Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to Senator Boyer’s inquiry recognizing the positive contributions of Métis, Inuit and First Nations peoples to Canada and the world.

I want to take the opportunity to acknowledge our incredibly inspiring Indigenous colleagues and friends in this chamber, all of whom we are honoured and humbled to work alongside.

Thank you for enriching our collective work. We are tremendously grateful for your outstanding careers and exceptional contributions, in fields ranging from government administration to conflict management, health care, law, psychology, business finance, environmental protection, infrastructure development, engineering, advocacy, dentistry, reconciliation, fisheries and more.

In alphabetical order, we celebrate first, Senator Margaret Dawn Anderson. Senator Anderson is an Inuvialuk woman from Tuktoyaktuk who credits her five children with inspiring her Senate work. As co-chair of the Indigenous Senators Working Group, Senator Anderson brings two decades of experience in public service roles working with communities across the N.W.T., advocating for self-governance, marginalized and disenfranchised groups, including as Director of Community Justice and Policing and Assistant Director of Corrections Services and the coordinator of the Planning Action Responsibly Toward Non-Violent Empowered Relationships — PARTNER — program, aimed at addressing domestic violence.

Senator Anderson’s work in the Senate is informed by her commitment to seeking out and reflecting the perspectives of groups and communities in the Northwest Territories and raising the profile of Arctic, Inuit and Indigenous issues. She is also a gifted charcoal artist and poet.

Senator Michèle Audette is an Innu woman with visual arts and art education degrees from the Université du Québec à Montréal and Concordia University. Senator Audette has devoted decades to transforming the relationship between Indigenous Peoples, Quebec and Canada. At 27, she was elected president of Femmes autochtones du Québec, and was later appointed as Associate Deputy Minister of Quebec’s Secrétariat à la condition féminine and president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada.

I have had the privilege of working with her for more than two decades, and several months ago we celebrated, with a number of you, her receipt of a second honourary doctorate from the University of Ottawa. The Université de Montréal also previously recognized her tireless advocacy for Indigenous women, including as a commissioner for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Our collective work to advance the inquiry’s Calls for Justice, as you have just heard from Senator Francis, continue.

Senator Yvonne Boyer is a member of the Métis Nation of Ontario, holds a doctorate in law from the University of Ottawa and an honourary doctorate in education from Nipissing University. Prior to studying law, she trained as a nurse. She has published widely on topics of Indigenous health and the interactions between Aboriginal rights, treaty rights and the health of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples and has served as Canadian Human Rights Commissioner.

In the Senate, Senator Boyer co-chairs the Indigenous Senators Working Group and has led the study of the forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women by the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights.

Senator Patrick Brazeau is a member of the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi and served as national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. In addition to being a member of the Canadian Armed Forces Naval Reserve, Senator Brazeau studied law at the University of Ottawa. He advocates for accountability, responsibility and transparency in Indigenous affairs and the mental health of Indigenous peoples. He persistently seeks to promote the well-being of youth.

Senator Dan Christmas of Membertou First Nation was the first Mi’kmaq person to be appointed to the Senate and to establish an on-reserve Senate constituency office. He holds honourary degrees from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia Community College, Saint Mary’s University and, most recently, Cape Breton University. I think he’s about to get another one but we’ll wait and announce that later.

Through his leadership with the Mi’kmaw Nation of Nova Scotia, including as former director of the Union of Nova Scotia Indians and former band manager, elected councillor and Senior Advisor for the Community of Membertou, Senator Christmas has worked for decades to ensure the recognition and implementation of Mi’kmaq and treaty rights in Nova Scotia and was a driving force in the flourishing of Membertou from bankruptcy to a thriving and vibrant community. Senator Christmas continues his inspirational leadership in the Senate, including as deputy chair of the Indigenous Peoples Committee.

Senator Brian Francis has roots in Lennox Island and Abegweit Mi’kmaq First Nations. He brings to the Senate over 40 years of experience in governance, including as aboriginal coordinator with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and as chief and band administrator of the Abegweit Mi’kmaq Nation.

Senator Francis has led and inspired Island First Nations to achieve key social, economic and cultural initiatives, including programs relating to biodiversity, water infrastructure, housing initiatives, justice initiatives and roadworks. Indeed, the river that flows by our old family cottages — we call them cabins there — on P.E.I. is one of the many whose water quality and fish stock are being restored as a result of the amazing work of Senator Francis and his community.

Senator Francis continues his legacy of leadership, driven by the goal of improving the lives of community members in the Senate including as chair of the Indigenous Peoples Committee.

An Indigenous Peruvian, Senator Rosa Galvez is a leading expert on pollution sciences and has shared with the Senate her lifelong passion for democratizing knowledge and education, and finding innovative solutions to a just, equitable and sustainable world. She holds a PhD in environmental engineering and prior to her appointment was a professor and head of the Department of Civil and Water Engineering at Université Laval. She has served as an adviser to international bodies, governments, community organizations and private firms.

In the Senate, her work has emphasized links between income gaps, social inequality and environmental degradation, including through her publication of a white paper entitled Building Forward Better: A Clean and Just Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic, a motion to declare climate change an urgent crisis and her proposed legislation to ensure alignment between the financial sector and Canada’s climate commitments.

Thank you for ensuring we are always mindful of the world we will leave for generations to come.

Senator Marty Klyne is a Cree Métis citizen and graduate of the University of Regina. His experience in business finance includes particular expertise in advancing Indigenous economic development. Senator Klyne has held leadership positions in diverse fields including media, corporate governance, sports and entertainment industries. His community work includes involvement with the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board, the Interim Reconciliation Regina Council, the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce Labour Market Council, and the Economic Development Regina board of directors.

We have worked on issues of prison segregation and now sit together on the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance.

Senator Patti LaBoucane-Benson is Métis from Treaty 6 territory and holds a PhD in human ecology from the University of Alberta, where her research focused on the resilience of Indigenous families and communities.

Senator LaBoucane-Benson worked for more than two decades with the Native Counselling Services of Alberta and served as conference director and lead facilitator of the Nelson Mandela Dialogues in Canada in 2017. She combines neuroscience and Indigenous knowledge of child development in her work and service to marginalized communities. In addition to forming part of the government representation here in the Senate, she continues to ensure issues of reconciliation and Indigenous leadership are central to her work and ours.

Senator Sandra Lovelace Nicholas is a voice for the Maliseet people and a driving force for advancing and upholding the rights of Indigenous women in Canada. Senator Lovelace Nicholas brought international attention to sex-based discrimination in the Indian Act when she successfully challenged Canada before the United Nations Human Rights Committee and lobbied for legislation to restore status to women with non-Indigenous spouses. For decades, she has continued this fight for equality for Indigenous women and their descendants, most recently through participation in the Senate’s examination and analysis of the implementation of Bill S-3 on which Senator Francis just reported.

Senator Lovelace Nicholas is a recipient of the Order of Canada, the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, an honourary degree from St. Francis Xavier University, and one of the “Famous Six” Indigenous women leaders in this country.

Senator Mary Jane McCallum is an advocate for social justice. Cree Senator Mary Jane McCallum holds a Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Manitoba and numerous honours and awards — most recently, an honourary doctorate from the University of Manitoba. Throughout her career, Senator McCallum has provided vital dental and community health services to First Nations communities throughout Manitoba, particularly in northern First Nations communities. Senator McCallum has worked at the University of Manitoba as an assistant professor and as head of the university’s Aboriginal dental health program and serves as the first Indigenous woman chancellor of Brandon University. In the Senate, she had shared her personal experiences as a residential school survivor, organized information sessions regarding Indigenous law and policy issues and championed initiatives including legislation to recognize National Ribbon Skirt Day and related initiatives promoting gender-based analysis plus, anti-racism in health care, residential school awareness and more, all with the aim of educating and inspiring colleagues and the public to engage in truly emancipatory efforts in the spirit of reconciliation.

Honourable senators, please join me in celebrating these 11 amazing, outstanding friends and colleagues.

To each of you, we thank you for all that you do, all that you are, in this chamber and beyond, to advance a more fair, just and equal future for Indigenous peoples and all of us on Turtle Island.

Chi-megweetch, and endless gratitude.