Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, they're developing their land code. They're going through the community process, meeting with their elders, meeting with their members, informing their members. It's the community process. That's what they're going through now leading to the vote. Most of the 28 new entran

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Depending on the funds available for new entrants, from the time there is a.... I'll just use these past six. They were just announced probably about a month ago. The minister's office is talking about a signing ceremony for the adhesion to the framework agreement perhaps in the

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  With respect to the first nations that are signatory and/or have an operational land code, there is evidence that these first nations are moving in greater leaps and bounds, and I think I mentioned in my opening comments, that is evidenced by the KPMG report. There are great succ

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If that happened, if the additions to reserves process moved at the speed of business, in my own first nation we'd be moving in leaps and bounds. We can't access the very strategic land that we selected for economic development adjacent to the city because of additions to reserve

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  That is correct.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Not exactly. There's a process that government asks for, and one of the first steps is asking a first nation to do a self-assessment. I suppose it's suggesting capacity and readiness. At the lands advisory board, we don't look at our first nations that way, so we wouldn't dare su

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I would suggest that, with the government's self-assessment and the number of first nations that are invited to do that, which are on the schedule to hopefully be signatories, the self-assessment is weighed against some criteria that the government has, but I don't know what that

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Just getting back to the first question on criteria, I think it has been the practice that the government or the department, AANDC, suggest and maintain that if a first nation is in a lawsuit against a minister or the crown, they wouldn't entertain that first nation until such ti

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Well, on first nations ownership, private ownership, or first nations lands being fee simple lands, I can't support that. I haven't in the past. The biggest reason is that our lands are treaty lands, lands acquired because of the settlement of the territory by means of treaty—a

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Oh, absolutely. Of the 634 first nations in Canada, I would suggest that they're all willing partners. They may not be willing partners to the framework agreement at this time, but they're certainly seeking every opportunity to improve the lives and the conditions of their citize

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Are you asking me?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you. I'll answer this way, first, with the first nations market housing fund, our first nation has done some exploration and investigation. We haven't proceeded with that, and we haven't entertained CMHC. We provide housing through private homes and/or social housing. We m

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I know how my first nation manages our responsibilities and commitments on any funding, whether it's housing or otherwise, and the accountability and transparency to our members and to the funding agencies. I can't answer to what other first nations do. I have no way of knowing w

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Of course, section 89 of the Indian Act no longer applies to my first nation.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  However, if it's an opportunity where the member wishes to acquire a mortgage for a home, the member is granted a registered interest in the land. The interest can be mortgaged—not the land itself, because the title doesn't remain with our first nation, but the registered leaseho