One of the very good things we have learned is that we can trust first nations governments. As I said in my presentation, we have seen extraordinary things.
Despite their limited means, councils have taken care of their populations' safety. They have assumed their role of local government. What we must learn from this experience is that higher levels of government—federal and provincial—must recognize the role played by councils and chiefs in first nations governance, give them more autonomy and trust them in the implementation of certain policies and programs. They are close to their citizens and know what their needs are. Programs must be more flexible to adequately meet those communities' needs.