Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My name is Linda Debassige. I'm the grand council chief of the Anishinabek Nation in Ontario.
Thank you for your ongoing work on land restitution. Your study provided a clear road map for how Canada can meaningfully advance reconciliation by returning lands to first nations.
That same spirit applies to the work before you today as it relates to first nations that do not have land bases and have been overlooked in treaty matters and/or national policy discussions.
While there are relatively few first nations without reserve lands, the consequences are profound. Canada often refers to these nations as landless bands. The question then becomes one of why this happened and what the implications are for the original peoples of this land.
One more likely scenario is that the Crown did not count them at the time of treaty making, as Robinson did just prior to 1850 and admitted to.
Without land, these first nations cannot build sustainable communities, support housing and infrastructure or restore the economic, cultural and spiritual foundations necessary to thrive.
Today, we see legislation like Bill C-5 and Ontario's Bill 5 that aim to fast-track access to first nation mineral resources wealth, but we're also engaged today in a painfully slow process that drags on the return of lands to the rightful owners.
Perhaps if Canada had the political will and thoughts of true reconciliation, we might just get some faster movement on the return of lands to their rightful owners.
For generations, first nations have sought to work with Canada to create clear, effective and efficient pathways to regain the lands they are entitled to, lands that were unlawfully taken through colonial policies or just a miscount at the time of treaty.
Common sense tells us that because there were no roadways back in the 1800s during the call of first nations people, there were first nations people who were missed, yet even the basic picture is unclear. Historical and ongoing research points to fewer than 30 landless first nations, but only Indigenous Services Canada holds comprehensive data. That lack of clarity reinforces the challenges and invisibility these nations experience.
Just as Robinson acknowledged his mistake in the RG10 files, ISC needs to admit its mistakes and allow access to the comprehensive data.
Addressing landlessness is not just a technical issue; it is a fundamental question of rights, justice and reconciliation. The honour of the Crown should not be an obstacle to returning the land to the rightful owners. Justice means prioritizing those who remain without land recognition or a secure jurisdictional relationship with the Crown.
Advancing legislative recognition of some groups, like the Métis, while ignoring other rightful titleholders, like Chief Paavola, is deplorable and leaves foundational injustices unresolved.
I will now hand over the remainder of my time to Chief Paavola, who is joining us virtually and is also a member of our nation.