Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It's not for profit.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No, it's largely internal, because that's all we can afford.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Exactly, and they're not benefiting from it, just debt, essentially. We haven't had that third party influence yet in Manitoba, as far as I know, not to the level that other people have encountered. We are run by a first nation ward, and we are accountable to our first nation members.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Anything past a year-to-year agreement would be fantastic. Honestly, it would be.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Five years, yes, would be a good start, absolutely. We could gain traction. We could build our infrastructure, so to speak, our research infrastructure.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Absolutely, yes, 100% in Manitoba, for sure. We're a little weary of this third party influence because I think the third party influence would have a negative affect overall. I think what we're doing at its core is probably the best way to do it because there are no incurred costs for first nations, and communities are suffering as it is.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I can expand on the effects, and I'll let Patricia handle the history of it. The fact that we're going year to year means we have no traction. That means we can hire staff, but we're not sure if they're going to be around the next year, very simply, and that affects everything.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It can. In our case, yes, absolutely. But there are other reasons, too. There are political reasons. There's a shift in community interests. There's, again, a lack of resources on our behalf because the funding is not there, so we can't pursue that claim enough.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Perhaps at the consultation level....

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It's funding.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It essentially interferes with the process, as I pointed out. Funding is a major issue for us, in particular at the ground level.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you, Madam Chair and committee members, for inviting us here today. Before we continue, I would first like to acknowledge that we are on unceded Algonquin territory. Over the last several weeks, TARR Manitoba has been given the opportunity to absorb a variety of issues that have been brought forward by other groups directly affected by INAC claims policy and funding mandates.