Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. Citizenship code isn't based on status. The citizenship code in our community is based on a family member. As the status system runs out, as we say, which I never did figure out how that ran out, but it does run out. If the status runs out, to the community, the individuals are still family members, so we'll bring them in as citizens.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, exactly. I'm also a strong believer in communication. I really believe that if we discuss these things, we can solve the problem. A one-way discussion doesn't work. I know it sounds crazy, asking the people who won the case for an extension, but I don't want to do this again.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Let me explain some of the problems with the citizenship code. In our community we're very open. In some communities, they are very closed. They're even closed to some of their own status members. These are individual communities and I can't speak for them, but let me explain to you one of the problems with the citizenship code.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  You had them sitting right here a little while ago.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, they're exactly the staff I've been meeting with. They're the same ones who met with us at the chiefs assembly and made it very clear that they were only looking at this particular case, and that was it. Then again, today I heard about stage two, which, as I said, I've never heard anything about.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No. As I said, there has been no consultation at all.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We definitely need to take this very seriously. I find it very hard to believe that she said that they don't have any figures. Well, I was a bit disappointed. I know I was only sitting in the audience, but I was a bit disappointed that she didn't have any figures. I think they should have come a bit more prepared.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We brought this question up several times. We asked them several times for a direct answer on why they are not looking at other cases. This was brought up in the chiefs assembly. I had, I think, 14 chiefs there asking the same question. It is very clear that it said to try to solve all the problems, and not just gender.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  So in answer to your question, does the bill go far enough? No.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  To be honest with you, the feeling I get is that one more time this is just going to be pushed down our throats and we're going to get whatever they give us. We've asked several times, as I said, to discuss the matters. We're told that there's really nothing to discuss. I was actually a bit blunt in the chiefs meeting.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Again, at the chiefs assembly we asked for this program several times. We're told that the winning of the case...that the case was based on status; it wasn't based on financial commitment. What has this done to our communities? I figure within less than five years from now, I will be completely broke in education.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'm going to let David answer that.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  First of all, there's definitely a very big difference between status and citizenship. I think that's the first thing we need to clear up. With the status system, yes, Indian Affairs determines who receives status and who does not receive status. Depending on the community and how that community operates, whether they have their own citizenship code, as you heard earlier, under section 11 or section 10, it's completely different.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If I want to be really fair and really nice, I'll say two weeks ago, but I don't believe it was even two weeks ago. Even for this particular meeting, I knew about it on Friday at four o'clock—and I have a four-hour drive.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We definitely would have appreciated being able to discuss this beforehand, to talk about it. As a matter of fact, they met with us at a chiefs assembly, and we requested it. Then this was the next thing we heard. There hasn't been any communication whatsoever, and I think this is one of our biggest complaints about this whole thing.