In my experience, when the federal government rushes in to impose a solution on indigenous peoples, it does not work. The reason why the initiative in Cape Breton worked is that it was driven by the grassroots and by the local communities. They designed it. They managed it. They chose the technological provider. They set the parameters. This is what we are trying to emulate at a national level by taking the time to engage with indigenous peoples, which are not homogenous across the country; they are very diverse. That is the richness of the work we are doing to advance reconciliation.
On April 18th, 2024. See this statement in context.