Past Session:

Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Aboriginal Peoples

First Session, Forty-second Parliament, 2015-16-17-18-19

Chair: The Honourable LILLIAN EVA DYCK

Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Thursday, May 2, 2019

Issue No. 53

Fourth, fifth and sixth meetings:
Subject matter of Bill C-92, An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families

and

Seventh meeting:
Study on the federal government's constitutional, treaty, political and legal responsibilities to First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples

APPEARING

The Honourable Seamus O'Regan, P.C., M.P., Minister of Indigenous Services

WITNESSES

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Government of Nunavut:

The Honourable Elisapee Sheutiapik, Minister for Family Services and Government House Leader.

Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation:

Paul Prosper, Chief.

Mi'kmaq Rights Initiative:

Jennifer Cox, Barrister & Solicitor, Project Lead-Enhanced Child Family Initiative.

Mi'kmaw Family & Children Services of Nova Scotia:

Paul Morris, Lead Counsel.

First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission:

Richard Gray, Manager, Social Services.

Tungasuvvingat Inuit:

Jason LeBlanc, Executive Director.

Metis Child and Family Services Authority:

Billie Schibler, Chief Executive Officer.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Mi'kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island (MCPEI):

Marilyn Birch, Director of Child and Family Services.

Manitoba First Nations Family Advocate Office:

Marcel Balfour, Senior Policy Analyst (by video conference);

Kayla Frank, Policy Analyst (by video conference).

Youth in Care Canada:

Ashley Bach, President.

Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society:

Holly Anderson, Guardianship Manager;

Cheyenne Andy, Senior Youth Advisory member.

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Indigenous Services Canada:

Jean-François Tremblay, Deputy Minister;

Joanne Wilkinson, Assistant Deputy Minister, Child and Family Services Reform Branch;

Isa Gros-Louis, Director General, Child and Family Services Reform Branch.

Department of Justice Canada:

Laurie Sargent, Assistant Deputy Minister, Aboriginal Affairs Portfolio.

Canadian Bar Association:

David Taylor, Executive Member, Aboriginal Law Section;

Gaylene Schellenberg, Lawyer, Advocacy.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami:

Natan Obed, President;

Jenny Tierney, Manager, Health and Social Development.

As individuals:

Pamela D. Palmater, Associate Professor and Chair in Indigenous Governance, Ryerson University;

Hadley Friedland, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Alberta;

Naiomi W. Metallic, Professor and Chancellor's Chair in Aboriginal Law and Policy, Dalhousie University.

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

The Honourable Lillian Eva Dyck, Chair

The Honourable Scott Tannas, Deputy Chair

and

The Honourable Senators:

Anderson, Christmas, Coyle, *Day (or Mercer), Doyle, Francis, *Harder, P.C. (or Bellemare), (or Mitchell), LaBoucane-Benson, Lovelace Nicholas, McInnis, McPhedran, Ngo, Pate, Patterson, Plett, *Smith (or Martin), *Woo (or Saint-Germain)

*Ex officio members

(Quorum 4)

Changes in membership of the committee:

Pursuant to rule 12-5 and to the orders of the Senate of November 7, 2017 and of November 20, 2018, membership of the committee was amended as follows:

The Honourable Senator Anderson replaced the Honourable Senator Griffin (May 2, 2019).

The Honourable Senator Griffin replaced the Honourable Senator McCallum (May 1, 2019).

The Honourable Senator Pate replaced the Honourable Senator Boyer (April 30, 2019).

The Honourable Senator Boyer replaced the Honourable Senator Pate (April 30, 2019).

Indigenous Peoples