Mr. Speaker, when I spoke in the House of Commons in Centre Block in 2017, I talked about how these foreign systems do not work for indigenous peoples. When we are talking about these protests and blockades and people not being able to make it to work and such, may I suggest that is a glimpse of what it is like to live a life like mine, to look like me and have to walk through the world as I do?
In saying that, indigenous peoples have been backed into a corner, and the federal government has constantly backed indigenous peoples into a corner. Often it is a decision between whether this is a project I am going to support to be able to feed my family or pay rent, or do I say no to it? We constantly see indigenous groups being given one very horrible option.
We have heard numbers, we have heard figures and we have heard contributions to economic development, but I am on the ground and I know it is failing. It is not working for indigenous peoples or groups. We could be talking about climate, jobs and economic development, supporting search and rescue, supporting hunters and fisheries, investing in the arts industry, but instead we are giving indigenous peoples a very difficult position.
If there is such concern around jobs and economic development, why are indigenous peoples not given multiple opportunities instead of one difficult choice?