Good morning.
[Witness speaks in Cree]
In plain English language, I welcome you to our traditional territory, the Cree territory. It really goes through our history, the Cree Anishinabek. They travelled through there, and the Ojibways later on. We have never seen Métis here. As we walk across Turtle Island.... You know, I'm a chief, which was formerly a headman back when treaties were signed in the time of my grandfather, so I like to welcome the grandchildren of the settlers here. I acknowledge you, every one of you.
I find it very amusing that I have to explain to you the comprehensive claims and the negotiations I go through and understanding treaties when, in turn, when you seek office, what is your intent in the first place? Is it under Canada, or is it under the settler? When I look at the settler, he only came here to farm, the dust of a plow. As my grandfather said to my mom, he was actually given the net, the shells, the oxen to provide a new way of life, to live this new way of life.
When I look at specific claims under TARR, an organization which is to research what was signed in the first place. We had economic opportunity under TLE, and were denied. Why is that? Why do we need to be so scared that we deny first nations their economic opportunity?
I cannot sell our furs any more to make a living, so I have to change and adapt. This past weekend we took our children out into the forest and hunted moose. Back in 2012 and 2013, I had to take an industry to court, and the Manitoba Government to court, because of what was promised in treaties. From my understanding the crown land was there for my use and benefit, so when government gives it to a proponent like an industry, like Manitoba Hydro, where does my land go?
Something that was taught to me by my mom and my grandfather was that when we go to pray, let's not bow our heads down and shut our eyes. Let's learn from the first time, because when we opened our eyes, our land was gone. So I take these key messages to my heart, what's left to me to understand. On negotiations and understanding specific claims, TLE has 1.1 million acres of unfinished treaty business. My property, in the town of Swan River, is 0.114 acres. It provides $6 million gross. That's the economy of Swan River. I get 10% of that. I still can't afford 275 houses for my community. That sits idle for eight years. Six times eight is $48 million. Are you prepared to give me $48 million so I can provide adequate housing for my community? I don't think so.
Are you willing to negotiate extractions from our territory of gravel, limestone, or gold? Right now, how much land does Canada have? That's your first question. You don't have any land. What did Canada do in 1930? They gave everything to the provinces of Canada. Did you ask me, grandson of a headman, to do that? No, you didn't.
So I find it very hard to explain what you need to know. What do you want to know? Do you want to know the truth or do you want me to draft up something that in your language you'll understand? Number one is accountability. We've been accountable to our people. Whenever we are not accountable, we get removed. Before the Indian Act, my grandfather was a headman until he passed on. That was our history. We were specifically given the task of being the leadership in our community and providing for our membership. I go to understand. In my community, it was the spiritual people who were in power, because they would provide for their community members.
Then when you look at specific claims, I could give you specific examples, like “Justice at Last”. Are they implemented? They're not even implemented. When states establish an inherent conjunction with indigenous people, it's not even transparent. It's not even a transparent process, because this is basically a boxing ring. If we want to box, I have to do a protest to stop you. That's what we have to do.
Under “Justice at Last”, the final arbitrator chooses to accept or reject the claim and they negotiate, but at the same time that's under their terms, which are basically Canada's terms. Following the five-year review, and developing the recommendations, nothing has happened, because you choose to turn a blind eye. There's a private member's bill that I fully support, but I don't have that power. You have that power to support. How come you do not wish to support? That's the question that you should ask yourself. Is that going to be truly justice at last when that happens?
Right now, there's a “no hunting moose” ban in my territory, but I do continue to hunt and take moose because I have to provide for my membership, for my people, because that was promised in treaties. When we asked for a joint process—rights holders, domestic, international—you failed to remember that you have to ask the real rights holders if you can come to our territory, if you can do business in our territory. That is what your first elders asked when they first came here. As soon as treaties were signed, where did the treaties go? You have to ask yourself that question. Where did the treaties go? I understand my treaty rights, but I also understand my indigenous rights to the land itself. We, as indigenous people, are married to the land. We live off the land and we need that land, but in today's day and age, it's for economic opportunity. I just bought another piece of property from the Town of Swan River. It's an old derelict building. Guess who had to clean it up? We had to. We had to get a company to clean it all up and remove the old building. We signed a municipal services development agreement; we made an agreement to set up business. This one is subject to make me $13 million for my community and that's gross. That's $19 million for these two properties that don't even add up to an acre yet. When you look at Canada and the extraction of resource across Canada, what is that dollar amount? What is the actual amount owed to the first nations, if not even an acre has given my community possibly $20 million?
Then we have this big green book here. In 1997, it was signed on May 29. After 20 years, we're not even halfway done. The Liberal government promised 10 years to conclude and finish this business.
How can we, when 140 years later we're still trying to finish the business of treaties that were signed? I just came back from Treaty 4 territory, where we were celebrating our annual Treaty 4 gathering. My people still go to Treaty 4 land in Fort Qu'Appelle, because that's where we come from. We are Plains Cree. When the superintendent said, “This is where you're going to live. We'll set aside 100 acres for you to live”, but my grandfather understood that the whole territory under Treaty 4 was what we were supposed to live off.