Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we know too well how Indigenous children were failed by Canadian government, were separated from their families, their communities, and their culture, and put them into residential schools where they were exposed to trauma, injury, and illness. Many are dealing with physical and mental consequences to those experiences to this day. Whether through the experience or through intergenerational trauma, tragically many are who also passed away at those schools, we are still searching for their unmarked graves, so their remains are still -- we're still looking for their remains to this date. Unfortunately, some policies are still standing in the way of the acts of reconciliation because some of the remains of the Indigenous children who passed away at residential school have been unjustly classified as archaeological artifacts, and therefore, their rights returning to their families has been prevented.

I want to share the story of a young girl named Alma today who is one of many victims of residential school whose remains have been blocked from returning home due to these erroneous policy interpretations. Alma died at St. Joseph's School at the age of 5 years old. In the late summer, Alma's mother went to meet the boat from Fort Resolution at the dock in Fort Smith. When Alma didn't get off the boat, Alma's mother asked the other children why Alma wasn't there, and she was told that the nuns said that she has gone to heaven. The cause of the death at residential school are most often listed as TB by the nuns or priests recording the death. Even the child because of injury, Alma's mother never stopped grieving and was later hospitalized. Alma's now 88-year-old sister had promised her mother that she would find Alma and bring her remains back to Fort Smith to be buried beside her mom.

A rotting cross with Alma's nameplate was found in the Fort Resolution cemetery along with other children's crosses and nameplates. Alma's sister was informed and immediately asked when Alma could be brought back to the burial site of her mother.

The coroner's office had offered assistance, and the Coroner's Act has provisions for the exhumation of a human remains; however, the archeology department classified residential school burials as artifacts. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member's statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you, colleagues. There are two branches of government that are clearly at odds in which other on how to proceed. There are currently investigations into the cause of the death of these children and why they were buried. But in the meantime, Alma's remains must be returned home. We need to make exceptions so that Indigenous children and culture and traditions are upheld, and the remains of these children are treated with upmost respect. I hope to get a clear commitment from the Minister later today to help bring Alma home to her family in the community. Mahsi.