Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I really appreciate it. I also want to acknowledge your beautiful language and your native tongue. It's a wonderful thing to hear in 2023. I wish all our nations were afforded the same when speaking at these levels. With that being said, for me, I think the first step is exactly that—recognizing our people.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Again, I'm sorry about that. Number one, I'm uncertain about the strategy Canada has to address this issue. Currently when it comes to our land claim and our implementation of our land claim, it depends on the territory and on the value of those lands and who is involved. When it comes to other aboriginal groups or indigenous groups, my issue is that Canada hasn't been clear as to how they plan to deal with that.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Okay. I didn't hear any of that. I heard my name a few times.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. Of course, we're in agreement with that. From our perspective, in Treaty No. 1, which we're situated in here, we believe the actions that you currently see within our territory and some of the things that Chris identified in terms of the interactions, consultations and accommodations that are currently happening with the Métis population within our territory...we feel that should have been the same process from the time of treaty, whenever they started to develop our territory and our lands.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'm not sure if I was supposed to get a translation.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No, and honestly, I'm sorry, but I don't know exactly what you're referencing, but I do know a couple of things. Whenever we have Canadian initiatives and projects going on where they're talking about protecting 10%, 20% or 17% of Canada lands for Canadians, I've followed up with a lot of them, and I started to follow what projects Canada is focusing in on.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I am not necessarily stating that we're being taught not to hunt. What we are challenged with is where to hunt. The issue we have in our territory of Brokenhead is that it's surrounded. I would say that all of our first nations are completely surrounded by farming, agriculture, municipalities, private lands, the city of Winnipeg and the city of Selkirk.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yup. We'll leave it there. I guess that's my wrap-up.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  [Witness spoke in Ojibwa] [English] I have come to you from Winnipeg, Manitoba, which is Treaty 1 territory. I am really honoured to have the opportunity to speak here today to the parliamentary committee. We have a situation here in our territory where our Treaty 1 community of seven first nations—and I'll speak more specifically on my community—live in a territory that has been essentially developed without any sort of consideration for my people, our rights or our right to hunt, fish or trap—ultimately, to fish in our territory—given the fact that there's been major development within Treaty 1.