Thank you for your question.
I have to say that I don't use the word “émancipation” when I talk about the situation in French. I say “enfranchisement” because the word “emancipation” reminds us of the emancipation of slaves. There may be some similarities, but I don't use that word.
My mother spoke of the “enfranchisement” she experienced when she was younger. She knew who she was. She was the child of two people who belonged to a particular community but had left it to spend several years at a residential school. As a result, she didn't feel a sense of belonging to that community. We've also heard other witnesses speak of that same feeling. It was very significant for her in her life.
In one of the two other families involved in the legal case Mr. Beaton mentioned, there was an enfranchisement process so that the children wouldn't be required to attend residential school, because at one point, it was mandatory for indigenous children. Those people described by the other witnesses experienced the exact same thing: a sense of disconnection and a lack of belonging to their community.
I also think about my children. I've had my status since the steps my mother took in 1985, but my children weren't entitled to it, even though their grandmother is indigenous. Above all, it is about being able to identify as members of their community, and speak openly and proudly of their heritage.