Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank all the witnesses who've joined us today. Their time and their testimony are truly important.
From its inception, Bill S‑2 had a very specific purpose and timeline. It aimed to resolve the whole issue of emancipation affecting over 3,000 first nations people. However, the desired timeline for this bill may not be met because amendments were made to aspects that the government had committed to resolving. From the moment we took office last spring, we committed to addressing the second-generation issue.
In 2023, we began a collaborative process to jointly develop this legislation with first nations. I emphasize the word “collaborative” because we are not just talking about consultation. That means that together, we wanted to address and resolve this issue. We wanted to create a bill that would be as robust as possible, with the approval and input of first nations.
For me, it's important to note that the government had a specific goal, which is why it did not want amendments to the bill. On the one hand, we had a goal to achieve and a timeline we were trying to meet. On the other hand, we wanted to develop this new bill that would address the issue.
My question is for you, Chief Fiddler, and concerns the collaborative process. Did your nation participate in the government's collaborative process seeking first nations' input to find ways to address the issue of exclusion after the second generation?