Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Oct. 26th, 2023

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

You missed nothing, Michael.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

I apologize for that, and we'll make sure that our members speak into the microphones and remind witnesses to make sure you're speaking into the microphone so we can do the proper audio.

Thank you for raising that point, and I'm sorry I didn't see your hand earlier.

Mr. Battiste, you are our final questioner for today, so the floor is yours for five minutes.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

I want to start by thanking you all for your comments today. It's been amazing, and I'm glad to be here for this.

I've been listening to great leaders in the Métis for more than 20 years. One of my friends is Jean Teillet. I first heard her 19 years ago when I was a university student, and she was speaking about the Powley decision at a conference, and then after the Daniels decision she also was the keynote speaker at a conference in Ottawa. I've learned so much from Jean.

One of the things she's always said to me is that there's a common misconception in Canada that Métis is about mixed ancestry, about European and first nations ancestry. She said it's important to understand—I don't want to put words in her mouth, because I know she is going to be a witness at some point—that Métis are about a distinct community that came together.

Can you talk to me a little bit about the importance of that distinct community in your regions, and why that's an important thing to be clear on?

Margaret, do you want to start?

[Margaret Froh]

Sure, and thank you very much, honourable member, for the question.

It ties into many of the questions that have been asked today. I think there are a lot of people within Canada who don't understand who we are as a people, which is why we're doing the work that we're doing.

You're exactly right: Our people emerged, and we emerged, as a new people in these communities that were distinct, that stood apart from their first nations relatives, that stood apart from their European ancestors as well, and that's exactly why we are recognized as one of the aboriginal peoples in section 35. That distinctness of language, culture and traditions in distinct communities that actually asserted themselves as distinct communities is a part of the beautiful and rich history of the Métis, and again, exactly why it is that we are recognized as a distinct people.

It's not at all about mixed ancestry. I think that's a common belief, but it doesn't capture the reality that we emerged as a distinct people, and that is why we're here today. That's what Bill C-53 is all about. It's recognizing that.

Marsi.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

I think I understand.

[Michelle LeClair]

Yes, we did emerge as a new community. I always think of ourselves as the new Canadians, the first Canadians, the merging of cultures. Distinctly we have our own language, culture, values, and all of those sorts of things, and the history of our people, which is so important to look at. Think back to the days of the buffalo hunts and the way that families hunted together and that sort of thing. There are so many things that make us distinct.

A sad part of this whole conversation is the language aspect. It's important for you to know that the Michif language is only spoken in 0.5% of households in Saskatchewan. It's going to become an extinct language.

Things like BillC-53 are going to help to regain some of that language. We're doing work with schools, and so on and so forth, but we really have to dig down and ensure that we don't lose those really core things that make us who we are.

I don't know if I answered your question. I went all over the place, but—

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Do you want to get a chance to answer that point about the mixed ancestry and distinct communities?

[Andrea Sandmaier]

I think President Froh and Vice-President LeClair have said very eloquently what it means to be Métis.

We are a distinct people. We have our own culture, our own language and our own governance structure. We have all of those things. One thing we haven't talked about is our humour; we have that, too. We were talking about it earlier today. We are funny people and we enjoy that.

When we think about forgotten people.... A couple of years ago I was taking a citizenship application in the region 2 office where I worked. The lady sitting across the table from me showed me her family tree. Her family tree listed my great-great-grandfather. She was denied her culture because a settler who married her great-great-grandmother told her that she couldn't tell her family; she couldn't be Métis anymore.

We cried about it in that office because she was my cousin and she had no idea where she came from. She had no idea that her family fought at the Battle of Batoche. She had no idea that my grandmother, who would have been an aunt of hers, was born under a Red River cart on a buffalo hunt in southern Saskatchewan.

These are the things Bill C-53 is about, as Vice-President LeClair said. It's about preserving our language and our culture so that our children and our grandchildren will know who they are. That's what it's about.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

That takes us to the end of the time we have.

There are a couple of minutes left on the clock. I do have one item that I need to bring to the committee.

We're done with our questions. Thank you to each of the witnesses for being here today. It's a really important start to our study of Bill C-53. I think you set the stage very well for us.

Over the next three weeks or so, we look forward to hearing from more witnesses, culminating in hearing from the minister and officials. I'm sure you'll be watching the proceedings very closely.

I want to thank each of you, and I know there are members of your community who are here with you today joining us. Thank you for the very important testimony that you've given us.

Colleagues, before we go, there was a technical point we missed last Tuesday. It's been brought to my attention that through our routine motions, we require at least 48 hours between submitting amendments and starting clause-by-clause study. We moved the date because of the minister's delayed appearance, so now we need to move our clause-by-clause consideration from November 30 to December 5. I would like to make sure that's on the record and that we're all in agreement with that.

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Good. Thank you so much for that.

We will send out any amended notices that are needed.

Colleagues, thank you so much for being here. Thanks again to the witnesses.

The meeting is adjourned.