Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  First, on the current-day federal government and the political accord, they are engaging in a process--that's one matter--but as for whether first nations in Manitoba will participate in that process itself, I haven't really seen a process established or engagement in the Manitoba region on that political accord.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  When MKO first heard about this proposed bill, we did send some briefing notes on the subject matter to inform the first nation leaders of the proposed bill. It's our responsibility to connect the leaders. We don't have the responsibility to consult first nations. It's up to the leaders in their own communities, because those are politics we don't want to get involved in.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's what we're recommending. If this legislation is going to move forward, our people and our communities need to be part of the process. I'm not sure what's been established. The process has to be really working for each of our communities, because our communities are at various stages as well on the land issue.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  In some sense it may be, because, as I indicated, some communities are advanced and progressive. They can deal with these matters because they have the necessary capacity and resources to work with it. Some communities are struggling. They're on a bare line priority-wise to deal with these items and they don't have the necessary resources to work with.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  One of the priorities I mentioned earlier is consultation. We're indicating to the standing committee that it must consult. The first nation has to be consulted. There are a number of treaties that we signed. On all the treaties that we signed, those people and our first nations are an independent sovereign nation and they have to look at their own first nation.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If you have a folder--

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's the area we're representing, the 30 communities. It's a very large area: Treaty No. 4, Treaty No. 5, Treaty No. 6, and Treaty No. 10. Those are the areas.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for an excellent question. As we indicated, to initiate a claim, this tribunal system is one area of concern that we are expressing. You need consent, plus the people out there need to understand why you want to go through this process and how it will benefit them. They need to understand, as well, whether they'll ever get access or acquisition of land.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I indicated outright that MKO cannot support the proposed bill as it's written, and even, too, with some amendments that we introduced or recommended, we cannot live with it. We cannot. It's not going to work for us.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Let me first clarify the referendum. I integrated two parts to the referendum. Before a leader goes forward to initiate this tribunal system, he needs consent from his people to go forward and table it before the act. That's one issue. They need that consent. Now turning to the process, the chiefs have to report, consult their people on what stage or level the court system may be at in regard to this land and compensation.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Not knowing the process itself, the way the bill is written is one matter, and however they deal with these matters, the act or the regulation or the policy is another area. It's still unknown how this is going to look. The governing of this act is another component that's unknown, and again, the process itself with the system here...that's why I talked about that system, the independence and the influence of the government.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There is one area of concern that we didn't put in our presentation because of the time issue. We say the 1930 natural resources transfer act is unconstitutional. We have a treaty relationship with the federal government. Our fiduciaries and trustees are the Department of Indian Affairs.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'll speak on the first area you wanted clarification on, the independence. What we're identifying here is that we don't want the act or tribunal system to be under the government. We want that process to be independent, away from the system. That's an area that we want to establish if it's going to work in the best interests...or mutually for both, not only for the government but for the first nations as well.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, that's what we're trying to point out on that independence issue. The government usually adds a lot of influence to the system of the appointees of the judges, or the federal system, on how to act and deal with these items. So it's very adversarial at times as well, and it's time-consuming to put forward and to deal with these outstanding claims in the most effective way as well.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, it's very important to clarify that referendum when we talk about this. There are so many parts to it. When a leader or chief and council have an outstanding claim, and whether it goes to this system, they need consent from their people because of the land issue, and some reference on the section on surrender--whether they're going to get that land back, or they're just going to sell it, extinguish and get a settlement.