Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to both of our witnesses for being here today.
Just as a point of clarification on the consultation, I know that Minister Mendicino met with, I believe, the national chief of the AFN, the Métis National Council and ITK prior to the bill being introduced. I myself reached out to all three women's organizations, and met with NWAC and Les Femmes Michif. I was unable to get a meeting with Pauktuutik, not for lack of trying. Discussions were held.
Regional Chief Teegee, we've spoken a few times about criminal justice. I apologize if it didn't get through to you, and to you, Vice-Chief Bear.
One thing that did come up in my conversations with the indigenous women's organizations was concern around gender-based violence. Regional Chief Teegee, you brought up that indigenous women have the highest rate of gender-based violence across the country. What they said is that a woman's right to live shouldn't trump a man's right to hunt. That came from an indigenous woman. That's not me speaking here. How do we balance the right to hunt with the firearm in the home and indigenous women being at risk?
Regional Chief Teegee, maybe we could start with you.