Thank you. That's a really important question. I apologize that I have to leave shortly for another meeting, but I really appreciate this opportunity.
In terms of that question on what it does to the leadership, it creates doubt in their minds when there should be no doubt. There should be confidence that they are the leaders. They have been elected by their communities and they are often from long lines of hereditary chiefs who have been trained by elders on how to do what's right for their community by their culture. They should not be in doubt when they go to remove a drug dealer or a dangerous sexual offender or someone who is wrongfully taking the resources from their land that they need to feed their families. They should be able to pick up the phone and send the enforcement officer or go together and enforce it.
You're absolutely right that there is institutional resistance. There is, unfortunately, still colonialism and racism, and we really need to all work together to confront that, but not in terms of people. We always say, “Let's be hard on the issues and soft on the people.” If someone needs some help and education, we can bring them into the community. We can educate them about the culture, the laws, the history, and how and why nations have done things in the past that have worked before the settlers, like me, arrived.
What we need is the education and training and the support from the government to have somewhere to go. There is no accountability right now. A DFO officer can do and say whatever they want, and they'll be promoted. If we complain to the minister, the staff member writes a letter for the minister, and around and around we go. We don't have an Auditor General of reconciliation. We don't have anywhere to go.
What you say is exactly right. Thank you.