Thank you, Madam Chair.
I also wish to begin by acknowledging that we're on the ancestral lands of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg. We thank the committee for the invitation to Canadian Heritage to provide information on Bill C-262.
My brief remarks will describe how currently Canadian Heritage addresses initiatives that align with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I will address indigenous languages which is raised in article 13 of the declaration, then cultural heritage issues as it relates in particular to articles 11 and 12.
In December 2016, before the Assembly of First Nations Annual General Assembly, the Prime Minister committed the government to enacting legislation to preserve, promote and revitalize indigenous languages. The Prime Minister also stated that the legislation would be developed jointly with indigenous peoples.
In June 2017, Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly joined National Chief Bellegarde from the Assembly of First Nations, President Obed from the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and President Chartier from the Métis National Council in announcing the launch of a process to co-develop this legislation.
Since that time, the four parties have been working diligently and collaboratively on the co-development of the legislation. I would like to add that those groups are not the only ones that will be consulted, of course. All rights holders will be included in the consultations.
By helping preserve and restore indigenous languages, Canadian Heritage is following through on the government's commitment to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action in the spirit of reconciliation.
On the financial programming side of things, Canadian Heritage delivers the aboriginal language initiative. That component supports community-based, indigenous-led projects that focus on the revitalization, preservation and promotion of indigenous languages. The component's resources were increased from $5 million to $19 million in Budget 2017. Canadian Heritage also delivers a program component called northern aboriginal broadcasting, the purpose of which echoes article 16 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Articles 11 and 12 of the declaration include issues of access, preservation, and repatriation of cultural property and human remains, particularly those that are in the possession of the state. Currently, Canadian Heritage provides financial support to indigenous communities and eligible Canadian museums to assist communities to access, preserve, and transmit their heritage to future generations.
A modest amount of funding is also available to support such repatriation activities. The department is working on revising details of its funding programs in order to better address the needs related to repatriation to indigenous communities, for example, by expanding the kinds of institutions that are eligible under our program and by including different kinds of eligible expenses. Repatriation from public collections such as the national museums is undertaken directly by those institutions that operate at arm's length from the government.
In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission call to action 67, also in relation to this issue, the Department of Heritage is providing funding to the Canadian Museums Association to undertake, in collaboration with aboriginal peoples, a national review of museum policies and best practices to determine the level of compliance with the United Nations Declaration and to make recommendations.
This concludes my remarks.