Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The explanation that Mr. Belcourt gave me is quite useful, but his presentation was more or less on a general nature, and background, of this whole situation. The people in the communities are the ones that are going to make the final choice on October 26, depending on how they understand this whole package, and all the different aspects of this package will determine, ultimately, their decisions. That is why I am concerned about some portions of this, especially in the smaller communities, most of the things, like Senate reform, which is important, will be very hard to explain because people do not deal with it on a day to day basis. The people in the communities who live on the land, provide their living off the land, in the smaller communities, would know that they are dealing with their land and resources on it, so in that way, I am trying to have it comfortable in my mind, about this Metis Accord. How is it going to apply in the communities in the north?
I think Mr. Belcourt, and Mr. Fraser, who come from communities down south, are probably aware of the situation up here in the north. Some of the communities are integrated, we do not have reserves up here, and the Metis, the Dene, and non-aboriginal people, all live together side by side in the smaller communities. In the accord you have the negotiation of aboriginal self-government, and that goes for treaty Indians. You have two groups that perhaps, according to this, could have their own self-government regimes in the communities, as well as a public government. It is going to be very difficult to deal with that sort of scenario up here.
Whereas in the south, it is pretty distinct, because you have reserves, and then you have off- reserve aboriginal people in the cities, and so forth. You have Metis' settlements and you have cities in the communities, and it is easier to deal with the situation. Up here it is going to be very difficult in the smaller communities to apply something like this. Especially in some areas, in my area we are dealing with land claims, and it is more or less, in my particular area, in Deh Cho region, we are looking at different options on how to deal with it. Everything is not ruled out yet. I will question extinguishment is a hold back right there, and the federal government policy on extinguishment and the treaty rights, is what we are dealing with at this time. It does not rule out completely, our relatives who are Metis people, in settling some claims. If this thing goes ahead and agreed upon, in Ottawa, it is going to be imposing something from the federal level back into the community again. It is not coming from the community up. The people in the communities have to agree first, on how they are going to deal with the situation.
If you have two different groups opposing because of this accord, it is going to be very difficult to work with. I am wondering since you have negotiated this package, I am wondering how you envisage something like this working in the north, and some of the smaller communities. Thank you.