Public Safety committee  Again I think the short answer is yes. The work I do is political advocacy, and Bill C-51 talks about criminalizing public expression of political advocacy work itself. Obviously our leadership is going to have concerns about what this bill represents to our rights to freedom of

Public Safety committee  Yes, absolutely. In British Columbia, the Supreme Court decision in the Tsilhqot’in case repudiates forever the notion of terra nullius, the doctrine of discovery, and indicates very clearly that our aboriginal title, rights, and interests are territorially wide in scope, as opp

Public Safety committee  Thank you for the question. The short answer is yes. The longer answer is absolutely yes. I don't think there's any doubt in our minds that the real intent of Bill C-51 is to coerce and intimidate indigenous peoples away from defending and protecting their hard-fought internatio

Public Safety committee  Good morning, everyone. Wai xast skelhalt ipsi nuxsil. Echa es quist Ascasiwt. In our nsyilxcen language, that simply means: Good day, my friends and relatives. My traditional name is Ascasiwt. I want to begin by acknowledging the fact that we're on unceded Algonquin territor

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. I just want to make the point that there's a vast difference between a blind date and the actual marriage vows. This notion of a comprehensive exploratory process, in our view, doesn't come anywhere near meeting the legal standard of consultation and everything that entails.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. As I indicated earlier, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has been involved in discrimination, prejudice, and racism against indigenous women since our inception 40 years ago. I also indicated that we have a Bill C-31 working group, which should tell the committee members that

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Good afternoon. Wai xast skelhalt ipsi nuxsil. Encha es quist Ascasiwt. I would first like to begin by acknowledging and paying my respects to the Algonquin grandmothers, mothers, and granddaughters of this territory. I also extend that recognition to the traditional and spi