The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, issued the following statement today:
"This summer, I've had the opportunity to meet with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leadership, as well as community members including Elders, Survivors and youth, in person, on their land, to discuss common goals. Work has been done to deliver on our commitments to close socioeconomic gaps, address injustices, combat prejudice and strengthen our relationship with Indigenous Peoples. This has also been an opportunity to have direct conversations and build personal relationships.
We kicked off the summer by going to Siksika Nation in Alberta with the Prime Minister on June 2nd, to conclude one of the largest settlement agreements reached in Canada, aimed at addressing past wrongs dating back over a century when the Government of Canada broke its Treaty 7 promise and wrongfully took almost half of Siksika Nation's reserve land.
On June 21, I celebrated National Indigenous Peoples Day by meeting with Treaty 2 First Nations in their territory to discuss priorities on the recognition of rights and self-determination. I was also able to join celebrations in Brandon, Manitoba, which were co-hosted by the Manitoba Métis Federation.
The following day, our government introduced Bill C-29, An Act to provide for the establishment of a National Council for Reconciliation, in Parliament. When this Bill receives Royal Assent, it will enable the creation of a National Council for Reconciliation to fulfill the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action 53 and 54, which calls for the establishment of a National Council for Reconciliation. It will also lay the foundation to address Calls to Action 55 and 56 that call for reports and data to be provided to inform an annual report to the Prime Minister for response.
I also traveled to the Northwest Territories with Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, where we met with a number of communities and partners in Yellowknife to discuss their priorities, including the significance of cultural spaces, the legacy of residential schools, and continuing the work to give land back. While in Inuvik, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of Inuit Nunangat, I attended the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee meeting to discuss the implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy, the importance of language revitalization, and other shared priorities with Inuit leadership. It was an opportunity to reaffirm our government's commitment to work with Inuit leadership and communities, in the spirit of renewing our Inuit-Crown relationship. I visited the former residential school site of Grollier Hall, now a thriving greenhouse for the community of Inuvik. I finished my tour of the Northwest Territories by meeting with Grand Chief Ken Kyikavichik of Gwich'in Tribal Council to announce the funding for the renovation of Gwich'in Wellness Camp to prioritize the needs of women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.
I then made my way to British Columbia, where I met with the Principals to the British Columbia Treaty Process to discuss the significant innovations in the Treaty process and addressed the Assembly of First Nations 43rd Annual General Assembly. During this tour, I celebrated the passing of Bill S-10 with shíshàlh Nation, which ensures their self-government legislation more accurately reflects their identity, and right to self-determination. Together, we also announced investments in housing infrastructure to support the development of a subdivision in the shíshàlh Nation, which will address critical housing needs for dozens of families. I also had the opportunity to visit the former site and memorial of St. Augustine's Residential School and to hear of the work the community is undertaking to understand and heal from the institution's legacy.
With Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations and the Government of British Columbia, I marked the signing of the transition to a Stage 5 Memorandum of Understanding, after having participated in a ground breaking ceremony for the Nation's Bighouse project. To conclude my time in BC, I celebrated four First Nations' education self-government agreements on Seabird Island, and toured the Tla'amin Nation
