Thank you, Madam Chair.
Hello to my fellow members and thank you to the witnesses for being here.
Mr. Obed, your vision is very inspiring. I have no doubt there is an appetite in Canada for an all-encompassing and positive vision of indigenous communities, be they first Nations, Métis or Inuit. That’s why we supported this bill. I listened carefully to what you and Ms. Lomax said.
As a former veterans affairs minister, I used to take part in National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations on June 21. Here, in Ottawa, we would honour the contribution of indigenous peoples in times of conflict and war, at a ceremony held right next to the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument. It was an opportunity to recognize the contribution indigenous people made for our freedom.
On July 1 last year, I witnessed the paradox of a touching moment while in Beaumont-Hamel, France. I learned that, on that day, Newfoundlanders close all their shutters in the morning, for a half day of sadness to recognize the sacrifice of a generation of Newfoundlanders, whose lives were brutally cut short during the First World War. In the afternoon, however, Newfoundlanders celebrate the province’s union with Canada. It is that sort of paradox we have to deal with.
What I now realize is that June 21, the day currently designated National Indigenous People’s Day, is not a holiday. You are teaching us a lot this afternoon. We also learned that no consultations were held on Bill C-369, in its current version, and now there is talk of two days instead of one. How do we balance remembrance and celebration? We don’t know what the date should be. June 21 strikes me as an appropriate day to bring Mr. Obed’s vision to life. I’d like to hear your thoughts, but I just wanted to share my comments with you.
At this point, adding another day so there are two holidays would essentially distort the bill. We would have to either go back to the drawing board or hold more consultations. After listening to everything that’s been said today, I have more questions than answers, but I’d like to give you the remainder of my time to share your thoughts.