Thank you, Chairman. I'm honoured to be here amongst Canada's finest. I offer a heartfelt welcome to all of you.
My name is Travis Meguinis. I'm a surviving descendant member of Treaty 7 territory and Tsuut'ina Nation, but I also have Treaty 6 bloodlines from Saddle Lake Cree Nation and Maskwacis, Alberta. I'm a proud member of the Tsuut'ina Nation and a past Indian Act-elected leader, but I'm also a hereditary leader. I'm a man who carries our traditions with faith and belief like all of you do here when you're sworn into office. In our traditional way, it's important to be proud and to share where you come from and what you've earned.
As a hereditary sovereign organization, Natural Law Energy was created to compete and practice Canadian customs, which is in a corporate system. We were invited to participate in the KXL. It was through Treaties 4, 6, 7 and 8 that we participated, and we amalgamated all the leaders in those territories who were part of the Crown consultation here in Ottawa and were invited by industry. At that time, we, as Natural Law Energy, were invited by Canada again to participate in the engagement process over five years ago with Trans Mountain.
Natural law is a constitutional word for our people. Natural law is a real thing. We understand where we come from, which is why we have sun dances, and your science holds today that everybody came from the sun. The sun was the first mother to this galaxy we know that's part of the Milky Way.
With our natural laws, we understand creation. We understand the cosmos. We understand Mother Earth. We have that connection, which is why we get into energy. Energy is a big part of humanity today, and it's the thumbprint that we bring from our traditions that could bring balance. This is actually the first time, and we're blazing trails. I speak for the chiefs whom I've consulted with along the way, working on Trans Mountain from Edmonton to the southern peninsula of Vancouver Island.
From the Cree territory, the Dene, where I come from, Squamish Chief Dale Harry and Lower Nicola Indian Band Chief Stu Jackson are just a few of the allies we have in trying to bring a better way of living to our people. Our people, through the last 500 years, have been in survival mode living amongst the newcomers. We have our stories and our creation stories that we share, and our natural laws are our education that comes from the sun dance, the sweat lodge, horse dance and chicken dance, just to name a few. That's our education. That's our way of life, and we walk two roads with that life. We want to work with everybody at the table. We don't want to be in survival mode or playing defence for the next 500 years.
We understand energy. We've worked with energy. I know that we can bring a lot of good to the AER, and it's understood and it's fair. I can hear both the right and the left speak here today. I agree with both similarities. I do believe it's the indigenous, as you call us, who bring a good balance to the development of natural resources. It's through our studies and through our knowledge that we can implement new policies that we call laws. Our natural laws are God-Creator given and God-Creator protected.
It's with respect that I say this here today. We've been engaged for the last five years, and we've spent millions.
I'll leave you with two last thoughts.
We talk about millions and billions. Some of my team have mentioned that, if I were to sit here with all of you for one million seconds, it would be 11 days. However, if I sit here with all of you for one billion seconds, it would be 33 years. I say with respect that there is a big difference between millions and billions. We have our ways of trying to function and move forward respectfully with everybody.
They say that, when you guys first came, Columbus called people “Indians”. I'm just glad you guys didn't call us “turkeys”.