Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We went ahead with the work with the direction, from the emergency management part of ISC, to get things done, to repair those homes and to make it happen quickly. So we did that, and surprisingly quickly. We had a number of homes up in the air. We were demolishing and repairing foundations.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We've done some assessments of our risk for flooding, obviously. We share the same concerns that you raised. With this specific flood, it was because of spring runoff, a lot of snow and warming temperatures. I think it's something that we can anticipate is going to continue, but one of the issues that we ran into was that the runoff had nowhere to go.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  For us, the important part is continuing to build the capacity internally to address the issues. I think the other witnesses spoke to that as well. We have a lot of capacity in our community, and it is the collaboration and support of ISC and other governments that helps in these times of crisis.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Good afternoon. It's an honour to speak with you today. My name is Darcy Gray and I'm the chief of the Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government. I want to share that on behalf of Listuguj, our hearts are with our Mi'gmaq brothers and sisters and all those who have been affected by Hurricane Fiona.

Fisheries committee  Certainly, and this goes back to Mr. Calkins' question a little while ago. In our management plan, we have an effort that is authorized and recognized normally by DFO in our fall fishery. It's important for us that we stay within that effort, because that's what the science says.

Fisheries committee  Certainly. I think it goes back to the gathering we had here a little over a year ago with the grand council. We talked about moose management and the importance of taking care of that resource and netukulimk. Something else that came out of there was that there has to be a consensus-based approach through which we can all agree on how things are being done.

Fisheries committee  I agree. I think one of the important aspects here is that it is providing a voice to people. It is providing an opportunity for people to be heard and for understanding to be developed and fostered, rather than continuing the finger pointing or name-calling or violence that's happening.

Fisheries committee  I'll start with the last part of that question. On our website, listuguj.ca, we do have a copy of our Listuguj lobster law. It does provide a bit of detail around that question and how we've gone about trying to develop a regulatory plan for our fishery. The other side of it is that even though this is a two-week fishery that we do under our management plan and under the law under this moderate livelihood, going out on those boats with those fishermen and knowing that they are fishing under Mi'kmaq law is truly empowering.

Fisheries committee  Thank you for—

Fisheries committee  First off, I think it has to be meaningful work with the communities or the nations, however they're engaging with them, and providing the support for true governance that ensures the safety and sustainability of the fisheries. In the end, they have to be willing to make a decision.

Fisheries committee  I would just echo what Chief Prosper was saying. Yes, it did provide access, but that doesn't really address the moderate livelihood aspect.

Fisheries committee  It's been our experience as well that it is very much community to community. If you look at how we work together with our neighbours and how we go about fishing, what we view as key principles and values tend to align, but in the day-to-day ways we do that, there are different practices, and it wouldn't be for us in Listuguj to tell Gespe'gewa'gi how to fish or what's important or how they define “moderate livelihood”.

Fisheries committee  I'm sure you know the Restigouche River, if you're from just across the way. We've been managing the Restigouche River for the last 30 years, going back to 1995. We passed our own salmon law back then, and since then we've been regulating our own salmon fishery. The fishery there is very well managed.

Fisheries committee  Sure. Everything has been peaceful on the water here. Everything has been good. We do participate in a number of fisheries. In the lobster fishery, guys will help each other out during the commercial season. There aren't a lot of issues there and we've had no violence during our livelihood fishery in the fall during the last two years.

Fisheries committee  I would just add that I think the key is the flexibility on their side. So far when we talk about negotiations and reconciliation, it seems to be reconciling our expectations with Canadian law or Canadian policy and trying to fit them into that mould, rather than looking at what's confirmed in the Constitution, what's confirmed in the treaties as our right and how we go out and exercise that.