Nakurmiik. Thank you. It's an honour to be here this afternoon. I look forward to our conversation.
In relation to this particular bill, first, any time that we can celebrate indigenous peoples in this country we should take every opportunity to do so. The ongoing conversations about reconciliation, and the way in which the Canadian government understands its obligations on the rights of indigenous peoples, as well as the way in which our self-determination meets federal structures, are all in flux, I'd say, and will be for some time. It is my hope that, with a recognition of indigenous peoples and a day that is specifically for the recognition of indigenous peoples, we can continue this conversation on reconciliation. It can be a day to ensure that we are getting our messages across to one another, and that the country can recognize its indigenous peoples and celebrate us, and in the same way we can educate Canadians about indigenous peoples.
To start there, too often the term encompasses all indigenous peoples in this country, or previously aboriginal peoples, especially under section 35 of the Constitution. We can replace that language with who we actually are, which is first nations, Inuit and Métis. The first recommendation that ITK brings forward is that the name of the bill itself recognize and incorporate the actual names of our peoples into the bill rather than having it be just indigenous peoples. Doing that would force Canadians to understand that there is a complexity of different nations and different groups of peoples in this country, and also ties back directly to section 35 of the Constitution, where it says there are three aboriginal peoples of Canada: first nations, Inuit and Métis.
Perhaps we in this room all understand the complexities of that conversation, but for Inuit we often are lumped in with other ideologies of other indigenous peoples in this country, and many people don't understand the difference between first nations, Inuit and Métis. So this, I think, is a great opportunity for us to be very specific about who we are talking about when we're talking about an indigenous peoples day. That term is used in the United Nations context. It is a global term, but I would hope that in Canadian legislation we would be focusing on those indigenous peoples who are recognized under section 35 of the Constitution. There are other places and other venues where we celebrate globally the role of indigenous peoples across all nations.
Another consideration is in relation to what the day is for. It would be, in our position, much better for the day to be positive and be forward-looking than to be a remembrance day of sorts for certain grievances in the past—although history will be, of course, a part of the overarching conversation. I know there are direct links between the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action and this particular piece of legislation. I don't want to lose those entirely, but I do want Canadians and first nations, Inuit and Métis to have the ability to talk about the positive and the great strength that we bring to Canadian society, and the great leaders we have within our communities, and the visions we have for the future as Canadians but also as indigenous peoples exercising our right to self-determination.
Whenever this day happens, where it is and where it falls on the calendar, I think, is secondary to those first two points: one, that it recognizes the complexity of the indigenous peoples of this country by stating first nations, Inuit and Métis; and two, that it is an educational, and a positive and celebratory holiday rather than one that just marks particular human rights abuses or genocides that have happened in this country.
That isn't to say that we wouldn't talk about those things. It's just that I believe, for the moment in time that we're in and the appetite that I know Canadians have to learn more about first nations, Inuit and Métis, that it might be the best use of this particular statutory holiday.
Those are my remarks. Thank you.