Canada is taking steps to educate newcomers of Canada and recognize our dark history.

I am proud to support the bill to create a new oath of citizenship, one that would elevate and promote the inherent dignity of indigenous people and their rights, including treaty rights, to new Canadians. It is important that we recognize the first people who called this great land home. .