I call the meeting to order.
I welcome you to meeting number 55 of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the House order of Thursday, June 23, 2022. Members will participate in person or using the Zoom application. The proceedings will be made available on the House of Commons website. For your information, the webcast will always show the individual speaking rather than the entirety of the committee.
For those participating virtually, I would like to outline a few rules to follow.
You may speak in the official language of your choice. Interpretation services are available for this meeting in French, English and Inuktitut. You have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of floor, English or French. Please select your language now.
If interpretation is lost, please inform me immediately, and we will ensure interpretation is properly restored before resuming the proceedings.
For members participating in person, proceed as you usually would when the whole committee is meeting in person in a committee room.
Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name. If you are on the video conference, please click on the microphone icon to unmute yourself. Those in the room, your mike will be controlled as normal by the proceedings and verification officer.
Please address your comments through the chair.
When speaking, please speak slowly and clearly. I will also try to follow that rule. When you are not speaking, your mike should be on mute.
With regard to a speaking list, the committee clerk and I will do the best we can to maintain a consolidated order of speaking for all members, whether they are participating virtually or in person.
Our next study will be the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report on the research and comparative analysis of the estimates of the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and the Department of Indigenous Services. This was Mr. Vidal's motion, adopted November 21, 2022.
Does the committee instruct the clerk to invite the appropriate witnesses for our meetings on April 24 and April 26, 2023?
(Motion agreed to)
We also have to reschedule our witnesses from March 20. Is it the will of the committee to reschedule the March 20 witnesses to April 17 and have drafting instructions and committee business on April 19?
(Motion agreed to)
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on November 21, 2022, the committee is resuming its study on improving graduation rates for indigenous students.
Today we welcome Lisa Smith, interim adviser to the president, Native Women's Association of Canada, via video conference. I'm told, however, that we may have an issue, which we'll have to address. We also welcome Thomas Sierzycki from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, who is appearing in person. We also welcome Margaret Moss, professor and director, First Nations House of Learning, University of British Columbia, via video conference. Thank you very much for being with us today.
We will have five minutes for each of our speakers. Please be on time. I will be there to remind you as well. We will hear from Dr. Moss first.
You have five minutes.