Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, that's true, it is possible. I think there are a number of factors at play. One is that you assume that the judges who are sitting on the tribunal are going to be fair and they're going to be listening to advice, and they are a body separate from the government of the day. S

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  What I was referring to was that the Canadian Constitution is based on a set of authorities, and the federal government's powers under section 91 generally override section 92 powers. If you were talking about a family, the federal government would be the parent, and the provin

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  As I was suggesting earlier, I think we can recognize the authority of the province as it is today, but at the same time, because we're dealing with such a sensitive issue as indigenous lands, Canada ought to take the lead and compel the province to come to the table as if it wer

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I would just add that in terms of the land, I think if you were to look at an amendment, the onus has to be on the federal government. When the original land transactions took place, they were with the crown in right of Canada, and not with the provinces. Canada, within this ex

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We agree with you. As you probably heard other people present, there were compromises when drafting the bill, and that was one of them. We're trying to take as much authority as possible away from the minister through the process.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, we can. Can you hear us?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Okay. Thank you, again. My name is Bill Erasmus. I'm the Dene national chief for the Dene in the Northwest Territories. We constitute 30 communities, ranging from Fort Smith in the south, to Aklavik on the Arctic coast. I'm also the regional chief for the Assembly of First Nati