Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Every day in the news we hear troubling stories about poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, but they are not stories from far-off, distant lands. They are stories that affect the lives of Aboriginal peoples right here in Canada.

For anyone with a conscience, it should be deeply disturbing about the abuses of residential schools and the terrible living conditions in communities like Attawapiskat law enforcement to be concerned about the disappearance of countless Aboriginal women, or the destruction of our land and water by big industries engaging in practises such as fracking. But think of it this way: For every big news, there are many, many untold stories of suffering. In 2007 the UN passed its Declaration on Indigenous Rights, which set a standard for the treatment of Aboriginal peoples by government worldwide. I think it says a lot about how the federal government abuses Aboriginal people, and Canada was only one of four nations out of 148 that did not support the declaration when it was adopted.

Canada has since shown support for the declaration, but as the UN Rapporteur reminded us this month, Canada’s treatment of the human rights of its Aboriginal peoples leaves a lot of room for improvement. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why there’s a sense of mistrust between Aboriginal peoples and the federal, provincial and territorial governments of Canada.

Federal and GNWT policies on First Nations land claims and self-governments state that they aim for certainty and finality, yet progress towards the completion of these claims is so slow it is spanning generations. The GNWT has promised that it will work with all First Nations on the Intergovernmental Council on Land and Resource Management, based on the Devolution Agreement. We have assurances that devolution will not change the fundamental relationship of the Crown with First Nations people. How can we trust these

assurances when so many promises to the Aboriginal people of Canada have been broken or left in unrest?

Perhaps it is time for the federal, provincial and territorial governments of Canada to support establishing a tribunal with First Nations peoples and governments to resolve impasses, conflicts and disputes. This would create a mechanism for mediation to resolve disputes more effectively than the courts can. Maybe then we could really put behind the injustices of the past and also set up the relationship between Aboriginal people and the Government of Canada, a new frame of trust for moving into the future. Mahsi.