Good morning. Thank you for allowing me the time to appear before the standing committee.
My name is Garry Bailey. I'm president of the Northwest Territory Métis Nation.
The Métis Nation is composed of indigenous Métis members from Fort Smith Métis Council, Hay River Métis Government Council and Fort Resolution Métis government. We estimate our membership throughout Canada to be over 3,000 members.
The Northwest Territory Métis Nation is in the final stages of negotiating a land claim and self-government agreement with the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
The Northwest Territory Métis Nation has a government-to-government relationship with the Government of Canada and the Northwest Territories. As part of the commitments of the NWT Devolution Agreement, the NWT Métis Nation is a member of the NWT Intergovernmental Council, with the Government of Northwest Territories and other indigenous governments, which addresses all aspects of government relations in the NWT.
The Northwest Territory Métis Nation is a member of the Arctic and northern policy framework with Canada and the GNWT. The Northwest Territory Métis Nation is not and cannot be represented by the five national aboriginal organizations, as the mandate of those aboriginal organizations preclude the representation of the Northwest Territory Métis Nation. The Northwest Territory Métis Nation has a right to be involved at a national level.
A truth and reconciliation report defined reconciliation as follows:
Reconciliation requires constructive action on addressing the ongoing legacies of colonialism that have had destructive impacts on Aboriginal peoples' education, cultures and languages, health, child welfare, the administration of justice, and economic opportunities and prosperity.
Reconciliation must create a more equitable and inclusive society by closing the gaps in social, health, and economic outcomes that exist between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians.
The UN declaration provided a promise to protect and enhance our rights as part of the fulfillment of reconciliation. These include the right to self-determination and self-government; the right to equality and non-discrimination; the right to promote and enhance our culture and language; the rights to our lands, territories and resources; the right to provide our free, prior and informed consent for any development on our lands; the right to receive adequate health care and education; and the right to develop indigenous institutions and legal systems. Transformation, action and measures are required to successfully implement the UN declaration.
For reconciliation to be implemented some actions are required, including appropriate shared decision-making, co-management arrangements between indigenous nations and government, evolution of federal programs from services to indigenous nations, adequate funding to implement true self-government, expedited resolution of outstanding land and resource matters, the timely conclusion of land claim negotiations, and the honourable implementation of treaties and land claim agreements.
The Métis Nation strongly supports the establishment of a national council for reconciliation. It is important that the national council for reconciliation be permanent, independent, indigenous-led and well resourced.
Some of the functions of an independent national council for reconciliation would be to develop and implement a multi-year national action plan to advance efforts in reconciliation, conduct research on promising practices that advance efforts for reconciliation, educate the public about indigenous peoples' realities and histories, stimulate dialogue, and address all matters that the independent council determines are necessary to advance reconciliation.
The national council for reconciliation must be well financed in order to be meaningful and must engage with indigenous governments.
Given this important work that will be undertaken by the national council for reconciliation, it is important that the national council include one representative from the Northwest Territory Métis Nation on the council's board of directors. Upon establishment of a national council for reconciliation, the Northwest Territory Métis Nation requests that a director's seat on the national council be set aside for the Northwest Territory Métis Nation. It is important that the indigenous Métis of the Northwest Territories have a voice on a national council for reconciliation.
Thank you.