Mr. Speaker, there is no question that there has been 150 years of problems, which have been badly addressed, particularly in this file.
From residential schools to the sixties scoop, time and time again governments have thought that indigenous children would be better looked after in situations where they did not protect their culture and their language. Frankly, the previous government refused to support or fund language and culture in schools on reserve.
Secure personal cultural identity is not some little extra, but is essential to self-esteem, resilience, and all of these things. We know that we must do better on language and culture.
We know that we must do better in reforming this system. However, these reforms are going to have to be bottom-up reforms, with real consultation with first nations, including listening to the children. We have to listen to these children, or we are going to get it wrong.