No.
Evidence of meeting #12 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 president.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #12 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 president.
A video is available from Parliament.
1:50 p.m.
Liberal
Marcus Powlowski Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Okay.
President Clayton, under the Nisga'a Final Agreement, I looked up the section on land and land title. I have to say, it's really complex. I don't really understand it.
Afterwards, there's also the Nisga'a Landholding Transition Act, which is a Nisga'a law. Under the final agreement, it gives your first nation the power to write Nisga'a law. Is that the way it works?
1:55 p.m.
President, Nisga'a Lisims Government
Yes, it does. It's within the general laws of application, but it applies to Nisga'a lands.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marcus Powlowski Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Under your law then, land can be held in fee simple, which is obviously very different from communities where the Indian Act applies.
How do you decide which piece of land goes to which family? I'm comparing it now to Fort William First Nation, where there isn't land ownership per se. They don't have fee simple ownership of the land.
How do you decide in your community? Is it like this piece of land traditionally belongs to Mary's family and her ancestors and, therefore, they have ownership of that land?
1:55 p.m.
President, Nisga'a Lisims Government
No, it's not for families.
The foresight of our leaders who negotiated the treaty put the land in what we call a common bowl. It's by application for the Nisga'a government to issue a disposition of land. It's not by family.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marcus Powlowski Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
People apply and you would decide who gets what piece of land.
1:55 p.m.
President, Nisga'a Lisims Government
Yes, we have practices and procedures that oversee the disposition of land.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marcus Powlowski Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
If this is my land and I build my house on this, then I can still sell it to someone who's not first nations. Is that right?
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marcus Powlowski Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Is the community concerned about the fact that what was Nisg̱a’a land may eventually end up as not being Nisg̱a’a land? Is that not a worry to the community?
1:55 p.m.
President, Nisga'a Lisims Government
That was very concerning for the community. At the outset it was so very concerning that members of the nation protect what is theirs more so.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marcus Powlowski Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Although it's not officially there, the people tend to want to sell to other people who are in the community or first nations.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
Marcus Powlowski Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
In practice, within the Nisg̱a’a Nation, are there many non-indigenous, non-Nisg̱a’a people living there now?
April 1st, 2022 / 1:55 p.m.
President, Nisga'a Lisims Government
There are not too many in the community of New Aiyansh and probably not too many in the remaining three villages, other than the professionals like the teachers and the doctors who come into the community.
1:55 p.m.
President, Nisga'a Lisims Government
No, they rent. When they come as professionals, they rent their accommodations.
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Garneau
Thank you.
I'm sorry, Mr. Powlowski. You've used up the time.
Ms. Bérubé, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.
1:55 p.m.
Bloc
Sylvie Bérubé Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First, I'd like to thank Ms. Clayton and Ms. Paul for appearing before the committee.
I would also like to thank the interpreters for providing good interpretation in our languages. I feel that's very important.
My question is for both of our guests.
During the course of the committee's study, several witnesses have mentioned that members of their first nation were not able to return to their communities following their studies outside, for example, due to the lack of available housing for everyone. These individuals are often forced to live outside the community, even though they belong to it.
Could you paint a picture of this issue in your communities for us?
1:55 p.m.
Liberal
1:55 p.m.
President, Nisga'a Lisims Government
Many Nisg̱a’a, prior to treaty, left the homelands for employment, education or health matters. There are some who chose to come back, but there are others who came back only to find a shortage of [Technical difficulty—Editor] factors in the growth of the population and the need to carry on with their education. However, the Nisg̱a’a Nation has been working diligently to continue to grow our housing so that our people can come home.
2 p.m.
Councillor, Sechelt Indian Band
Yes, we have had nation members leave the community for education and other work opportunities. We would very much like those nation members to come back. That's why we have made housing our priority for the shíshálh Nation and being able to build and construct the current [Technical difficulty—Editor] building we have under way right now and the rapid housing project of the three duplexes we have now. Also, the new subdivision we are constructing is under construction right now within the community, and that is nation land also.
I'm not too sure what more was in your question. I'm sorry.
2 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Marc Garneau
We've run out of time.
Ms. Idlout, you can finish. You have two and a half minutes.