Thank you very much, Mr. Saganash.
One of the things that I find really difficult is bringing in the human aspect of this, because I know women who have never been able to go back to their communities. This disrupted the family unit. The Indian Act is not just an act in Canada, it's a racist act. It's a colonial act. It's about Canada's imperial history with Great Britain. There's no reconciliation in this act. I agree that this needs to be done right. There needs to be a portability of our rights. It's not just about those living in the community, it's about the portability of our rights.
People have talked about being inclusive. Having a right to vote in a band council election doesn't mean you're part of a decision-making process. It goes much, much deeper. The issue of status is really about how you're supposed to uphold the honour of the crown. You're supposed to be respecting the rule of law. Canada has signed many international covenants respecting human rights as universal.
Do the right thing and make the kinds of amendments that will finish this issue so we can go on to the other issues of land dispossession and of threats to our language and culture and all the things that make up our indigenous identity, and so we can protect the land for future generations.
Thank you.