I'm just going to make a brief statement. I wasn't really prepared. I only got the invitation five days ago
If you have a chance, I'd like to suggest that all of you read this research paper. It's very interesting. It was done as a research paper for the National Centre for First Nations Governance. The title is “Like an Ill-Fitting Boot”. It really explains a lot about the Indian Act, the lack of consultation with bands, and what reserves are and are not allowed to do. In this way, says the paper, the act “affects the abilities of First Nations to shape more accountable and democratic governments”, and it really plays a big part in how bands handle their affairs and consultation with their own people.
Just to make another comment on Mr. Ahenakew's comment about the language in the schools, I'm a first nation person who went through residential school also, and our community has lost its language completely. I'm ashamed of my grandkids growing up and not knowing any of their background or their culture. It's something that we've only started to get into in the last couple of years. I see the importance of bringing it into our schools, and not just a little band-aid, like bringing in the Cree language to grade 3. It's not helping them. They need to encompass the whole language in the school—