Thank you.
[Witness spoke in Naskapi and provided the following text:]
Waachiyaa, Louise Nattawappio nit-isinihkaasun. Niyuw iyuuchimashkuau Kawawachikamach.
[Witness provided the following translation:]
Good morning. My name is Louise Nattawappio. I am chief of the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach.
[English]
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today as you consider Bill C-10, an act respecting the commissioner for modern treaty implementation. I would like to start by confirming the Naskapi Nation's support for the proposed legislation.
In 1975 and 1978, the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement and the Northeastern Quebec Agreement, or NEQA, became the first modern treaties in Canada. The Naskapi Nation was among the first nations to enter this modern treaty framework. These agreements reshaped the relationship between the Naskapi Nation and the Crown. Their provisions are mandatory and binding on Canada and Quebec, and the rights they recognize are constitutionally protected.
We have now lived under this framework for 50 years. While our experience with Canada concerning the implementation of the NEQA has generally been positive, it has not been without its challenges.
On the positive side, our experience with CIRNAC's modern treaty management east implementation branch has been excellent for several decades, continuing up to the present day.
On the challenging side, we have experienced lengthy delays with some federal departments in completing negotiations where there is a clear treaty obligation, and we have often found ourselves in the position of having to educate parts of the federal bureaucracy about the fact that we are and have been a self-governing modern treaty holder for many years.
We have often felt that these challenges exist because we are a small, remote first nation and our voice is not heard. That said, the NEQA has binding obligations that must be met regardless of size, location, policy or program limitations. Insofar as treaty implementation is concerned, I believe that a challenge common to all modern treaty holders across Canada is structural in nature. For example, implementation responsibilities are distributed across numerous federal departments and agencies, but there is no institution specifically mandated to provide consistent, specialized attention to modern treaty implementation.
Despite the constitutional importance of these agreements and the vast lands, resources and communities they encompass, we believe the proposed legislation will address this gap by providing the tools necessary to ensure that the federal system consistently delivers on what Canada has already agreed to in constitutionally protected treaties. More specifically, the commissioner would provide sustained, independent oversight focused on implementation combined with transparent reporting to Parliament and mandatory departmental responses.
Modern treaties today cover approximately 45% of Canada's land and sea mass, 80% of the north's land mass and most of Canada's coastline. They are foundational to Canada's legal and economic landscape, yet there is no dedicated independent oversight mechanism focused specifically on federal implementation. For over two decades, the Land Claims Agreements Coalition has advocated for the creation of an independent office reporting directly to Parliament on Canada's effectiveness in implementing modern treaties.
Bill C-10 meets the objective, and for this reason we support the swift passage of this important proposed legislation.
Chiniskumitin. Thank you.