For the member's information, according to 2019 data, first nations children are 17.2 times more likely to be in child welfare care owing to poverty, poor housing and caregiver substance misuse related to multi-generational trauma from residential schools. The work Cowessess is doing is about trying to address those drivers, which brings us back to the Spirit Bear plan, because that will be a good success under a self-government model.
It's very important for the long-term success of these initiatives that equity and self-government go together. Substantive equality and equity and self-government go together so that you can continue these culturally based programs. Really what we're doing is trying to address the trauma that has piled up since Confederation on these children and families and bring them back safely at home, but as you can imagine, Member, if you are in a community where there is a housing shortage, how do you bring these children in care back home? If you're in a community where there is no water, how do you bring these children back home? That's a part of it.
In terms of the trust aspect, it's always interesting when I hear people say that first nations don't trust them. I always say, “The beginning is acting in trustworthy ways.” I think that begins with carrying out your promises and acting with integrity as government. I think that goes a long way in being able to address this, and when solutions are put forward to government, it's to have them really engage and critique them and really implement them if they seem to be in the best interest of public policy, which they often are.