Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank Chief Bellegarde and Mr. Chartrand for coming before us today and providing some very good testimony.
Part of what we've been hearing fairly consistently from witnesses is that changes to the Indian Act hinge on the duty to consult and accommodate. Most witnesses we've heard—there have been a few who have not said this—have said that you cannot make changes to the Indian Act without fulfilling that duty to consult and accommodate.
We had a witness who came before us last Thursday who said that in his view what needed to happen—it was Wab Kinew—was that in consultation and in full collaboration with first nations a process needed to be set out that identified timeframes, resources, and terms of reference and that those terms of reference must be developed in conjunction with first nations before you can move ahead on any changes.
Chief Bellegarde, would you comment on that? Then, perhaps, Mr. Chartrand would comment on that as well.