Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you. I don't know income tax law and I'm not too sure about all of that, but if there's a way that honorariums can be seen not as income for people who are over the age of 60 or 65, or if there were some way that it could be reported.... What I have found with the elders is that they don't mind paying the tax on that, but what they do mind is that it's considered as income.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. To build on Danielle's comment in terms of the connection to the land, our youth are already incentivized by land-based education. They enjoy going out onto the land and learning about traditional knowledge. Right there, there's an opportunity when we start doing things with language and on the land.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. As an academic, I have had the experience in terms of the time that it takes to apply for research grants. Of course, there's the waiting. I have been supported in applying for grants by my institution. These same supports do not exist at the community level. Our communities do not have the same infrastructures that are set up at universities in the way that I'm supported as a scholar to submit grant applications.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The other panellists have said a lot of things that I can definitely echo. We look back at the hurt of not being allowed to speak our language, but also when I think of members within my family, I know they felt shame and ridicule when they did speak their language. Many Michif speakers were ridiculed and made fun of because that was the only language they came with, and they didn't speak English or French within the schools.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Again, I agree with the other panellists. To echo my earlier comments, we have so very few elders. This ties into the comments from Ms. Huron—it might be Dr. Huron, so I apologize—about having access and not only having the elders in communities but also, as Danielle mentioned, banking as much of that language as possible.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I definitely agree with the other panellists in terms of where the funding is directed as well as in terms of knowledge ownership to not only ensure that the communities own that knowledge but that it is also shared with them. Lots of times western ways of knowing are greatly influencing how language learning and language teaching are taken up within the classroom.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There is already significant research that has been conducted on the connection between indigenous language learning and well-being within our communities. I don't have all the studies. The one that really comes to mind comes from Dr. McIvor at the University of Victoria. It would be great to have somebody put together a database where that information would be easily accessible, as it would just take a little bit of searching to find the different research studies.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Definitely, the work that many of the elementary schools are doing around early learning and across the elementary grades in language learning has been great. Notably, at Rossignol Elementary Community School in Sakitawak—Île-à-la-Crosse—they are doing phenomenal work. I had the opportunity to visit their pre-K kindergarten classroom, and it was just wonderful to see the teachers, who were also speakers, talking to these children completely in the language.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Tansi, tanshi. Bonjour. Hello. I'm Melanie Griffith Brice. [Witness spoke in Northern Michif and provided the following text:] Nisihkâson Melanie Brice. Michif niya. Kayate Lac Prairies ochi niya ekwa L'brroshå Sâkahikan. Oskana kâ-asastîki mîkwac niwîkin. [Witness provided the following translation:] My name is Melanie Griffith Brice.