I am preparing a parliamentary brief—a presentation that outlines seven clear recommendations.
Of those seven recommendations, one includes the use of the term “indigenous”. It should be changed to “first nations, Métis and Inuit”, so we are more specific about whom we are addressing.
Another one is a sincere recommendation to do away with self-identification of indigenous identity. To just sign a declaration that one is indigenous is problematic and has always been open to exploitation and failure. Here, in 2024, we see the massive failure of self-identification. It is not an equitable, fair or honest process.
As we have seen with the indigenous procurement fallout, there are many interests—not only individual but also corporate, private and public—that exploit the additional resources that were created by truth and reconciliation. Without deterrents and some real sanctions imposed by government, not only on future endeavours but also on past endeavours.... If somebody who has already exploited the program sees absolutely no consequences, what the general public sees, and what an organization like ours sees, is a system where it's a free-for-all for our resources and very limited programs.
I must reiterate that these programs are verifiable lifelines for our people. I mentioned this in previous committees. We are not sitting on fee-simple land. We cannot mortgage our properties. We cannot do that, because the underlying title belongs to the Crown. We already have these disadvantages. Also, our cultural ways of being, such as kinship and sharing, put us at a disadvantage with respect to colonial ways of doing, such as having economies. When there is an inadequate framework in charge of indigenous procurement, you severely limit the social, economic and cultural mobility of our people, much to the detriment of our people.
Once again, I cannot stress enough that these are very limited resources. These are lifelines being exploited, so I have great explanations of these seven recommendations.
I apologize for going over time.