Canadian Heritage committee  For your information, when Ms. Jolibois held her news conference on Parliament Hill, I was at her side. I have to tell you that, about a month and a half ago, we held our annual general meeting here in Ottawa. We had people from all over Canada. I think that, in total, there were about 125 of us.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you very much for the question, Mr. Blaney. One of the ways we could look at it would be to work with school boards across the country, specifically in order to give students information and explain to them the significance of the day. Here is something I saw with my children.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, vice-chairs, committee members, representatives and guests. I am National Chief Robert Bertrand of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, CAP. I am pleased to be with you today, and I wish to acknowledge that we are on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin peoples.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There are many. Hunting and fishing are one. There's housing as well. I remember reading a study that talked about the impact of living conditions for indigenous people living off reserve. They have an effect on young people who don't have proper housing to return to at the end of the school day.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The fact that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples would now be framed in legislation could—I won't say “force”—push the government to negotiate a little more with us as to the scope of the decision in the ruling in the Daniels case. As you know, as National Chief, I have to attend all the general assemblies of all our affiliates.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If I were the government, I would try to use all the tools within reach to solve the problems that indigenous people living off reserve are currently facing.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It is very complicated, and—I have to be honest—it's even complicated for me. I live this 365 days of the year and still don't have my mind wrapped around it. These are very difficult problems, and the solutions are also very difficult to come to. What has to be done is that we sit down with the federal government and start discussing and trying to find solutions.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  What I'm going to say applies not only to you, Mr. Amos, but to all members sitting around this table. As I have said many times before, about 70% of indigenous people currently live off reserve. These are figures from Statistics Canada, the government's own numbers. I'm not here to tell you that the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples represents all these people.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I was going to mention that.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you very much for your question, Mr. Amos. If I may, I will answer in French. As I mentioned in my remarks, the April 2016 decision of the nine Supreme Court justices was unanimous. Basically, this decision stated that all off-reserve indigenous people were now considered Indians under the 1867 definition.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you. Chairman Mihychuk, vice-chairs McLeod and Saganash, committee members, representatives, and guests, I am National Chief Robert Bertrand of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples—in other words, CAP. I am pleased to be with you all today and wish to acknowledge that we are on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin peoples.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, Mr. Chair. I would just like to leave the committee with one small bit of information. I mentioned it in my notes, but I want to make sure that everybody goes home with it. Right now, 70% of aboriginal peoples live off reserve. CAP is the one that is out there helping them.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If you'll permit me, I'd like to answer your first question.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Okay. I believe it was INAC that came up with the number 35,000. If it came up with that number, then I am convinced that it has the necessary information to find out everyone it applies to.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Just coming back to the first part of your question, as you know, CAP represents off-reserve aboriginals. I would ask Mr. Coté to answer the question you asked.