Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Grand Chief Benedict, we see some continuity in the government's approach to developing the various pieces of proposed legislation, including Bill C‑38, Bill S‑16 and Bill C‑53. That said, none of these bills have been passed into law yet.
Before I go on, I would like to say that I sense that the witnesses feel somewhat uneasy about the bill. We feel the same. I think that all the political parties share this view. Government officials must be able to clearly describe what constitutes a protection zone. The definition isn't clear in the bill. I have the impression that this aspect is currently missing from the bill. It seems that our proceedings would benefit from sorting this out. I would like to ask the Indigenous Services Canada officials to provide the definition of a protection zone.
Grand Chief Benedict, since the committee's first meeting on Bill C‑61, I've always kept in mind the organizations created by the government and the province of Ontario, such as the Métis Nation of Ontario and the Algonquins of Ontario. These organizations operate on the ancestral lands of the Anishinabe people and claim rights to their territories.
As we can see, Bill C‑53 has been set aside for the time being. The minister didn't want to raise this issue specifically to define their rights. He was told about the territorial overlap issue. Discussions are under way about subsection 12(1) and how it might be interpreted.
Do you think that much greater clarity is needed when it comes to determining what rights the first nations have to their territory, which first nations are recognized and who can speak on behalf of the first nations in this situation?