I want to start off by thanking the chiefs for their testimony today. It's been difficult to hear.
I live in Eskasoni, the largest Mi’kmaq reserve in Atlantic Canada, of close to 5,000 people. We're just getting prepared for the second wave that you're already dealing with.
I remember the first wave saw blockades put up in my community, curfews put in place, ceremonies and sporting events cancelled, These are things that have kept our communities going and kept us resilient for generations.
I'm trying to get a sense, hearing about all of your testimony of all the things that are going on, with the powwows and the sporting events cancelled. It's so disheartening for vulnerable communities. I can relate to a lot of what you describe, because I have a son who goes to an on-reserve school. He goes to school two days a week because they can't accommodate any more than that.
I am just trying to get a sense. I know that indigenous people are some of the most resilient people in Canada. We've gone through so much. We've gone through pandemics before, although never like this one, but I'm trying to get a sense of what our government can do in the short term, really.
What are you hearing for best practices as all indigenous communities across Canada approach this second wave? I'm trying to figure out if there are any best practices out there, anything that we're hearing in the communities that can give other communities hope as to how to adapt and survive this.
Thank you.