Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We're able to develop standards and regulations that individual communities don't have the resources to do. As you know, they change and fluctuate so often that they get a bigger bang for the buck working with the institutions. It's making sure that there are trained personnel to

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I believe we have to create a first nations infrastructure institute. That's critically important for housing, for sewer development, and potable water.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'll start. The jurisdiction lies with the communities. All we are doing as the Mohawk saying goes, is “clearing the path”. The ultimate jurisdiction is within the communities, with their own jurisdiction. We facilitate it. That's why these institutions were created. It's opti

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It's the same argument that Canada became a federation. Essentially, that is correct. What we hope to achieve is to have more communities participating, because we become stronger, ultimately, when more communities join.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  This government is committed to a new fiscal relationship; it can't be based on program transfers. In order to do that, we need jurisdiction that extends beyond our reserves into our traditional territories and into our treaty lands. That means that both the federal and provincia

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Obviously taxation is a fundamental jurisdiction, and dividends are something you get with a business agreement with a corporation. Our governments need tax jurisdiction to be able to take care of themselves. Right now there's a complete dependence on transfers from the federal g

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There are a number of recommendations I could make, but my focus is on land and taxation. The first thing is to pass a piece of legislation to recognize our own title to our own lands, which are now held by Her Majesty. In that way, we would have an orderly expansion of our land

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Good morning. I'm Manny Jules, the chief commissioner of the First Nations Tax Commission. Thank you for this opportunity to appear before this committee. Your study on INAC's default prevention and management policy is important and timely. This government has committed to a ne

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  What happened is that in 1988 we got embroiled in a court case that determined conditionally surrendered lands were no longer considered our lands. The only way to change that was by amending the Indian Act. I forget who raised the question, but one of the old chiefs from Kamloop

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  In and of itself, it isn't the magic bullet, but anything that reduces the cumbersome process that first nations have to be involved in to get economic development on their lands I support. The fact of the matter is that what we need is first nations to participate fully in the e

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Absolutely.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Whether it be in treaty land entitlement or designations around the country, it will make it easier for first nations to begin to contemplate the steps that are going to be required to get into economic development. That means greater independence for first nation communities and

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  "At the speed of business" was coined by my dad in 1968 when he said that we elect our own chief and council; we don't elect bureaucrats in Ottawa to be our leaders. He said it takes us four to six years to be able to do a lease, and by that time those tenants or potential tenant

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  On the issue of designations, I've personally been dealing with these issues since probably 1974 or 1975. From our perspective, those communities that have been involved in land development have always viewed the issues surrounding fiduciary as a cumbersome process. That is becau

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman and members of the standing committee, it is an honour to be invited to appear as a witness before this committee again. You are engaging in the important work of legislating first nations people back into the economy, which I support. I believe the proposed change