Evidence of meeting #116 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was c-61.
A video is available from Parliament.
Piikani Nation
Can I make one statement before we leave? We travelled a long way to come and see you all, and I think if you could give any one of us just a closing statement before we leave.... We'll never see any of you again, most likely.
Piikani Nation
I'm happy to meet Lori, and I'm very grateful for that, but one closing statement, if I may....
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Jamie Schmale
The committee says it's okay.
Chief Knowlton, the floor is yours.
Piikani Nation
It's in response to the question that was posed to all of us here. The one thing that needs to be taken into consideration is the uniqueness of every first nation across Canada. We have over 600 first nations, but our issues are not the same. We may be related, but we're not the same.
The Blackfoot Confederacy is here. We all reside in the Blackfoot ancestral territories, but our issues vary and are different. When you look across this country we now call Canada, every first nation, particularly in the north, has issues that are uniquely and disastrous to their well-being.
The question, “What should be done?” was asked. Create penalties for industrial offenders that are poisoning the drinking water of my brothers and sisters of the north, who are dying at an alarming rate from cancers. Give compensation to those first nations who have to deal with this on a daily basis and who can count on both hands the number of people in their families who have died from or have developed and are battling cancers directly related to the water.
I'm talking about Alberta. We have Suncor. We have a lot of the oil sands companies up there contaminating the fish. We see fish with two heads. We see fish with tumours on them, and that's part of what their livelihood has always been.
Down south, we've run into the same things in our area, but maybe not to that extent. We Blackfoot nations are very lucky in that we have very good infrastructure. We've put in filtration systems on the nation to ensure that our people are safe when the water comes from source water, like the Oldman River. However, the aquifers are also directly affected. People are still drinking from artesian wells, and there are high levels of arsenic and other heavy metals that promote lupus, which is prevalent in our nation.
There are a number of areas to deal with, but dealing with health, I think, is the best issue. It's one of the best alternatives moving forward.
We know Canada is looking at the devolution of our treaties and trying to off-load the responsibilities and liabilities, even including health, with the HCoM being initiated for all first nations across Canada. Canada relinquishing that legacy and that liability, and off-loading them to the provinces and to some of the first nations that have the capability—not all do—is a way for Canada to wash its hands of these issues, and we're seeing it more and more and more.
These are a couple of things. There's a lot more I'd like to say, but given the time frame you all have, I'll tell you what. You guys all come to my house, and I'll give you the respectful time you deserve to give us the answers and have this conversation. We work well into the night at home. Some nights, I don't get home until midnight, and it's because the work that needs to be done around this table needs to be done, and I don't silence anybody.
Thank you very much.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Jamie Schmale
Thank you very much, Chief, for those words.
We appreciate, again, the witnesses and their testimony today. If you want to stay, you're more than welcome. If you want to carry on with your day, you're welcome to do that too.
We're going back to Mr. Melillo. You have the floor.
Conservative
Eric Melillo Conservative Kenora, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just want to thank all the witnesses for being here.
In the spirit of those closing remarks about the important work we have to do, I know this committee has lots on its plate, and our side previously moved a motion to try to address some of that. I would like to reiterate that motion quickly.
It reads:
That, given the large workload and expansive mandate of this committee, the committee hold five meetings for a duration of 2 hours each between July 8 and September 13, to address housing on First Nations and produce a report with policy proposals to build more homes and solve chronic housing challenges on First Nations communities.
Mr. Chair, that was previously moved. Unfortunately, the other members from other parties adjourned that debate. I would just like to move that we resume debate on that important motion.
Thank you.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Jamie Schmale
We have a motion to resume debate on the previous motion, which was moved in the last committee meeting, to meet through the summer.
I have a quick speaking list. It goes Mr. Battiste, Ms. Idlout—
Liberal
Jenica Atwin Liberal Fredericton, NB
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I believe that's a dilatory motion that we'll have to vote to move forward.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Jamie Schmale
I believe we're in debate right now. Are we not?
We were actually talking about it. Normally, yes...you're right. We had a bunch of people put up their hands. I can move right to the vote, or we can go to the speakers. The motion is to resume debate. I was just going to go to the speakers quickly.
I'll defer to the clerk. We were just talking about that. We'll go to the vote.
Mr. Battiste.
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
I have an amendment to this.
I've been hearing and seeing some of the tweets online. Since we're not in any hurry to leave—I thought we were—I'll just say that what I've heard from indigenous communities is that they don't want more studies on houses. They want the implementation of their rights. They want the implementation of previous studies. I would like to make a motion to have that amendment to Mr. Melillo's amendment. I think it's been received in both official languages. I'll move that amendment now.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Jamie Schmale
Hang on for two seconds. We're just on the original motion, which was to resume debate.
Let's put the question: Would the committee like to resume debate on—
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Jamie Schmale
We're going to have a quick vote here.
Does everybody understand what's going on?
The motion that Eric just brought to the floor is to resume debate on my motion to have five meetings throughout the summer. We're asking people, do you want to talk about this now?
(Motion negatived: nays 6; yeas 4)
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Jamie Schmale
Okay. Thank you.
The motion failed, unfortunately, so we will not discuss that.
There's a motion to adjourn.
Thank you, everyone, for a great session. It was great seeing everyone. Have a safe summer.