Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Jan. 28th, 2021

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

In addition to the guide, we have interwoven other elements of indigenous tradition at citizenship ceremonies. I certainly would like to see that continue and, if there are opportunities, to further scale that up so that as we conduct these ceremonies—in a COVID world and hopefully post-COVID, when we can get back to doing them in person—indigenous traditions form a vital part of this important step towards becoming a Canadian citizen.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

I would venture to say that it would be very important for the ministry—and maybe not just your ministry but across the government, a government of the whole—to take on initiatives in terms of the educational work that needs to be done to educate both newcomers and Canadians about the history of indigenous peoples. I think this is consistent with the TRC and the thrust of the recommendations that came forward with the calls to action.

I'm just going to leave it at that, but I do have a question with respect to the citizenship guide. This—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

We're at time now, Ms. Kwan.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Can I just ask quickly if the minister has a specific timeline on when that would be available?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

As soon as we can, Ms. Kwan. Again, I'm open to receiving input on that from you and from colleagues.

I'd just add, to the other part of your question, that every minister has been given a mandate to ensure that we are moving forward with reconciliation.

I'm happy to take further questions afterwards.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thanks, Ms. Kwan.

Next, we go to our five-minute round of questioning, with Mr. Melillo to start it off.

Go ahead, please.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to offer the last minute of my time to Mr. Viersen. Could I ask you, Chair, to jump in and remind me of that when the time comes?

Minister, I appreciate your being here. I've spoken with many chiefs in my riding of Kenora, in northern Ontario, about this issue and others and have been getting their thoughts on this. Nobody would say that this is a bad thing to do. Everyone is supportive of this change.

I think that's reflected in the fact that Parliament is supportive of this change, but too often folks in my riding have seen the government over-promise and under-deliver when it comes to drinking water and when it comes to food security, transportation and infrastructure. Can you tell us, Minister, when the residents of first nations in my riding can expect to see some meaningful action and some meaningful results from this government?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

I appreciate that feedback, Mr. Melillo. I know that my colleagues, Minister Bennett and Minister Miller, have been working as hard as they can, particularly on the issue of reducing long-term drinking water advisories. I know that 99 have been lifted since November 2015, but there is still a long way to go.

With regard to what my department and I can contribute to reconciliation, we have invested our energy in Bill C-8. We recognize that it's one step, but it is a significant step, because as has already been articulated by a number of our colleagues, this is about educating new Canadians as they join our family—not just them, but equally everyone—on the role of reconciliation as part of the Canadian experience.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Minister, you did mention education there, which is something we've been talking about throughout the committee.

Another chief I was talking to mentioned that explicitly. He thinks there needs to be more education, not just for new Canadians but for all Canadians, and in this context, he's hoping to see more education put around this oath, not just the oath itself. Could you speak to any specific measures that you and your government are taking to ensure that this education is there?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Again, I can certainly highlight a number of initiatives with regard to education. I think you would see our government's commitment by the introduction of Bill C-92 to address child welfare and our commitment to implementing Jordan's principle with a concomitant investment of over $1.2 billion over the next three years, as well as the legislation regarding the protection of the best interests of every indigenous child.

These are just three concrete examples in which our government is doing everything we can to ensure that every indigenous child is raised in a healthy and safe atmosphere in which they can pursue an education. From that, I think we can draw lessons whereby we can educate others who do not have the lived experiences of indigenous peoples, so that they understand how this work contributes to reconciliation. That is the commitment of our government.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have a minute and a half, if you'd like to send it over to Mr. Viersen.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

I will send it over. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Mr. Viersen, please go ahead.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd just like to interrupt the witness here for a moment. I would like to put up a notice of motion:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study on the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and the potential loss of the Line 5 pipeline in northern and Indigenous communities, that the study take into account but not be limited to the impact on Indigenous businesses, jobs, economic prosperity, self-determination, and mutual benefit agreements as well as the efforts of the federal government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that the committee report its findings to the House.

I just wanted to get that on the record for a notice of motion. I hope to be discussing that at a future committee meeting.

I know this is something very pertinent for the first nations communities in my area. Many of them work in the oil patch and are very much concerned about their jobs. They've been in tenuous employment situations for the last five years, and now, with news around the Keystone XL pipeline and also the potential around Line 5, they're looking forward to having this committee do a study on that as well. I look forward to having future discussions at this committee.

Thank you for your indulgence, Mr. Chair. I look forward to discussion at a future committee meeting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you very much.

Now, Mr. Battiste, it's your turn, for five minutes. Please go ahead.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for joining us. Thank you for your hard work on this. Indeed, this is an important subject.

I think many of my colleagues have touched on the importance of education. What we have with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a blueprint. I hold this up, and for me, it's not a prop; it's the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action.

Before I was a member of Parliament, I was the treaty education lead for Nova Scotia. We all understand that education is provincial jurisdiction.

What the TRC calls to action have done is allow us to really understand a perspective that was hidden for many years. The cultural genocide that was referred to by the TRC commissioners is an important one to understand.

One of the great things about this country is our commitment to respect and inclusivity. One of the stories I often told—and I won't go into detail—was about 1603 and how the grand chief of the Mi'kmaq nation, Henri Membertou, welcomed the French settlers. He took them under his wing and showed them how to live in the harsh winters. There are many stories all across Canada where indigenous people showed the newcomers how to live on this land.

I think this is an important first step that we take. I'm really glad that, within these 94 calls to action, we see the importance of talking to new Canadians. One of the biggest things I heard from Canadians when I was doing my treaty education presentations was, “Why weren't we informed of that? Why didn't anyone talk to us about residential schools? Why didn't anyone talk about the history?” We all know it's an important step forward that you're taking with this.

As part of that, terminology is important too, understanding that section 35 talks about aboriginal rights—“aboriginal” as being defined by first nations, Métis and Inuit. It's about making sure that we respect the Constitution, the supreme law of Canada, which not only recognizes and affirms but brings notice of our inherent treaty rights.

I want to get to my question. How do you feel that this legislation helps create a more respectful and inclusive Canada?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Battiste. It's good to see you. If I haven't said it before, thank you for your contributions as a leader in the community prior to entering elected politics.

You're right. Education has been a recurring theme in some of the questions tonight.

I would like to add some further clarification to Ms. Kwan's question, if you'll indulge me. I have since been reminded that in addition to the study guide, there will be new study materials that will accompany that guide to support teachers and self-directed learners. These materials will include videos, practice tests, activities and materials for teachers and settlement organizations.

I want to clarify that, because I think it gets right to the heart of your experience as an educator: how the amended citizenship oath fits into the broader piece of how we educate Canadians and all who are interested in understanding what treaties are; what agreements were put in place; how they were disregarded, disrespected and eviscerated; how now, in Canada today, we have to go back and understand what it means to re-establish a relationship that is based on mutual respect, on the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples to self-determine and to choose their own way of living.

The revised oath does that. It isn't the beginning and end. It is not the chapter and verse of that educational component. However, it is certainly a window into a much broader world of understanding where indigenous people, first nations, Inuit, Métis peoples fit in Canada.

That is vitally important as we chart out the course of reconciliation together.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you, Minister.

Members of the committee and guests, I've been advised that we need to suspend the meeting at this point, and it may take some time, so perhaps that will mean that we'll have to move on to the next part of the meeting following the suspension. I hope not, but in the meantime, on the advice of the clerks, I'm going to declare this meeting suspended temporarily.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Apologies to everyone for that, but what can you do in this technical age?

Our meeting is now under way once again, with our second group of witnesses. Marie Wilson joins us, a former commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada; as well as Natan Obed, the president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami; and Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux.

Each of you will have an opportunity to speak to the committee for six minutes.

Ms. Wilson, you'll start. Please go ahead for six minutes.

[Marie Wilson, Former Commissioner, Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, As an Individual]

Thank you.

Apart from our audio check, I do want to do a proper introduction of myself. Just to let you know, I'm coming to you from Yellowknife, which is part of the traditional territory of the Yellowknives Dene, the Wiiliideh Dene of the Dene Nation. It's part of the Treaty 8 territory in the Northwest Territories. Our home area, my family's northern home, is Treaty 11, farther north, on the Arctic Circle, but we live in and work out of Yellowknife, and that's where I'm speaking to you from today.

I want to thank you and acknowledge the meeting and my appreciation, if I may say so, of the non-partisan nature of standing committees of this sort. When we're talking about issues that are really grounded in reconciliation, it's always good to remind ourselves that we're talking about an issue that is meant to be non-partisan in nature. That was evidenced in the apologies given in the House of Commons in 2008, where all the national parties spoke to their ongoing commitment to reconciliation in Canada.

I want to say a few things by way of background. I know you have had a lot of background information on the commission and our work and the calls to action generally, and of course very specifically the one before you for consideration now, but there are a couple of things I would like to remind you of that I think provide an important context. Our Truth and Reconciliation Commission was just one part of the very big settlement agreement that came about to do with the massive court challenge with regard to residential schools and the unprecedented out-of-court settlement that was the result of that. Our TRC was just one part of it. I say that because I think it is easy to lose sight of the core purpose of our TRC, which really was at its heart three-purposed. One was to document and record and preserve for posterity the complete history and legacy of the residential schools; a second big piece, to speak very broadly, was to educate Canada; and a third part was to inspire ongoing reconciliation. Those three, as you already know, are interrelated and they're interdependent.

But to the question of education, which I know has been very much on your mind in this committee, if you look at the broad grouping of the 94 calls to action, you'll find that something like 70% of them—I don't have the exact number in my head anymore, but about 70% of them—have an educational component built into them, starting, first and foremost, with a need for education in our schools and teaching our children and all the calls for curriculum changes, but also educational imperatives for people working with, for and on behalf of indigenous people: the whole child welfare and social services sector, the health sector, the justice sector, the business sector, and of course education and culture. As well, it is very important that governance systems that govern governments, not just at a committee like this but in all sectors of departmental government, be well informed about all of these things we have learned thanks to the expertise of the residential school survivors.

The challenge we faced when we said that we wanted to educate the country was that it's not going to work if we just educate the children, because children learn not just at school but at home. How do we get to their parents? How do we get to the adults in our society, who have already been through the school system? There is such a compelling need for remedial education, if I can put it that way, in a time and in a country where we've all heard, “Gee, I didn't know anything about that. I had never heard that.” As I heard you say earlier in this meeting, when I was listening in, “How come no one ever told us that?”

So there's catch-up educational work to be done. We've tried to think about all the ways we could meet the need for education in all the sectors, in professional organizations and even in athletic organizations. But what do you do about all the newcomers to Canada, who arrive and who've missed the whole story, in a way, unless we find ways to keep the story alive and make them realize they are a critical part of the story, because the story that has happened, the story that is the chapter of reconciliation, is in our midst and unfolding and they need to be prepared and equipped to play an active role in that? That means helping them understand, from the very beginning, that there is a context in Canada, that we are a huge, beautiful country, but that wherever you are in Canada, you are on someone's traditional homeland. We need to get better at equipping ourselves from an educational point of view and a societal point of view to know that context and to understand it as the basis for ongoing reconciliation.

That was the intent of this particular call to action. I want to say, because it was touched on in your earlier discussion, which I really appreciated, that the oath doesn't come out of the blue. People who are going to be taking the oath of citizenship have been given tools to work with. They have been given an opportunity to study a booklet and other materials that are offered. One of the things we also did as a commission is write and try to appeal for an opportunity for the materials—the newcomer's booklet—to be rewritten to capture some of this history as well.

To the extent to which that has been done—or not—I think that needs ongoing vigilance, but it is the way to do it, and I completely endorse and support the comment made by one of your members that there is a need for education broadly across all society. It's not just for newcomers. We're not trying to single out newcomers. On the contrary, we're trying to make sure they're not left out. We are targeting all these other sectors, as I've already described, but we're also trying not to miss newcomers to Canada, as well.

Finally, I want to leave you with a quick story to signal the point. The latest statistic I saw was that, by 2036, about 35% of the population of Canada will be racialized, if I can use that terminology, and many of them will be first-generation newcomers. We're talking about very significant populations who are enriching but also transforming the demographics of Canada, and we need to make sure that people are well informed about where they have arrived, the historic place and role of indigenous peoples, some of the mistakes we've made as a country, and the courage our country is now showing in trying to redress that and to move the country forward in a new direction, I hope, always—and I say this often—as an example to the world.

That's what's behind it, and I really appreciate the work you're doing to consider it quickly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thanks very much, Ms. Wilson.

Next, we have Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, chair of the circle of governance at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.

Go ahead, please. You have six minutes.

[Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Chair, Governing Circle, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation]

Thank you.

Ahneen. Good evening. My name is Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux. I am the chair of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation governing circle and an honorary witness for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I'm also a proud member and resident of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation in Lake Simcoe, Ontario. Together with the Chippewas of Beausoleil and Rama and the Mississaugas of Alderville, Curve Lake, Hiawatha and Scugog Island, we are signatories to the pre-Confederation 1923 Williams Treaties, signed throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, which covered lands in different parts of south central Ontario.

First, I would like to acknowledge that I am also speaking to you from the original lands of the Chippewa. I want to thank the House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs for inviting the centre to appear in order to contribute to your study of Bill C-8, an act to amend the Citizenship Act. This is an important initiative, one that will breathe life into one of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada as set out in its call to action number 94.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation would like to thank the Honourable Ahmed Hussen for sponsoring Bill C-99 on this matter and the Honourable Marco Mendicino for sponsoring Bill C-8 and its predecessor, Bill C-6. We encourage all parliamentarians to ensure that Bill C-8 receives royal assent during this parliamentary session. We applaud the effort to be more inclusive as a society, as part of the very act of welcoming people to become citizens of our country. This addition to the citizenship oath, one which “recognizes and affirms the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples”, is in the true spirit of reconciliation.

At second reading of this bill, Minister Mendicino stated that at the time of the publication of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, too few Canadians knew about the tragedy of residential schools. He also noted, “Our government firmly believes that we must acknowledge the injustices of the past and envision a new relationship based on the inherent rights of indigenous peoples.” We agree, and note that considerable progress has been made towards creating awareness, developing a new relationship, and recognizing the rights of first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples as contained in section 35 of the Canadian Constitution. Indeed, much progress has been made in recognizing and upholding the international human rights of indigenous peoples.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission called the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples the “framework for reconciliation”, as it supports the development of new relationships as described by Minister Mendicino, relationships based on co-operation and mutual understanding, as well as recognition and respect for the human rights of indigenous peoples.

In this regard, we would like to express to the federal government our support and appreciation for the introduction of Bill C-15, an act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was co-developed with first nations, Inuit and the Métis nation. Bill C-15 is itself a symbol of reconciliation and a new approach to the relationship. It is complementary to the aim of Bill C-8, to recognize and affirm “the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples”.

There is so much that we hope new citizens and all Canadians will understand about the history and relationship with indigenous peoples. This is why the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended that the information kit for newcomers and the citizenship test be amended to reflect a more inclusive history of the indigenous peoples of Canada, including information about aboriginal rights, treaties and the history of residential schools. Although Bill C-8 does not address needed changes to the information kit, we do hope this complementary policy action to support the intent of call to action number 94 will be undertaken by the Government of Canada. This type of education and awareness building is important work, as has already been stated.

It is important for newcomers to have an understanding of the laws of Canada, including the Constitution, which recognizes and affirms the aboriginal and treaty rights of first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We need to build societal understanding about the rich, diverse and vibrant cultures and histories of the indigenous peoples in Canada. I myself have dedicated my life to building bridges of understanding among individuals and peoples. I see endless merit in bringing people from diverse cultures, ages and backgrounds together to engage in practical dialogue. I remain deeply committed to public education and youth engagement from all cultures and backgrounds, and spend a considerable amount of time throughout the year delivering those kinds of educational processes to people across the country.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation was established because of a shared vision held by those affected by the residential school system in Canada to create a safe place of learning and dialogue where the truths of their experiences are honoured and kept safe for future generations. They wanted their families, communities and all of Canada to learn from these hard lessons so that they would not be repeated. They wanted to share the wisdom of the elders and traditional knowledge-keepers on how to create just and peaceful relationships amongst diverse peoples. They knew that reconciliation is not only about the past; it is also about the future that all Canadians will forge together.

Bill C-8 is an important part of this journey we take together to create a brighter future for all Canadians.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and its governing circle stand ready to support the government's reconciliation [Technical difficulty—Editor].

Meegwetch.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thanks very much.

Mr. Clerk, were we getting a brief interruption on that microphone?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Naaman Sugrue]

Yes, we were. I believe it has to do with the device being used. It's not on our end.

We'll have to monitor it and do our best.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Okay, good.

Mr. Obed, please go ahead for six minutes.