Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Jonquière for her question and her kind words.
The only thing that saddens me today, on top of the motion for time allocation and the deaf ear the government is turning to first nations, is the fact that the first nations are not here today to debate their future directly with us.
What really irks me is that I should be the one to have to speak for the first nations. Inspired by my political commitment to voice the desires and aspirations of the nation of Quebec, I am in a good position to know that I would not like having someone from another nation to speak for me and not having full rights to defend myself in this place.
We have had this problem at the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, Northern Development and Natural Resources. We were discussing the future of an entire nation, while members of this nation watched us non-aboriginals debate their future, and we were forced to defend the aboriginals. That is not right. In 2003, we cannot call ourselves a modern society if we have no legitimate forum where the first nations can express their rights, for instance.
They are not looking for a handout. The first nations have internationally recognized rights. Self-government processes are under way around the world. That is what is required: self-government.
The aboriginal people have the capacity to govern themselves. They are not children. They can have a government like ours. There is no better government than an aboriginal government to defend the future of aboriginal children.
We should be here today defending nations who are not here to defend themselves, to defend their future and that of their children. This makes no sense.
The role of the federal government is not to run them. It has a fiduciary responsibility toward first nations. It must abide by the long-standing treaties with the first nations. It must not force down their throats things they do not want.
They must be given every means to build themselves. This was referred to as a healing process in the Erasmus-Dussault report, the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People.
It is a healing process. It concerns the redefinition of the nations that have been particularly damaged, because they were told that they were not real nations all though Canada's history. As for rebuilding these nations, they must have our help and our support in creating their own government and in governing themselves, and we must not impose anything on them. Most of all, we must respect them for who they are, these first nations. They each have a culture, a language, a form of government. In other words, it is none of our business.
When will the government and its representatives like the parliamentary secretary get it into their heads that the aboriginal nations are recognized as nations? Are we going to tell the Americans what to do? Are we going to tell the French what to do? Why do we take it upon ourselves to impose our choices on the aboriginal nations this way? What is this, anyway?
At the United Nations, the definition of a nation is the same for aboriginal nations as for any other nation, whether it is the Canadian nation, the Quebec nation, the French nation or the American nation. It is the right to self-government. There is also the respect for agreements made hundreds of years ago when the first Europeans arrived here.
Earlier in my speech I mentioned wampum. We should all know what wampum is. It is an almost sacred symbol that we have given our word, both the aboriginal people and the European nations, that we could live as neighbours, that we could live in harmony, but in complete independence.
That is what wampum symbolizes. Wampum is in the form of a beautiful belt. It should be shown around the world and copies distributed. On this belt we see a European ship of the era and a canoe, representing the aboriginal nations, sailing along together. The European ship does not encroach on the space of the first nations' canoe. They are moving together, in parallel, with respect, and in accordance with the terms and conditions agreed upon at the time.
Today, some people are trying to ignore all of that. They want to throw it away and say that the federal government, the Government of Canada—just as it was done 130 years ago with the Indian Act—can continue to park the first nations on reserves, treat them like children, impose whatever conditions it wishes, and slow down negotiations on self-government—the only true negotiations that should be going on in order to enable the first nations to develop and give them every opportunity to do so.
There are first nations communities that were given this opportunity. It is not an opportunity, but a right. Self-government agreements were reached, and look at how prosperous these first nations are today.
In Quebec, we have the example of the James Bay Cree. The first self-government agreement was signed there by Mr. Lévesque. Go see them today. This community is prosperous and has taken charge of its own destiny. Try to impose anything on them. They are a proud people, who insist on exercising their prerogatives as a nation. They are people who have developed, have the skill to do so and a true business sense.
We should stop taking the first nations for something they are not, but instead we keep on seeing bills as idiotic as this one. What sense is there in that? After having tabled the Erasmus-Dussault report a few years ago, after having given so much hope to first nations, what are we doing with bills like this and a policy of confrontation? That is not how we are going to move forward. That is not how we are going to create a peaceful future of coexistence where everyone can prosper and have the opportunity to do so. It is despicable to do things this way.
The new prime minister, who is hiding behind the curtain, said he was against the three bills concerning first nations, including Bill C-6. Where is the future prime minister? Where was he this morning when we voted on the time allocation motion? Where will he be when we vote on Bill C-6? Will he have the nerve to come here and vote in favour of this bill when, from behind the curtain, but publicly, a few months ago he said he was against the bill, as he was against the bill on self-government? I cannot wait to see that.
The Bloc Quebecois was created in the spirit of the first agreement with the James Bay Cree, signed at the time by Mr. Lévesque, the leader of the first Parti Quebecois government. We are motivated by equal opportunity and respect for long-standing treaties and the first nations' inherent right to self-government.