Ms. Idlout, respectfully, I've never indicated to any staff, at any point in my life, to refer to me as indigenous. That's simply not the case. I've always tried to be consistent about who I am. I've never claimed indigenous history. I never said I was Cree. I came up with the term “non-status adopted Cree” because I thought it would honour my family. I thought it would indicate very clearly that I have no status.
I am not Métis. My family recently became members of the Métis Nation of Alberta, but adopted kids like me have no claim to citizenship in the Métis Nation of Alberta. That is as it is. I will never claim indigenous status. I never have. I was adopted into the family that I was adopted into—the only family I know. That is why I have always tried to be very clear about that history.