In my opening statement, I referenced a lot of those pieces where there have been promises made to Métis people to implement section 35 over the last 40 years. Since the constitutional conferences, Métis leader Jim Sinclair, when those ultimately failed, said, “This is not the end. This is just the beginning...[my] people will be back.”
We are back. We are here to continue to pursue this fight to implement self-government, to do the right thing. It is a matter of constitutional import. This is the unfinished business of Confederation. Métis people have played a historic and a significant role in this country, and it's time for our people to take what is theirs and move forward in the best way possible.