Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Further to your comment with regard to resources, we need resources internally, but what we really need are resources in our region. We went through four directors of lands within the last two years, six within the last five years, and four RDGs within the last four years. This is the commitment in resources that we actually need within the Province of Manitoba.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The question was how we can fast-track this. The problem is the fiduciary responsibility of Canada. They don't want any liability. This is the process that slows down our conversion from common lands to reserve lands. If I were a common citizen and walked down the street and bought a piece of property, it would be done within months, if the lawyers did not tie it up very long.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Your comments were greatly appreciated. It's not until we have the grasp of members of Parliament that things actually get done in Manitoba. On your comment about meeting once a year, I would like it once a month so that we could actually fulfill our commitment. Brokenhead has a treaty land entitlement.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I will briefly reiterate exactly what Chief Hudson said, that it's ironic, or a double standard, that in first nations we need 51% of our vote to pass anything within our community's interest. Yet Canada, in its last election...what did you make? Was it a little over 7% of the actual vote?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There are 64 first nations in Manitoba. We are all entitled to treaty land entitlement under the treaty obligations. The problem is that we have to prove that we are entitled to more lands. Twenty-four bands have proven that fact, and there are still 40 bands that have to initiate process through ATR—I'm not too sure of the acronym--but we have to prove our case, even though within our treaty signing it stated that we would be entitled to more lands.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  As Mr. Nelson said, if you have the right political leaders in place, it'll probably take six weeks.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  One of the biggest is Manitoba Hydro. It's not a signatory to the treaty land entitlement, but for some reason, at some point, Canada relinquished its responsibility for all waterways. My understanding is that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has all say on water, but for some reason in Manitoba that's not the case.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you. Your statement was correct. It's a nation-to-nation agreement. The problem is that although I'm a councillor from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, when I go to meetings in regard to treaty land entitlement, I spend most of my meetings with technicians. I don't get the respect of Canada, nor do I get the respect of Manitoba.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That's a great summary.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Megwetch. One of the biggest problems we have in Manitoba is continuity. We've had six directors of lands within our region of Manitoba. Our files keep getting passed on or forgotten. We have no continuity with the Province of Manitoba, which you have no authority over. We need people to stay on the files.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Good morning, and thank you for allowing us to be a witness. My name is Paul Chief. I'm a member of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and I'm a council member. I was a council member when Brokenhead first made the decision to take Kapyong as one of our selections in 2001. With that selection came many processes that were very new to us, and we were learning the agreement.