Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you so much, Chief Poitras, for your comments. I think they are very informative for this committee.
As we are talking about the Constitution, section 35 reads:
(1) The existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada are hereby recognized and affirmed.
(2) In this Act, “aboriginal peoples of Canada” includes the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.
That's the language in section 35.
In your comments you raised the issue of inherent rights, with which I absolutely agree. There needs to be full recognition of the inherent rights of the indigenous peoples.
In terms of the wording of the text for the changes for the swearing-in, what would you think if these words were added: “inherent rights of indigenous peoples as recognized by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”? After the language that says, “I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada”, insert the words “inherent rights of indigenous peoples as recognized by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”, and then carry on to say, “including the Constitution”, etc.
What are your thoughts on that?