Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Madam Chairperson, while I feel that, as one Member of this legislature, I think it is imperative that you work with aboriginal organizations with the different court cases that have been dealt with in Canada especially, when you deal with adopted aboriginal people. When you deal with a cultural background where basically families and relatives, which aboriginal groups are sort of known to keep families as a collective where you are related, regardless of who your cousin is. Basically, if you come from one culture or the other, and because of what we see happening with children being adopted, especially with children in the north, I do feel that it is a sensitive issue when you talk with aboriginal children being taken away from aboriginal families and put in non-aboriginal families. I think it is imperative that you do take the time and effort to ensure that the aboriginal groups are involved in all aspects of the people they represent, including children.
There has to be more initiatives made by this government to ensure that Land Claim Agreements and aboriginal organizations, regardless if it is AFN, or Gwich'in Tribal Council or Inuvialuit or whomever, that those people who are listed and enroled under those different organizations are informed and whomever the individual may be is aware of their aboriginal heritage and exactly what rights they have under different agreements. We talk about self-government, aboriginal rights to take care of their own problems, I think basically, from the comments that the Minister stated, that he has avoided the question and is saying that we do not think that it is really important. I feel that it is important and that it is being dealt with through this bill, before this bill goes anywhere.