Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on March 10th, 2026

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

We are continuing with our second round of witnesses.

I will start with the grand chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations.

You have five minutes.

[Grand Chief Math'ieya Alatini, Council of Yukon First Nations]

Thank you. Good morning.

[Witness spoke in Kluane]

[English]

My name is Math'ieya Alatini. I am a citizen of Kluane First Nation and a former chief of Kluane First Nation. We are one of the self-governing nations in the Yukon. I am currently Grand Chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations.

I'm here to express my full support for Bill C-10, an act respecting the commissioner for modern treaty implementation. This bill, as we've just heard from the other panel, reflects decades of work by indigenous modern treaty partners to ensure that Canada consistently delivers on constitutionally protected treaties.

These are not abstract agreements. Modern treaties directly affect the day-to-day lives of all our communities, the opportunities that present to our communities and the well-being of the people within our communities. For too long, gaps and delays in treaty implementation have caused real and tangible harms to indigenous people in Yukon and other regions of Canada.

Bill C-10 addresses a clear and urgent need for sustained and independent oversight. It allows for consistency between elected governments. Treaty implementation is specialized and ongoing work. A dedicated commissioner would focus on this work in a way that a broad whole-of-government auditor cannot. Treaty commitments do not change with governments. Without this focus, agreements risk delays, misunderstandings and practical challenges that directly affect our communities.

This isn't about politics. It's about building a system that works for the people whose lives depend on these agreements. The Auditor General's role remains vital. This bill is designed to complement that work, not duplicate it.

As outlined in Bill C-10, the commissioner's office would be independent. It would assess, report and advise. Parliament would retain the authority to decide remedies and hold ministers accountable.

Transparency is the commissioner's most powerful tool. Parliament's ability to compel answers would ensure that challenges are addressed promptly. Transparent reporting would help problems get fixed before they escalate into disputes or litigation. Public reporting would also allow systemic barriers to be identified early, preventing harms to communities, creating opportunities for practical and timely solutions and hopefully avoiding litigation.

The commissioner would provide credible, expert, whole-of-government oversight, giving departments strong incentives to track, plan and coordinate effectively, because Parliament and indigenous partners would be able to see their progress. This accountability would ensure that implementation is not just tracked on paper; it's also followed through on in practice. Indigenous modern treaty partners would use the commissioner's findings as independent evidence to advance implementation.

Bill C-10 was carefully co-developed with indigenous partners. It would focus specifically on implementation without interfering in policy design or enforcement, which would remain ministerial responsibilities. In fact, it would strengthen ministerial accountability by providing Parliament with credible, treaty-specific information, helping to ensure that commitments to citizens would be upheld.

The bill is practical, achievable and long overdue. It would identify problems before they escalate, strengthening that relationship between Canada and indigenous governments and, in our case, the tripartite relationship with the territorial government as well. It would ensure that the rights of our citizens are upheld.

This bill is not about creating new obligations. It's about making sure that the federal system consistently delivers on what Canada has already agreed to in constitutionally protected treaties. It's about ensuring that promises made in treaties and future bills would be kept, and that federal systems would work in practice, not just in principle.

At its core, this work is about people. It's about giving Yukon first nations children and all our indigenous children a fair chance to reach their full potential and live their dreams. We encourage the committee to support the timely passage of this bill for the benefit of our communities and citizens and the integrity of our constitutionally protected treaties.

Gùnálchîsh. Shä̀w níthän.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Thank you very much.

We will now go to our next witness, Chief Councillor Troy Sam.

[Troy Sam, Chief Councillor, Kitsumkalum Band Council]

Good afternoon from the Kitsumkalum nation.

Smgigyet, sigidm hanaa'na̱x, chiefs and matriarchs, my name is Chief Troy Sam from Kitsumkalum. We're one of 14 tribes of the Tsimshian nation, and we are the third in B.C. to ratify our treaty, in 2025. We are working hand in hand with the K'ómoks First Nation and our sisters and brothers from Kitselas.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of Bill C-10.

Kitsumkalum ratified our treaty on November 1, 2025, with overwhelming support from our members: 90% voter turnout, 90% approval of the treaty and 90% approval of the Kitsumkalum Constitution. That strong mandate reflects unity within our nation and confidence in the work ahead.

Modern treaties are constitutionally protected agreements. They represent negotiated, legally binding commitments between indigenous nations and the Crown. However, across Canada, there has been a persistent implementation gap—a gap between what is promised in the treaty and how promises are carried out in practice.

Bill C-10 is designed to close that gap. If the office is set up, it would help collaboration with the other modern treaty nations and with consistencies across election cycles. The office would also be able to help with identifying gaps between the legislation and case law. I see more efficient use of time, where the proper delegations to the proper departments can be made.

For Kitsumkalum, effective implementation is not theoretical. It affects jurisdiction over lands and resources, environmental decision-making, fiscal arrangements and the ability of our government to exercise authorities as negotiated. Too often, implementation challenges arise because responsibility is fragmented across federal departments. One ministry may interpret an obligation differently from another. Timelines can stretch. Coordination can falter. Nations are left navigating administrative processes, rather than engaging in true nation-to-nation governance.

That is not how constitutional agreements should function. Bill C-10 would establish an independent commissioner whose sole mandate is to review and audit the federal implementation of modern treaties, and that focus matters. Unlike broader oversight bodies, this commissioner would concentrate specifically on whether federal institutions are fulfilling treaty obligations as intended, systematically and consistently.

Public reporting to Parliament changes the accountability dynamic. Implementation becomes visible. It becomes measurable. It becomes subject to scrutiny beyond internal department reporting. For Kitsumkalum, structural oversight reinforces a simple but essential principle: Treaties are binding commitments requiring measurable performance.

Implementation affects economic opportunities. It affects how lands are managed. It affects how regulatory powers are exercised. When obligations are delayed or inconsistently applied, it impacts real outcomes for our community. Some examples are forest management and dealing with naturally occurring problems such as mountain pine beetle or root rot. We can manage our forests to be fire-safe and protect our communities and other infrastructure.

Bill C-10 would create a mechanism to examine patterns, not just isolated disputes. If there are reoccurring administrative bottlenecks, unclear policy interpretations or inconsistent application across departments, those systemic issues could be identified and addressed.

This is not adversarial oversight. This is structural accountability. It is fair treatment of all parties. It supports better governance on all sides by clarifying expectations, reinforcing standards and encouraging federal institutions to approach treaty obligations with coordinated, whole-of-government discipline.

Most importantly, this legislation would protect the implementation of treaty rights. For the Kitsumkalum, that protection is critical as we continue strengthening our governance institutions and exercising jurisdiction responsibly. Constitutional recognition must be matched by operational follow-through.

Bill C-10 affirms that modern treaties are not symbolic milestones. They are enduring frameworks that require consistent oversight to function effectively. Supporting this bill is a statement that implementation matters as much as negotiation. It affirms that commitments made in a treaty must be honoured in practice and not only in principle.

Kitsumkalum supports Bill C-10 because it strengthens accountability, reinforces constitutional integrity and promotes measurable follow-through in modern treaty implementation.

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Thank you very much, Chief Councillor Sam.

Our next witnesses are from the Tsawwassen First Nation.

By the looks of it, you are both in the same room. Is that true? Okay. Whenever one of you is speaking, make sure the other is on mute or we might get some feedback. You probably already know that, but that's just a friendly reminder.

You have the floor for five minutes.

[Valerie Cross, Executive Councillor, Tsawwassen First Nation]

Hay čxʷ q̓ə.

Good morning. Welcome, m̓i ce:p kʷətxʷiləm and bonjour, honourable members of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

Chemkwaat tə nə skʷix. Təl̓i cən ʔəƛ̓ scəw̓aθən. My name is Chemkwaat, and I'm from Tsawwassen First Nation. My English name is Valerie Cross, and I'm an executive councillor at Tsawwassen First Nation. I'm also the Squiqel, the Speaker, for our Legislative Assembly.

I want to extend a great thank you for the invitation to appear before you and the opportunity to express our nation's strong support for Bill C-10. I also want to acknowledge the Creator and give thanks for another beautiful day on mother earth. We are so blessed to live in the lands that we do.

For context, Tsawwassen First Nation is located on the southwest corner of British Columbia where the Fraser River meets the Salish Sea. I am incredibly proud to say that our nation was one of the first to negotiate a treaty under the BC Treaty Commission process, and we have risen to the unique challenge of being the only urban modern treaty nation in Canada. With our treaty, we have reclaimed our own laws, we've rebuilt our governance and institutions and we've created new economic development opportunities to support the well-being of our members.

The story of the Tsawwassen First Nation and the Tsawwassen treaty is a success story, but this journey has not been without its challenges. Like many other witnesses who have appeared before this committee, we have faced barriers to having our treaty fully implemented by our federal partners.

Over the past 17 years, we've devoted considerable resources to working with the federal government to resolve treaty implementation issues through our preferred methods of dialogue and collaboration, rather than relying on litigation. While we strive to resolve our implementation issues through constructive dialogue, this approach has not always been successful.

For example, our nation continues to encounter challenges with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which has been unwilling to learn or work directly with the Tsawwassen First Nation on the management of crab and salmon, traditional foods that have sustained our people since time immemorial. We've also faced challenges respecting the implementation of the periodic review of our treaty, a process intended to ensure that our treaty is a living agreement that can grow and evolve alongside the needs of our community.

Examples like these are why we have been strong advocates for the creation of the commissioner for modern treaty implementation since 2009, when our treaty came into effect and our nation joined the Land Claims Agreements Coalition. I also want to be clear that the treaty implementation issues we have faced have not been limited to the actions of one particular government. These challenges are structural and have persisted across all governments, led by multiple political parties.

I'm here today because Bill C-10 represents an opportunity to overcome these challenges and to ensure that our treaties are respected as the living agreements they were always intended to be. This co-developed and co-drafted piece of legislation is the product of decades of hard work both by members of the Land Claims Agreements Coalition and by our federal partners.

Through Bill C-10, we will finally have the independent oversight body that has long been needed to hold the federal government accountable to Parliament in respect of modern treaty implementation. The creation of a commissioner for modern treaty implementation will improve accountability by reporting on implementation across the entire federal government, identifying implementation barriers early and publicly, issuing guidance to ensure clarity and consistency across agreements and ensuring that Parliament and the members of this committee receive the evidence needed to hold the government accountable.

I like to think of the Auditor General as a general practitioner and the commissioner as a specialist surgeon. The Auditor General audits hundreds of departments. Indigenous treaties are often just a footnote in a massive report on government spending. The modern treaties are constitutional law, not just program spending. The commissioner would provide a deep legal and cultural literacy that's required to understand whether the treaty spirit is being met, which a financial auditor is simply not trained to do.

I firmly believe the commissioner would make sure the federal government consistently delivers on the commitments Canada has already made in our constitutionally protected treaties. I also believe that successful implementation will not only benefit indigenous people, but benefit all Canadians by creating a greater certainty of rights, strengthening partnerships and building an environment that supports greater economic development. High tides raise all boats.

For these reasons, I urge all members of this committee and all parliamentarians to support Bill C-10 in its current form.

I also want to add a small comment. If we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we have always got. It's time for a change. It's time to invest in the opportunity for this change. We all have a role to play in holding government accountable to the commitments made in modern treaties.

Honourable committee members, I hope we can count on you.

Hay čxʷ q̓ə. Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Thank you very much to our witnesses.

We'll now go to our first round of questioning of six minutes.

For the Conservatives, we have Billy Morin.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you to our guests for joining us online today on this important matter.

I'm a former chief from Treaty 6 on the Prairies. What we say on the Prairies is that we've had all of these treaty rights since the late 1800s, but we're still not being treated right. I empathize with those with modern treaties, who are experiencing the same feeling.

My question is for Valerie Cross from Tsawwassen.

Simplistically, Ms. Cross, if the modern treaties were being implemented, would there be a need for a commissioner?

[Valerie Cross]

I guess that is a question about a dream. If the treaties were being implemented properly, if the federal government and the honour of the Crown were being upheld, we wouldn't be having this discussion and we wouldn't need a commissioner, but they are not.

We have heard from witness after witness, treaty partner after treaty partner, that their failure at implementation has been an ongoing structural issue across all different types of political parties for well over 20 years. This is a long-time issue that really needs to be addressed, and the tool that we believe in, the tool that we've worked on and co-developed together to support the proper implementation of our treaties, is Bill C-10.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

Thank you for that.

Just to build on it a bit more, we've heard that this is a dispute resolution mechanism and an accountability measure. I share some frustrations, broadly speaking as a first nations indigenous person in this country, with the situation unfolding in B.C. when it comes to the Cowichan, the Tsawwassen and the Musqueam, and the unfortunate headlines that seem to be driving that area apart, quite frankly. How would this commissioner's office mitigate against those types of situations, even among the nations themselves?

[Valerie Cross]

Oh, boy. That's a great question—a big question.

Working together as one, advancing our issues together and making sure that people are properly informed about what aboriginal rights mean and how we are meant to work together and share the resources of the beautiful province and country we live in.... How the treaty commissioner could assist with such things is with the understanding of what our treaties mean at all levels of government and for the citizens of British Columbia.

Honourable Billy Morin, I have a lot to share about this, but I don't think I have enough time to do that. I think a question like this goes to whether we could be preventative. How would the commissioner prevent this? I think it's by working together, teaching, learning, understanding and being able to ensure that modern treaties and agreements do not expand into areas with unresolved claims.

I'm sorry. I would need some more time to respond to this. It's a very complex question.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

That is totally fair. It is a very complex situation out west. I appreciate you giving it some consideration. Thank you.

Chair, I had submitted a motion and would like an opportunity, just for a second, to have it considered.

I want to apologize really quickly to our guests. I have some housekeeping that I technically have to use up my time to do. It shouldn't take too long.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Go ahead.

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

I'd like to move the motion that I submitted last Friday through the committee chair and clerks:

That the committee invite the Minister of Indigenous Services to appear before the committee for one hour, at the earliest opportunity, to provide an update on the ongoing public health and infrastructure emergency in Kashechewan First Nation, including the federal government's response to the community's January 4, 2026, declaration of a state of emergency following sewage contamination and water system failures that forced hundreds of residents to evacuate to locations such as Thunder Bay, Kingston, and St. Catharines; and that the committee also invite leaders of Kashechewan First Nation to appear for one hour to provide testimony regarding the ongoing situation in the community and the federal government's response.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Thank you very much, Mr. Morin.

Is there any discussion on this?

Go ahead, Mr. Battiste.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish, NS]

Are we suggesting that we not keep going with the legislation we have and pause everything we're doing on legislation for this, or is this something we can look at after the legislation we're trying to pass goes through?

[Billy Morin, Conservative, Edmonton Northwest, AB]

I didn't provide a specific date. It's at the earliest convenience. We'll make it flexible to our schedule.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish, NS]

Okay. There's no problem.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Is everyone in support?

Madame Gill, go ahead.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Are we all agreeing to do this study? We haven't had a debate, so I suppose we all agree. However, like Mr. Battiste, the only thing I have to say is that we already have a lot of bills to study, including Bill S‑228 and Bill C‑10. There's also a chance that Bill S‑2 could be added to the list. The deadline for that one is April 26.

I wouldn't want this to spread the committee's work too thin. If the committee wants to hold one extra meeting, we may agree to do so, but I definitely think the minister can come and talk to the committee.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Jamie Schmale]

Okay, I think we're in agreement. Government legislation does take priority.

Everyone seems good with that, so it's approved.

(Motion agreed to)

Unfortunately, it looks like your time is up, Mr. Morin.

We have a Liberal round. We have Mr. Battiste for six minutes.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish, NS]

I'd like to thank the witnesses for their testimony today.

Thank you for your innovation on this. I think a modern treaty commissioner is an excellent avenue that we can pursue as first nations all across the country, and I know this is just related to the modern treaty partners.

My question is very short and to the point: Do you support the current legislation as written, or do you believe there need to be amendments?

Anyone can speak to that. If it's a short answer, we'll keep it that way.

Anyone can go ahead. Are you satisfied with the legislation or would you like amendments?

Don't all go at once. You're not helping me out here, guys.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish, NS]

I'm trying to pass this quickly. You guys have to start. I'm not trying to lead the witnesses, but....

[Grand Chief Math'ieya Alatini]

We're satisfied with the legislation as is.