moved for leave to introduce Bill C-443, An Act to protect, maintain, revitalize and strengthen Indigenous languages.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the co-operation of all parties in this House.
Today, I rise to table an act that would put into law the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action No. 14 to protect, maintain, revitalize and strengthen indigenous languages. The drafting of this bill was inspired by Elger Pikagen, a grade 12 student at Bethlehem Catholic High School, who was this year's winner of Saskatoon West's Create Your Canada contest.
Elger's proposed legislation, among other things, would ensure that the indigenous language commissioner is an indigenous person, make the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples legally binding and, finally, state that the discriminatory government policy of the sixties scoop also led to the erosion of indigenous languages in Canada. I thank all participants for their excellent submissions and congratulate Elger for his winning entry.
Our future is our youth. It is a bright future and it is in good hands, so I proudly table this bill on Elger's behalf.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)