Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Certainly, expectations were high 26 years ago. Some of our member first nations have put to good use their land entitlements, particularly those that have the ability to buy land in urban centres, such as the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation. They have purchased or acquired three parcels of land in the town of Swan River.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Sure. To respond to that point, we only have one member first nation that is a signatory to Treaty No. 3. That would be the Buffalo Point First Nation. On the matter of the involvement of other jurisdictions outside the borders of Manitoba, there is a clause in the framework agreement where first nations that have ancestral lands outside the borders of Manitoba, whether it be in the province of Ontario or the province of Saskatchewan, can identify those lands.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  They were the Province of Saskatchewan and the Province of Ontario.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the question. It's a good one. That speaks to the heart of the dispute we currently find ourselves involved in. Like I said earlier, the initial focus for all parties in the framework agreement was to try to permit first nations to acquire choice lands. However, the federal Crown determined that, prior to 2012, they did not have this constitutional duty to consult other aboriginal communities about lands that would be set apart as reserve lands.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, most definitely. There have been numerous studies over the years commissioned by Parliament. I would also note that the late minister Jim Prentice actually made TLE implementation a priority back in 2004. He made a ministerial commitment to try to accelerate and expedite the process in Manitoba.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Meegwetch. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Boozhoo. Aaniin. Tansi. Good afternoon and good evening to the committee members. Chris Henderson nindizhinikaaz. My name is Chris Henderson. My father comes from a community in Manitoba known as the Black River First Nation. He's Anishinabe, or Ojibwe.