Mr. Speaker, later today I will table an overview of the final report of the traditional dene justice project. This project was run for the last three years in Lac La Martre by the Dene Cultural Institute. The final report was finished in September and will be published by the Arctic Institute in December.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to table this report for a number of reasons. This project is important because of what it says about how justice was traditionally administered by the Dogrib nation. This is the first time that this information has been collected in a systematic way.
The other significant thing about this study is the way in which the information for the study was gathered. Unlike other studies that are directed by southern academics for their own purposes, this study, from the beginning, was directed by the community. A community advisory committee was chaired by the chief. Not only did community members participate in the direction and operation of the study but also individuals were trained to collect and record information themselves. As a result, this study has left skills and an increased level of self-confidence in Lac La Martre, skills that will be useful in the future.
A draft of the final report was reviewed by all the Dogrib communities to make sure that people agreed with what was written, and with the recommendations. The report confirms that the Dene, long before the arrival of the Europeans, had laws and a system of justice that worked. What is most interesting is the detail provided by the elders about what these laws were and how they were enforced.
The report is frank. It speaks of the difficulties that face the community today. It examines the details of particular cases that have taken place recently in Lac La Martre. These cases illustrate that it is going to be a long process of generating confidence, learning from mistakes and building on successes. The report is forthright about the need to address issues of alcohol abuse and physical abuse in the community. There is an emphasis on the need to pay serious attention to the healing of individuals and families at a community level.
Moving ahead will require commitment from all parties. In particular, there will be a need for a commitment to an inclusive process of pursuing change, a process that includes elders and younger people, men and women.
This is the kind of research that government must encourage. I wish to offer my congratulations to the community members who participated in this project, to the advisory committee, the chief and band council and to everyone in Lac La Martre for their good work and their commitment to this project. I also wish to recognize Dr. Ryan and the research team and the Dene Cultural Institute for initiating this project and seeing it through to completion.
The Department of Justice is committed to doing things in a different way. The department recognizes that the current system is an imposed one and respects the views of elders that traditional values and practices form the basis of this different way of doing things. The department has set out in the direction of encouraging communities to assume responsibilities. Assuming justice responsibilities is part of a larger process of communities taking back responsibility over their own lives.
It is an exciting process, even though it's not perfectly clear at this stage where this process will take us. But that's appropriate, gone are the days when the government will arrive with a great master plan on how things are going to be done at the community level. It is in partnership with the community that we will take our direction and this report is very encouraging news that we are moving in the right direction. Thank you.
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