Yes, absolutely. We live in a world in which the written word is what counts, but we Naskapi are a nation with an oral tradition. So not only are we being put in the position of having to sue the government of the day, but we're also being asked to document what's not working, to put it into words. That is what it has come to.
You can't have a top-down attitude toward the report, because for first nations, someone taking charge of producing the report is a culturally sensitive issue. It's also important to keep in mind that we produce plenty of reports, so it's the government's turn, or rather the future commissioner's, to conduct this investigation.
Producing a report that puts the things that aren't working down on paper will engage the honour of the Crown, and that's usually enough to start negotiations and move forward.
