Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, I shared with my colleagues the story of 5-year-old Alma who passed away in residential school in Fort Resolution. Alma was buried in Fort Resolution, but her sister promised her mother that she would bring Alma home back to Fort Smith to be laid to rest along with her. The children who died at St. Joseph's School were buried in Fort Resolution, not in their home communities. The death of these children needs to be properly investigated by the coroner's office as there are serious reasons to doubt her cause of death was TB as stated by the Indian agent on her death certificate.

Unfortunately, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is adamant in stepping outside their jurisdiction and demanding that the repatriation of these children requires an application for an archaeological permit. The circumstances of this investigation falls outside the scope and requirement of the Archaeological Site Act. These are marked graves in an active cemetery. There's burials of 11 children have been discovered without crosses rotting in the grass. ECE does not investigate crimes, and the remains of the children are not artifacts.

The Minister's mandate letter directs her to advance the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, insisting that the remains of the Indigenous children are subject to Archaeological Sites Act review is the same colonial mindset that led to the creation of the residential school to begin with. This stands in direct contradiction to both the spirit and intent of Minister Cleveland's mandate letter from the Premier.

Canada is at the age of reconciliation, and Northerners expect more from this government to talk without action, yet in front of us, the rights of Indigenous peoples are being reduced to a mere privilege dependent on this Minister's discretion alone. This afternoon, I will give this government another opportunity to commit to this investigation proceeding without delay so that Alma's sister has the chance to find the closure she deserves within her lifetime as she is now 87 years old.

I would reiterate the Deninu Kue First Nation wants the coroner's office to assist in the investigation in the death of these children. By honouring this request, we're honouring the children that have passed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.