Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Chief Bellegarde, for coming here and expressing your opinions. I agree with you totally; there has to be involved education, whether it's in elementary school or in university. There has to be a holistic approach to this. Many languages are on the verge of collapsing. I've heard of some cases where only nine members can speak the language.
Urgency is paramount in this. We have to start quickly. I know that we can't do everything at once, but we have to do what we can to preserve what's there to ensure future generations can enjoy the language and the culture.
I was told by one elder that culture and language are one and the same, that you can't have one without the other. From your perspective when we talk about culture and language, do they have to be taught together? I don't think you can separate them, because you'll do an injustice to one or the other.