Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
My name is Darlene Bess. I am the assistant deputy minister responsible for the resolution and partnerships sector at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.
I'm accompanied today by my colleague, Danielle White, senior assistant deputy minister, treaties and aboriginal government.
We are pleased to join you on the traditional unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin nation.
Expanding land is an important issue for first nations across Canada. First nations can increase their land base through modern treaties, self-government agreements and other constructive agreements, settling specific claims that involve land, especially treaty land entitlement claims, where land promised under a historic treaty was never fully provided. Separate from claims, first nations may also increase their land base by purchasing privately owned land, fee simple land.
Modern treaties, self-government agreements and other constructive arrangements are important ways the government and indigenous communities can reach practical solutions to land issues. By addressing important questions, such as land ownership, coordination of law-making or shared decision-making, modern treaties and other similar arrangements can increase economic opportunities for indigenous communities and create clarity and predictability over land rights.
Canada is engaged in rights-based discussions with indigenous partners across the country. At 160 discussion tables, Canada works with indigenous partners and often with provinces and territories to identify key interests and reach arrangements that are workable for all parties. Land interest is a subject matter at 117 of these tables.
Many indigenous partners in modern treaty negotiations have a small land base, such as first nations with a reserve. Modern treaties offer an opportunity to expand land ownership for indigenous partners through the identification of treaty settlement lands, which can bring important economic development opportunities for these communities. Agreements can also include resource revenue-sharing and economic benefit-sharing agreements, predictable shared decision-making regimes with respect to lands and resources and jurisdictional arrangements that support the coordination of law-making between levels of government, including indigenous governments.
Land acquired through specific claims or purchased as private property must go through the federal process of being added to reserves in order to obtain reserve status. This process has been widely criticized as slow and unpredictable, which has often delayed housing and infrastructure projects and limited economic opportunities.
The government has responded by speeding up the addition to reserve process, building on consultations with first nations and first nations organizations over the past few years.
For many years, federal policy limited landless first nations' ability to establish reserve lands, as proposals generally had to be tied to a settlement agreement with Canada.
In 2024, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Indigenous Services Canada, working with first nations, made nine changes to the additions to reserve policy. These changes now allow landless first nations to submit proposals without a settlement agreement. This created a new path to reserve land for communities without reserve lands for generations, including Conseil de la Nation Micmac de Gespeg, whose reserve was established on December 19, 2025.
To conclude, reducing barriers for landless first nations is critical for both the economic and cultural development of indigenous communities.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We look forward to answering questions from committee members and participating in this exchange.
Thank you.