Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on April 15th, 2021

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you.

Before I ask my last question, maybe I'll just take the opportunity, Mr. Chartrand, as the member of Parliament for Kenora, to thank you for the work you're doing, the advocacy you're doing there. Obviously there are many Métis people living in the Kenora region, and I just want to express my appreciation for the work you're doing to represent them.

Very quickly—I know you've touched on it already—but coming back to the questions around consent and who's able to give consent, that process, could you explain more clearly anything you haven't been able to add in your comments thus far?

[David Chartrand]

The same process, Mr. Melillo, is this. When we have to get approval, we have to go through the Government of Canada, when it's a federal jurisdiction. We have to go to the provincial government for their approval and their decision as to how they are moving forward. The same thing goes for the Métis government. I expressed to you very clearly earlier that we have already thought of a lot of these things ahead of time. Our structure is so grassroots driven and we so wish to protect democracy that the voices of the people are essential.

For example, as president, I report to seven regional assemblies across this province on the annual operations of this government. Then I report to the provincial assembly with 3,000 people at the end to show the full aspect of where we're going. When you look at it from that standpoint, I think the issues of our governments are outstanding. First nations have practised their operation of government for many years, and we go back hundreds and hundreds of years using the same style of governance that Louis Riel had and Cuthbert Grant had when he was a leader at one time.

When you look at the rules and laws of our nation, we're well set in governance formats, and I think if people will give us that respect and let us do our job, I think we'll get consent faster than the federal government and the provincial governments of our country would.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Well, I'm not consenting to any more time on this answer. I'm sorry, but we have to move on. We have another panel coming in and we want to make sure everybody gets their chance.

Ms. Zann, you have five minutes.

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, I just want to say hello to President Chartrand. It's so nice to see you. I can see you face to face here, even though it's on Zoom. I just want to say I really admire the Métis people and your nation for everything that you've accomplished.

When I first landed in Canada as an eight-year-old child, we came to Regina, Saskatchewan. My dad was a professor at the university there. There was an unveiling of the statue of Louis Riel in 1968, and we went to that as one of our first events as a family. Actually we met Prime Minister Trudeau, Sr., there, so Louis Riel and his rebellion and his fight for the rights of his people has meant a lot to me and to my family. Thank you for all you do.

You talk about UNDRIP being a blueprint. I also want to stress the fact that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has made clear reference to the consideration and protection of indigenous women. By its commitment to implement UNDRIP, Canada also agrees to measures to improve the economic and social conditions of indigenous peoples by taking into account the special needs of elders, women, youth, children and persons with disabilities.

You mentioned subparagraph 6(2)(a)(i), regarding racism and violence towards indigenous peoples. Can you expand a little on that and on how you feel that Bill C-15 will help the people in this regard?

[David Chartrand]

I think to answer your question...and it was “resistance” and not “rebellion”.

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

I'm sorry.

[David Chartrand]

That's just in case.

Anyway, from my perspective, I think if you look at the issue of racial discrimination, you'll see right now that our young population are out there screaming about police brutality. They're watching what's happening in the United States, and there is some happening here in western Canada and in Canada.

Our people are asking why it is a Black person or why it is an indigenous person who's getting killed. Why is it happening to those particular groups of people? Why are Asian people now being beaten, and why is it still happening in this beautiful country in our mosiac of a beautiful multicultural society? Riel had that vision. It's good you complimented him, because he did have that vision, if you look back in his writings, of bringing all people to such a rich, prosperous land.

When you look at it from the view of racism and discrimination, we have to come back together. In terms of actual clarity, it's the responsibility of the government to make sure it's included in the blueprint of their mandate, not that it happens to be this government or that government that will hopefully put in their campaign that they are going to be committed to this, but that a process will actually be set in law that makes it clear that whoever is sitting as a government has the responsibility to ensure they combat racism, that they find a way to stop this and that we do not allow this in the country.

We have a beautiful country. I'm so proud of my country of Canada. I will go to war still at age 61 if people asked me to defend it. I love Canada, but from my perspective, we're losing our pathway. We need to get back to the basics of it. We can't get lost in the politics of it at times. We need to know that parties are going to be assuring all society, all Canadians, that when they take over the realm of this country, they have a responsibility and there's a bill that tells them they have to combat racism and try to stop it and do everything in their power to prevent it and to try to find a solution to overcome it.

I think this bill actually gives a lot of guidance and protection, but it also sets the mandate. We don't have to worry whether it's going to be in their political party platform or not. It's actually going to be very clear to them that they have an obligation and a legal obligation to do it.

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Thank you.

I believe it's about human rights really, isn't it? It's about the fact that we need to accept everybody as equal and not some people more than others.

[David Chartrand]

Yes.

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

It sounds to me that this is why you also would feel it's important to establish a legislated framework to move forward with implementing the principles of the United Nations declaration here in Canada.

Is that correct?

[David Chartrand]

For sure, without doubt.

We believe we need to find a solution. We have the issue of missing and murdered women coming up again. It will come to Parliament very soon. There's an announcement coming up.

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

I'm looking forward to that.

[David Chartrand]

Just to give you a heads-up, our Métis government in Manitoba has committed a million dollars to this particular program to find missing families. The name we gave it is “Bring Me Home”. In Michif, it's called Pey Key Way Ta Hin. We're giving a voice to those lost souls who are buried or hidden somewhere in this world.

The MMF on its own, not the federal or provincial governments, put up a million dollars as a reward to find all of them, not just Métis but first nations and non-indigenous. I think we all have a responsibility, and we need to work together to help that situation. That's part of racism, what created that situation that killed those innocent people, and we have to find a way to help bring them back.

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

I agree.

[David Chartrand]

Again, we all have to take responsibility.

I'm showing you from my government. We put up a million dollars. I'm walking the walk. I'm not just saying it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you.

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

I agree.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Ms. Zann, we need a motion to extend the meeting past one o'clock.

Could I have a motion to that request?

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Certainly, Mr. Chair.

I would like to make that motion to extend the meeting.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I see no opposition so we will extend, and we will now suspend as we have to set up our next panel.

I want to thank Mr. Chartrand, and Mr. Benoit and Ms. McKay. I know you were slipping text notes to Dave to give him his punch lines.

Great job, everyone. Thank you so much.

We'll now suspend for a few minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I call this meeting back to order. We have our panel ready to go.

Ms. Whitman, Ms. Kudloo, Ms. Sharpe and Women of the Métis Nation President Omeniho, thank you for taking the time to appear.

We have six minutes for opening statements, followed by rounds of questioning. I'm not sure who will open.

Ms. Whitman, will you begin now, for six minutes?

[Lorraine Whitman, President, Native Women's Association of Canada]

Thank you.

Good afternoon. Kwe Kwe. Wela’lin.

My name is Lorraine Whitman, Grandmother White Sea Turtle, and I am speaking to you today from Mi'kma'ki, the unceded traditional territory of the Mi'kmaq L’nu people.

I would like to thank the members of this committee for asking us to appear before them to talk about Bill C-15.

NWAC is the voice of the grassroots indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people in Canada. As such, we have different perspectives from the male-led national indigenous organizations when it comes to issues like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

I am going to turn the floor over to Adam Bond, legal counsel for NWAC, who will be going into the technical details of the bill and the UN declaration.

Before I do, I would put on the record that considering the importance of UNDRIP and the implementation of it in Canada, we are more than disappointed at how the consultation, or I should say the lack of consultation, has occurred. Indigenous women were not meaningfully consulted. Where is the honour of the Crown?

I want to bring this to your attention, because this is not an exception but rather the norm. This must stop. UNDRIP is about us, our families, our communities, the thousands of pages of the national inquiry testimony and its calls for justice. Specifically, call to action 1.3 demands that government end the political marginalization of indigenous women. Our exclusion from this important consultation flies in the face of these demands.

On saying that, I am going to ask our legal counsel Adam Bond to take over from here.

Wela’lin.

[Adam Bond, Legal Counsel, Native Women's Association of Canada]

Thank you, President Whitman.

My name is Adam Bond. I am legal counsel with the Native Women's Association of Canada.

I'm here with President Whitman in a support capacity, and I'm happy to answer and respond to any questions of a more technical nature as they relate to NWAC's interests and concerns for Bill C-15.

I think that it was a very thorough discussion in the first panel. I'm pleased to have been able to listen in and hear your questions and the responses. I think this is a great dialogue. We're addressing some of the concerns that have been raised. I feel that those concerns generally gravitate towards some of the same concerns that were prevalent during the discussions on Bill C-262, particularly whether or not FPIC constitutes a veto and whether the changes brought in under Bill C-15 will essentially undo some of the jurisprudence with respect to section 35 rights.

I don't want to take up too much time here, because I'm sure that these questions will be brought up shortly. I look forward to hearing your questions and hope to have an opportunity to respond to some of these very important issues.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

If that's the presentation, then we can go to our questions.

I appreciate the opportunity to start our first six-minute round of questions, starting with Mr. Viersen.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

There are two more groups on the notice, as well. Do they have separate presentations, or are they not here today?