THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Tuesday, October 24, 2023
The Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples met this day at 9 a.m. [ET] to study Bill C-29, An Act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation; and, in camera, for clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.
Senator Brian Francis (Chair) in the chair.
[English]
The Chair: Honourable senators, I would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation and is now home to many other First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples from across Turtle Island.
I am Mi’kmaw Senator Brian Francis from Epekwitk, also known as Prince Edward Island, and I am the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples.
I will now ask committee members in attendance to introduce themselves by stating their names and province or territory.
Senator Arnot: David Arnot from Saskatchewan, Treaty 6 territory.
Senator Hartling: Nancy Hartling, senator from New Brunswick.
Senator Boniface: Gwen Boniface, senator from Ontario.
Senator Martin: Yonah Martin from British Columbia.
Senator Sorensen: Karen Sorensen, senator from Alberta, Treaty 7 territory.
Senator Coyle: Mary Coyle, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Mi’kma’ki.
Senator Audette: Michèle Audette, Quebec.
The Chair: Thank you everyone. Today, we will consider our clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-29, An Act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation.
At the end of our last meeting, we were discussing observations. Does the committee wish to consider appending observations to this report?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Does the committee agree to go in camera to discuss the text of the observations?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
The Chair: Okay.
(The committee continued in camera.)