Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to start off by thanking all the members who are here presenting today.
As a first nation who lives in a first nations community, you're doing a lot of the hard work that is allowing us to view things in a different way and to make progress in the way first nations want to do it, in a self-determining, optional way.
I frequently go to powwows where I'll see a popular shirt that says “Burn sage, sweetgrass and the Indian Act”. It's popular out there, but I don't think a lot of communities know that there is the ability to move away from the Indian Act.
What we're trying to do, in a lot of ways, is move away from the Indian Act. There are some participating communities that have decided to do this optionally. Can you explain which parts of this proposed legislation would change that and give your quick pitch—as part of this board—to the communities out there that are listening as to why they should be doing this for their communities?
I'll start off with Manny and then maybe turn it to Ernie.