THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Wednesday, October 2, 2024
The Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples met with videoconference this day at 6:45 p.m. [ET] to examine the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, 2021 by Canada and First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Senator Brian Francis (Chair) in the chair.
[English]
The Chair: Honourable senators, before we begin, I would ask all senators and other in-person participants to consult the cards on the table for guidelines to prevent audio feedback incidents. Please make sure to keep your earpiece away from all microphones at all times. When you are not using your earpiece, place it face down on the sticker placed on the table for this purpose. Thank you all for your cooperation.
I would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation and it 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 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: Hi. I am David Arnot, and I from Saskatchewan.
Senator McNair: John McNair, from New Brunswick, the unceded lands of the Mi’kmaq people.
Senator Martin: Yonah Martin from British Columbia.
Senator Hartling: Nancy Hartling, New Brunswick, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people.
Senator Sorensen: Karen Sorensen, from Alberta, Treaty 7 territory.
Senator Coyle: Mary Coyle, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Mi’kma’ki.
Senator Greenwood: Margo Greenwood from British Columbia, originally from Treaty 6 territory.
The Chair: Thank you, everyone.
Today, we will continue our study to examine the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, 2021, also known as UNDRIP, by Canada and First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The committee is hearing from witnesses to further refine its study topic.
With that, I would now like to introduce our witnesses: from the Assembly of First Nations —Youth Council, Isaiah Bernard, Co-Chair; and Natasha Beedie, Director, Rights and Governance, Assembly of First Nations. Thank you both for joining us today.
Our witnesses will provide opening remarks of approximately five minutes, which will be followed by a question-and-answer session with senators. I will now invite Mr. Bernard to give his opening remarks.
Isaiah Bernard, Co-Chair, Assembly of First Nations National Youth Council: [Indigenous language spoken.]
For those that don’t speak Mi’kmaq, good evening, senators. My name is Isaiah Bernard, and I am the co-chair of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Youth Council.
I am from Potlotek First Nation, unceded and unsurrendered home of the Mi’kmaq people. I’m also joining you from my home territory. Sorry I couldn’t be there, but I had to be home for treaty week.
The AFN is a national advocacy organization that seeks to advance First Nations inherent and treaty rights through the development of policy, public education and the co-development of legislation to build First Nations’ capacity.
The AFN Youth Council is an organ of the AFN that promotes opportunities for youth to engage in important issues facing First Nations. It also gives us a unique perspective on things because today’s youth are tomorrow’s elders.
The AFN continues to advocate for the full implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada through First Nations-led approaches.
As a youth council representative, it is my privilege to address the committee to remind everyone here today that our youth voices matter and must be actively included. Providing youth the opportunity to share their voices and experiences is crucial for the successful implementation of the UN Declaration.
Implementing the UN Declaration is a priority for youth as we aim to enhance the well-being of all First Nations and ensure our fundamental rights are being respected.
For there to be a successful implementation of the UNDA, First Nations must lead the process, and there must be a distinct space for First Nations perspectives to participate, ensuring that all our voices are heard and concerns meaningfully addressed.
To backtrack a little bit, in April, my fellow co-chair, Veronik Picard, participated in the 23rd session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which focused on the enhanced participation of Indigenous peoples and the perspectives of youth.
After reflecting on the experience at the Permanent Forum, it is clear that the youth have incredible capacity, talent and passion to drive change. It is essential that youth are a key aspect of every solution to the challenges we face now and in the future. We must have similar coordination and cooperation from our partners in the government in Canada. If Indigenous youth worldwide can organize, plan and execute successfully, so can Canada.
I strongly encourage a high priority be placed on the development of comprehensive whole-of-government approaches to ensure the successful implementation of the UNDA. All federal departments must collaborate and communicate effectively, together and with our youth, to advance progress and prevent redundancies.
Looking ahead, I would like to share Action Plan Measures, or APMs, that are of special focus to the AFN Youth Council.
First, I want to draw special attention to APM 104, which calls for the co-development of options to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 66, which includes establishing
. . . multiyear funding for community-based youth organizations to deliver programs on reconciliation, and establish a national network to share information and best practices.
The youth council calls for funding for us to lend our talent and expertise to the development and implementation of this APM. By supporting First Nations youth to lead on this initiative, you will help create a culturally relevant network to support youth across the country and build valuable connections for future co-development work.
I went to One Young World’s Indigenous Youth Day that we had this past month. A bunch of native youth went up there. We connected really well up there.
We also must consider how rapidly our environment is changing and prioritize urgent action to safeguard biodiversity and promote food security. Inherently, any APM that addresses the future of Indigenous people is a youth-focused APM. The voices of Indigenous youth must be heard and implemented on all APMs. To this end, APMs 86 and 87 are essential for our future as they touch on food sovereignty and access to traditional foods and local food systems. We must act now to preserve our lands and foods, as they are integral to our languages, customs, dances and spirituality. Without our connection to the land, our identity would be lost.
In closing, I thank you for the opportunity to be here and share my voice and perspective. Welalioq.
The Chair: Wela’lin . We now move on to questions by senators.
Senator Arnot: Ms. Beedie, I see that you co-authored an article called Towards Justice: Tackling Indigenous Child Poverty in Canada. It’s pretty significant research. You have experience as a policy analyst as well. Do you think the UNDRIP Act has been effective in advancing reconciliation, particularly in the areas of poverty and child poverty? I’m drawing on your experience to assist me in understanding those issues better. Thank you.
Natasha Beedie, Director, Rights & Governance, Assembly of First Nations: Thank you, senator, for the question.
For those who don’t know the report, we partnered with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and another organization to look at research on measuring the state of child poverty in Canada, comparing poverty in First Nations to Métis, Inuit, newcomers and the general population.
I believe the UN declaration as a framework is an important tool to address poverty that First Nations continue to find themselves in. Since 2019, we’ve been hopeful of continuing progress on implementing the UN declaration, but we know that more needs to be done to address poverty. I think we need to look at poverty as a multisectional and interdimensional issue that not only impacts economic well-being but social well-being, as well as access to lands and to food, as Isaiah mentioned. It’s a much larger problem than looking at salaries and incomes that First Nation families bring into the home.
While I do see the promise of the UN declaration as supporting this work, what is really needed is a transformative investment in First Nations’ well-being. That is ultimately through the self-determination and affirmation of their rights.
Senator Arnot: Thank you for that.
Mr. Bernard, as a youth leader in your community and at the national level, how do you see the UNDRIP Act affecting the next generation of Indigenous leadership, of which you’re probably in that category? Then, in particular, you talked about APM 104 and co-development. Can you expand on that a little bit for me please, sir?
Mr. Bernard: I might call on Ms. Beedie to help me out here. My nerves are a little shot here.
Ms. Beedie: I am happy to answer, senator. I’ll leave it to Isaiah to speak to the future of youth. I hope that I’m considered a youth myself, but I’m aging out of that.
The United Nations declaration is meant to be a framework for the assertion of First Nations rights, and they are human rights. It’s a critical tool to advance our rights and to support Indigenous partners working collaboratively with the Government of Canada to make meaningful change.
We do need to accelerate implementation of action plan measures and ensure that there is reliable reporting and accountability to continue to implement the declaration. I think we have all seen that when Canada partners with First Nations in creating these large frameworks or reports like the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, often these reports sit on the shelves. Our cap was completed 30-plus years ago, and we are still looking for meaningful change.
We have to ensure that we’re developing the necessary tools and frameworks to support youth who are going to be, as Isaiah said, the next leaders of First Nations. Now is the time to act on preserving our languages, preserving our customs and ensuring we have access to lands. That’s going to take a lot of work that won’t be done in this government’s mandate and will likely not be done in future governments’ mandates unless there is significant investment and acceleration of ongoing work.
Senator Arnot: Thank you very much.
The Chair: I’m going to ask a question for either of you to answer as a follow up to Senator Arnot. From the perspective the AFN Youth Council, are there any priorities that are missing from the action plan? Would either of you like to take a stab at that?
Mr. Bernard: I can take a little stab at that. If we look at Budget 2024, it allocates $12.5 million over two years to support the Indigenous Youth Roots program, which is fine and all, but that’s only one group. There are 634 First Nations in Canada, and TRC Call to Action 66 requires us to set up a network to comprise of many organizations, so we need more support for our youth groups and our youth councils throughout Canada.
The Chair: Ms. Beedie?
Ms. Beedie: Thank you, chair.
Recognizing that the UN declaration action play was created with Indigenous partners, we recognize that it doesn’t encapsulate the full scale of needed law and policy change support for implementing the UN declaration. This is just a first step. Many of the action plan measures that Canada has put forward were already commitments they were prepared to do prior to the implementation of Bill C-15, which became the UNDRIP Act.
I think Isaiah’s point around youth is a good one. Really, it speaks to the question of co-development, cooperation and engagement. How does Canada meaningfully support collaboration and engagement with all First Nations rights holders, including First Nations youth? I think this is a key governance challenge that both Canada and First Nations want to work on, but, really, First Nations need to be supported with meaningful investments to be able to engage in depth to provide the expertise needed to ensure that Canada’s actions are fully compliant with First Nations rights, self-determination and where they see the future going together with Canada.
The Chair: Thank you, both, for that.
Senator Sorensen: My question is for Mr. Bernard. I hope it’s a topic you’re comfortable with.
I’m co-chair of the Parliamentary Tourism Caucus, and I am very interested in Indigenous tourism and Indigenous tourism offerings as a tool for economic development and cultural revitalization, but also for storytelling at different tourism offerings. I was hoping you could relate it to your experience organizing the Mi’kmaw Summer Games in your community and perhaps speak a little more broadly about the importance of a large event like that and how, yes, it promotes tourism and draws visitors to your community, but it also gives a great opportunity for others to be exposed to your community and others.
Mr. Bernard: You did your research on me. Awesome. Thank you.
Senator Sorensen: I creeped you.
Mr. Bernard: When you look at the future of tourism, I want to look at B.C., for example. When you go to the airports, everywhere you go, it is filled with First Nations culture. It’s amazing. I hate to say that’s the trend, but that’s the way we’re going, because for too long, our First Nations people were put on the back burner. Now it’s time for us to showcase ourselves and showcase that we’re still here and that there is money to be made if we work together on this.
When I look back at the summer games, we had at least 10,000 people throughout the community. I think throughout the whole week, we had 100,000 people coming through the community. It was jam-packed. It was really awesome.
Senator Sorensen: I agree that British Columbia does an excellent job in terms of Indigenous tourism, and I love that so many people came through your community and are exposed to that.
Just out of curiosity — I’m not sure if you will know this — how did the federal government support that event, either financially or in any other way? I’m watching your body language there, Mr. Bernard. Was there any support from the federal government for that event specifically that you’re aware of?
Mr. Bernard: Do you want me to be nice about it, or do you want me to be honest with you?
Senator Sorensen: I would like you to be honest in a nice and polite way.
Mr. Bernard: What the government gave me for that event was they told me make a plan for COVID because COVID was still around. I think we may have received very little funding. Our funding came from third-party entities and other communities. Unfortunately, the government kind of lacked there. Not just federal. It was also provincial. I’m hoping by the time we host the games next time, all governments will be on board to support this whole entity.
Senator Sorensen: Congratulations on your event. Those are big things to put on. Good for you.
Mr. Bernard: I got PTSD from that week.
Senator Coyle: Thank you to our witnesses for being with us today. It’s nice to have someone from close to home here. I visited Potlotek during the pandemic. We were up there talking about fisheries issues with your leadership.
I’m curious about the relationship between the youth council and the decentralized youth groups and councils and how those feed in not just directly to the federal processes but also at the community base and then at the AFN itself. How does your work integrate, for instance, in your own community, in your own region and then at the national level, the voices at the AFN table? I’m curious about the Indigenous-to-Indigenous process so that I understand that better.
Mr. Bernard: It’s different in every region. For example, Nova Scotia is a small region, but when you look at B.C., Saskatchewan and Alberta, they have more First Nations than we do. Our issues are a lot different than the issues in Saskatchewan and what all of them do.
I work with my regional youth council as well, so that’s how we get more into the bread and butter. On top of that, I’m a councillor in my community as well. I’m in my community every day doing something, at least, because I love my home.
When I talk to other youth council members, we just want to make it better for our youth. “This is working for you guys. Maybe this will work for us.”
I don’t know if I answered the question right.
Senator Coyle: I know it seems like a bit of a weird question. I’m curious because you’re with the AFN National Youth Council, and you have described those regional level councils as well, and, of course, you all live in certain places. I’m just curious, at the various levels, how does the youth input come into the larger input, for instance, of the AFN or the AFN regional chief area? What is the process between the youth council and the AFN itself?
Mr. Bernard: Would you be okay if I pass this on to Natasha? I feel she would have more knowledge.
Ms. Beedie: Thank you.
The AFN youth council is one of several organs at the Assembly of First Nations. We have an elders or knowledge keepers council, women’s council, 2SLGBTQQIA+ council and a veterans council. All of those councils provide advice to our AFN Executive Committee, which is comprised our national chief and regional chiefs. As Isaiah mentioned, each region also has their own youth councils that they seek advice from.
Often, we strive hard to integrate the youth perspectives and voices into all of the work they do. Youth will appear on chief’s committee meetings. They are provided updates at our special chief’s assemblies and opportunities to speak. We really try to ensure that there is adequate opportunities to ensure that, as we’re implementing work, we’re conscious of veterans, elders, women, 2SLGBTQQIA+ and youth perspectives because ultimately, as we know, First Nations populations are relatively young. We have a lot of youth. It’s important that we ensure that any policy or legislative change that we’re co-developing with Canada reflects their perspectives and their interests and rights.
Senator Coyle: Thank you. That’s helpful.
Senator Martin: Thank you to both our witnesses.
Mr. Bernard, when you said there are about 635 youth groups and councils in Canada, it made me wonder similarly just how communication is coordinated and whether you feel there has been really effective consultation so that it’s not a top-down, but, rather, you’re at the table and impacting policy decisions. My question is related to consultation, first of all. Has it been effective? What can be done to make it more effective?
Mr. Bernard: I may have misspoke, but it was 634 First Nations in Canada, but if you want to include all the youth groups, it is probably closer to 700 total.
The best way to get more input is just by including our youth, ensuring we’re at the table and ensuring we’re actually listened to. Don’t just say, “We want to listen to you,” and then in one ear and out the other ear. That happened many times in the past. I’ve spoke with chiefs, and I’ve spoke with MPs and MLAs. I’ll say my opinion, and then it feels like I’m talking to a brick wall, if you know what I mean.
Senator Martin: Yes. Thank you for that visual. I think that’s a very effective metaphor.
My second question is to Ms. Beedie. It relates to priority measure 92, which aims to revitalize Indigenous languages through the implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act. Also, to the youth representative, what more can the federal government do to ensure Indigenous languages and culture are revitalized and strengthened? That’s an area of great interest for me, regarding languages. Ms. Beedie first.
Ms. Beedie: Thank you, senator. I’m not an expert in Indigenous languages, but I can attempt to answer your question.
We, as you may be aware, co-developed Bill C-91, which is the Indigenous Languages Act, in 2019. We are really happy to see the creation of an Indigenous Languages Commissioner to continue to support First Nations Indigenous language revitalization. This is a really important issue, as Isaiah mentioned, as well for our elders and others at the AFN. We have numerous resolutions passed in every annual general assembly calling for further policy and legislative change in the area of languages.
The ultimate outcome First Nations are seeking in this area is increased funding for Indigenous languages. That means increased funding for First Nations themselves to develop and implement language revitalization programs in schools, in communities and for parents to their children. This needs to happen now. Our First Nations languages are at immediate risk of becoming extinct if there isn’t adequate investment to support languages. We can’t undo the turning of the clock, so to speak, once these languages are gone, so this is very much a priority issue for the AFN. What Canada and senators can do to support implementation of Indigenous languages is to advocate for federal investments to continue to provide supports to First Nations in this area.
Mr. Bernard: To add to that, you hit the nail — what’s the phrase — you hit it on the nail? We need more funding, especially on the East Coast. I’m not a fluent Mi’kmaq speaker.; I speak what is known as “Miklish.” I know Senator Brian knows what that is. It’s when you have English and Mi’kmaq together. I’m slowly trying to reclaim my language, but it’s hard without the proper funding and the support that our nation needs. That being said, we need more funding so we don’t lose our language. And our language is our culture, too.
Senator Martin: I assume young Indigenous leaders like you and younger generations are also concerned about retention of language, and that is essential. I speak Konglish, which is Korean and English, so I can relate to what you’re talking about. Thank you so much.
Senator Greenwood: Thank you both for being here this evening. I come from the province of British Columbia, and I have to agree that our airport in Vancouver is beautiful. There’s a lot of art in there.
I have a couple of questions. The first one is about Number 104, co-development, and then the piece around biodiversity and food security. Can you give me some examples of co‑development that you’ve done that you think has been successful, especially as it relates to UNDRIP?
Mr. Bernard: I’ll let Natasha answer that.
Ms. Beedie: Thank you, Isaiah.
First off, the creation of Bill C-15 was essentially a co‑developed exercise between First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders and the Government of Canada. We know that that wasn’t the first piece of legislation that was developed by representatives of Canada’s Parliament to begin to implement the rights of Indigenous peoples through the UN declaration. First Nations have tried for many years to get this work done, and we are grateful that we now have an action plan measure and a domestic framework within Canada to continue to implement our rights.
Over the last five years, within this government’s mandate, there have been a number of successful co-development initiatives that we’ve worked on together. That means joint ownership over both the process and the outcome, ensuring we’re in agreement with the recommendations put forward to decision makers like yourselves and members of Parliament and ministers, to ensure First Nations and Canada are working together, that we have the same vision and that we have hopes for the future that are aligned. From that, we reference the Indigenous Languages Act, and there’s Bill C-92, which is the act respecting children and families.
Then, from my own work with the Assembly of First Nations, we’ve also created fiscal mechanisms like the ten-year grant, where First Nations can opt into processes that increase their flexibility, predictability and sustainability of funding to support their being able to exercise their inherent rights and their ability to deliver services to their citizens through governance.
There are a number of outcomes where we’ve learned lessons with respect to co-development.
One of the APMs is around Canada updating its consultation and accommodation guidelines. This is critical work. We understand that with legislation and with mandates, timelines are often quite fast, and that poses as real threat to First Nations’ free, prior and informed consent. We need to ensure that the communication and outreach Canada undertakes to engage with First Nations is accessible, culturally relevant, developed in plain language and that there’s adequate time for First Nations to ask questions, relay their concerns and be provided with requisite answers.
Co-development is important and an interesting area that the AFN looks to advance to ensure there is joint understanding of what it means to work in partnership. If you’re recognizing this is a nation-to-nation relationship, how do we negotiate as nations?
Senator Greenwood: In the examples that you gave us, was there a youth voice?
Ms. Beedie: Great question.
As I mentioned in a previous question, our youth provide advice on a number of important files. They sit at our chief’s committees. Isaiah, feel free to speak to this, if you like. As we mentioned, Indigenous languages are a priority, and the AFN made specific opportunities to ensure that youth were adequately included and reflected in the work.
The mandates that the AFN undertakes result from our AFN assemblies where First Nations leadership vote on mandates provided to the AFN. The youth council is present to provide their expertise and advice and to share with First Nations leadership their perspectives on each of these items.
We can always do better to ensure that we’re reflecting the perspectives of our youth, but I do believe, and I’ll turn to Isaiah to finish off, that youth are adequately involved in all of the work we’re undertaking.
Mr. Bernard: I’ll throw an example out there. At the last AFN AGA, I was fortunate to be a proxy as well. If our youth council had a question, they went up and spoke as well. We promote our youth speaking up, and our youth are not afraid to speak their mind, if necessary, when needed. For example, in one of the portfolios I hold, one of the youth did a lot of the talking. Even in this upcoming AFN climate gathering, we’re having a one-day youth event at the climate gathering planned for youth by youth. It’s really something to see that youth take charge.
Senator Greenwood: Thank you both.
Senator Hartling: Thank you to the witnesses for being here with us. It’s very interesting, and I want to say how much I enjoyed looking at the youth report and UNDRIP. As you said, Isaiah, youth are so important, and with all the graphics, it was so interesting to look at and read. It made so much sense. Sometimes we get reports and it’s just a bunch of words, but that report was interesting. Congratulations, Isaiah, on coming and speaking with us. I know it’s hard. When we start doing it, it’s really hard.
You were talking about some of the priorities and issues, such as food security and spirituality. I’m not sure how this works in your community, but in your council, how would you approach those subjects, and what are youth saying about those issues?
Mr. Bernard: In our community, for example, we had a fun opportunity where they let our youth grow crops and vegetables — I don’t believe we grew fruits this year — throughout the summer, and at the end of it, we had one big market. All our youth are so involved with our community garden. It’s something to see, and it’s something I hope all communities could have, would have and should have. As I’m sure you’re aware, when we were forced on the reservations, they were barren lands, and the fact that we actually have a garden where we can grow crops is something else to see. It’s pretty awesome.
But our youth in our community are — what’s the word. I want to use a term, slang. They’re bosses. Best way to put it.
Senator Hartling: What about the spirituality piece? How does that work, and why do you think it is so important?
Mr. Bernard: Food is part of our culture too. I’ll give you an example. Back in the day when we made lusknikn, that was our main food, our main sustenance. It became traditional. I hate saying Indian, but Indian tacos. And it’s kind of like we use food to express ourselves a lot of times. Go pick berries here, go pick stuff here, and can’t have moose in here for the next few years but go to the highlands and get a moose and bring it back and feed your community, feed your elders and feed your family. I don’t know if I answered that right.
Senator Hartling: There is no right or wrong. I don’t know anything, so you’re telling me new things. This is your culture, not mine. I appreciate learning that.
To ask the other witness, with what Isaiah is saying, do you see that as part of the things UNDRIP will help encourage and develop so we can continue to move forward?
Ms. Beedie: Yes. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples includes specific articles that safeguard First Nations rights, including the right to their ways of knowing and being, their spirituality, their access to the land and their food and waters. All these things are interconnected.
Isaiah mentioned food as an important component of spirituality, and it’s also language. It’s also how we relate to one another, and all of that is predicated upon access to the land. To bring importance to the land, and the APMs that call for restitution of First Nations lands through some interim measures, the UN declaration and the National Action Plan, I think, provide important first steps, but many more steps are needed to be able to support First Nations in feeling safe, supported and able to exercise those ways of knowing and being that have been here since time immemorial. These are not new concepts, these aren’t new practices that First Nations have, and so it’s really important that we act now to make sure that those are safeguarded, and even more so, that they’re in a thriving place moving forward.
Senator Hartling: Thank you.
Senator Arnot: Ms. Beedie, has the UNDRIP Act influenced the role of Indigenous women in governance? Are there any initiatives you’re particularly excited about that support the inclusion of women’s voices, youth voices, in decision making, or avenues of support or barriers? I’m wondering if you have any comment about that.
Ms. Beedie: Thank you.
First off, I want to say, working at the AFN, we’re largely a non-government organization comprised of strong, intelligent First Nations women, supported by a similar national chief and many regional chiefs who are women. The issue of women in governance and women in leadership is very important.
If you look at research, you actually find that Indigenous women who receive their master’s degrees are earning more than their comparators, so it goes to show you that when First Nations women are given the tools and supports to better themselves and their communities, there’s a huge trickle-down effect to the First Nations.
The UN Declaration Act contains action plan measures related to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. This is a huge issue for First Nations women across Canada, and AFN has done significant work in continuing to advocate for the implementation of all Calls for Justice.
Justice Canada is also working with AFN on an Indigenous Justice Strategy, because another component of the MMIWG crisis is the over-representation of all First Nations, including First Nations women, in our corrections facilities across Canada.
To support First Nations women in governance, you really need to address some of the key socioeconomic conditions and barriers to full implementation of First Nations rights and economic inclusion in all sectors, not just governance. There are many First Nations leaders, counsellors and chiefs across Canada that are women, and that’s really exciting to see, but there won’t be more unless we ensure that we’re providing opportunities for education, access to health care and other social services, mental health supports. That’s through increased implementation of the UN declaration. I think that’s the pathway to get there.
Senator Arnot: Thank you very much for that answer.
The Chair: Anything to add, Mr. Bernard?
Mr. Bernard: I want to give a little brief history. When you look at the history of the Mi’kmaq people, we’re a matriarch-led nation. When we go back to our history, we were led by women, and so the fact that we’re now trying to promote women is truly amazing to see, because we need more women in leadership roles, kind of how it was precolonization — precontact, that’s the word, and even contact. When we look at our grandfathers, they would go to the grandmother council and ask for their advice before they would go speak with the settlers who came.
The Chair: This is for either of you. As you know, UNDRIP requires the government to align federal laws with the UN declaration. In your perspective, what federal laws should be the priority to significantly improve the lives and futures of Indigenous youth?
Ms. Beedie: I can take the lead on this one, and then I’ll turn to Isaiah if there’s anything to add.
The review of laws and policies and identifying pieces of legislation that need amendments or repeal or replacement is a critical part of the UN Declaration Action Plan. It’s Action Plan measure 1.
In terms of sort of identifying priority and pieces of legislation to support youth, there are a number of them, but top of mind in an area that Canada is currently not advancing far enough on is the Indian Act. What are we going to do to get out of the Indian Act?
The answer to that is really to support nation building. That means language revitalization. That means increased support for governance. That means new fiscal mechanisms that supports First Nations governance to be accountable to their citizens and for First Nations in Canada to have an accountability relationship that is mutual to one another.
There are a number of other pieces of legislation that could be repealed or amended. AFN is currently involved in working group discussions with the Department of Justice to identify those priority measures, but you can imagine that list is actually 100-plus pieces of statutes that should be reviewed to ensure alignment with the UN declaration.
The Chair: Thank you for being here today. If there’s anything else, you can still put in submissions, as long as it’s within seven days, to our clerk here Sébastien, so feel free to do that. Is there anything you would like to say now that you haven’t said earlier while we have an open floor?
Ms. Beedie: Chi-miigwech for allowing us the opportunity to come and speak with you this evening.
Mr. Bernard: Wela’lin for inviting us to talk. It’s nice to see another Mi’kmaq on the Senate. I was like, “Yeah!” I was hoping Senator PJ would be here, but I’ll text him and bug him later.
The Chair: Wela’lin. Thank you to both of you.
(The committee adjourned.)