Senator McCallum: You are aware, then, that all of Saskatchewan is covered by treaty. It is all unceded territory, so why is it under provincial jurisdiction?

Senator Cotter: All of the territory is covered by treaty, but most of the lands that are not reserves could be described as traditional territories. You are asking a question that is about provincial jurisdiction, but the view taken — as a result of the Natural Resources Transfer Agreement in the 1930s — was to transfer what Ottawa asserted it owned as federal lands into provincial lands.

The land that is governed by reserves is governed by First Nations. The lands that are traditional territories are subject to a more contentious set of authorities.

Senator McCallum: Dispossession of land was the most devastating action against First Nations.

In the key elements of bill, the Whitecap Dakota government would have jurisdiction over the following areas: core governance, lands and resources, regulations and programs. All of this has to do with land.

Under lands and resources, it says they would have jurisdiction over lands and natural resources management. We passed the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act before Christmas where, as the sponsor, you said the province has jurisdiction or owns the natural resources. Which one is it? Who will own the natural resources? Will it be the Whitecap Dakota government or the province?

Senator Cotter: Thank you. I didn’t hear the first part of the question, Senator McCallum. I will do my best to answer the part about land.

The land focus here is on-reserve land, which would be under the full control, in terms of resource development, of the Whitecap Dakota. There are issues that you are aware of. Whitecap Dakota feel that they received an infinitesimally small set-aside of land when the people of the nation came to Canada, and they have a land-claim agreement.

In Saskatchewan, many of those land-claim agreements have been addressed. The Treaty Land Entitlement framework agreement made significant amounts of money available to First Nations after the government shorted them on what they were entitled to a century or so ago.

I can’t say for sure that it will happen in this case, but it is not unusual for First Nations to be provided with financial resources in order to purchase land — that makes it become reserve land. If they buy land that includes subsurface resources, for example, they come to own those. That has happened across Saskatchewan and, I suspect, in some other provinces as well. I hope that’s helpful.

Hon. Mary Jane McCallum: Thank you for the collaboration between the Canadian Senators Group and the Progressive Senate Group — the CSG and the PSG — for giving me their time today.

Honourable senators, there are two kinds of families: those we are born into and those we create. As First Nations children, we were forced to leave our birth families, despite our nurturing homes. Although scared and confused in navigating residential school, we already had strong familial experiences and were able to withstand years of oppression and assimilation. We did not fail each other; we formed families and lifelong friends.

I want to thank you — that is to my family from residential school — for inspiring me throughout my life and for keeping me safe when you could. Our love for each other gave us an unbreakable bond. You are the light that shines into my darkness.

There are lessons in everything, even in the things that break our hearts. Sometimes, we are overwhelmed and exhausted by the challenges that we face; yet, we cannot shy away from our responsibilities, despite the immense pressure. In my case, it was sitting alongside the team using ground-penetrating radar at the Guy Hill Residential School site last week. We know there are bodies there. Many think they are not in the open grounds but in the forest. It was there that adults were seen carrying tiny bodies and coming out empty-handed. Imagine those students who saw that, not knowing if they would be next. It’s no wonder that many are still unable to visit the grounds.

Last week, I sat among my former fellow students and our supporters, many of whom also attended residential school, day school or were part of the Sixties Scoop. I listened to their stories and I saw their wisdom. I told them, “I see you as the powerful, wise, compassionate, joyful, humble and courageous spirits that you are. Who among us would have believed that we would have a Shaking Tent ceremony, a pipe ceremony, a sweat, drumming and singing, an eagle fan cleansing, a prayer, smudging and talking circles at the very site of the school that had removed all that from us?”

The First Nations across the country know we are regaining our ceremonies and languages, and reclaiming the power and the spirit that were taken from us. Know that we are in a time of resurgence as sovereign peoples.

[Editor’s Note: Senator McCallum spoke in Cree.]

We belong to ourselves. We will determine our future.

To our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, know that you matter to us and that we will always be there together. How can we not be? We are family.

Kinanâskomitinâwâw. Thank you.

Hon. Mary Jane McCallum: Would Senator Cotter take a question?

Senator Cotter: I certainly would.