Thank you to all the committee members for inviting the Assembly of First Nations to present today on behalf of the national chief, Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, and the entire executive. Again, we are very honoured to be here and to have the opportunity to share some perspectives.
As you know, hopefully, the Assembly of First Nations is the national and political representative of first nations governments and citizens across the country. Our role is not to act as a government; we're clearly not a government. We're an advocacy body on behalf of first nations and are directed by them as to what areas they want us to be responsible for. We try to harmonize and coordinate as best as we can. There is a wide range of diversity across the country, as I'm sure you can appreciate.
This conversation on Canada's 150th anniversary comes at an important time, I think, with respect to our position, the first nations position in Canada. It has been around seven generations since Confederation started, and in many aboriginal cultures, including mine--I'm from Curve Lake First Nation--seven generations is an important cultural touchstone. We try to think seven generations into the future in all the decisions we make and in regard to what impact we'll have on those generations, and we try to guide our planning and priorities appropriately.
So it has been seven generations since Confederation began and, as you know, our collective joint histories have taken many turns throughout this history. Really, it started off as an economic relationship. By no means were there embassies of peace and friendship sent across the ocean: they were looking for trade missions and wealth to bring back. Our first relationship was very much an economic one.
Quickly, as our history unfolded, it turned into a military relationship, where there was some antagonism and some support. Without the first nations in the War of 1812, we probably would be American right now. We probably would not be Canadian, in all honesty. So I think there's an important joint history there that we've shared in developing this country together.
Then we have this idea of treaties, of treaty building and nation building across the country. Some would argue that it was to open up more economic development and westward expansion, and some would argue that it was a broader vision. I think that's a part of our reflection upon 150 years of Canada as a country.
Then we move to darker times of assimilation, where first nations were no longer needed economically. They were no longer needed militarily. They were no longer needed as joint partners in Confederation; now they were challenge and a burden to the rest of the country. The famous Duncan Campbell Scott killed “the Indian in the child”. Residential schools, the banning of ceremonies of potlatch, and determining who was an Indian through federal legislation, which still exists today, are all part of the first 150 years.
It really seems that why it's important that this conversation is happening today is that we're starting to have a bit of a switch into maybe more of a recovery aspect. We had an historic apology in the House of Commons on the residential school issue. Canada has recently endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which sets out a pretty broad framework with respect to how to partner with first nations, with indigenous peoples around the world and, in particular, the first nations here in Canada.
This conversation today also comes on the heels of The National's lead story last night about Attawapiskat and the horrific infrastructure that exists there today. This committee is not struck to get to the bottom of Attawapiskat or any of those infrastructure issues on first nations, but you need to reflect that it's a part of the legacy of 150 years of partnership in Canada. If we do nothing else here today, it would be wonderful to be able to set in force some kind of movement so that 150 years from now, at some committee celebrating the 300th anniversary of Canada, we're not reflecting upon shameful conditions in first nations communities across the country.
To contextualize this existing relationship, it is all based, in our view, on treaties. They really were, in our view, the fundamental principles of a nation-to-nation relationship between original peoples in this country and the crown. The early treaty-making of course is characterized by shared and clear objectives around coordination and today I think we should try to find mechanisms that actively reflect that nature and spirit of cooperation and working together.
We've talked a little about our long history of interference in this trust with each other, and how I think this comes at an important time, because we may be turning the corner on that. There are unique opportunities for this committee and the Department of Canadian Heritage, frankly, in the short term, and to maybe set a tone in the long term for how we work together.
We've always had an ambitious agenda for change, particularly always in self-determination and wanting to govern our own communities and affairs, but our self-determination is firmly grounded in language, culture, and traditional decision-making processes, all of which are mandates of Canadian Heritage outside of this particular study you're doing today.
There are things we can do in a more immediate sense. We can support first nation languages. You know, we spend more in Canada supporting primarily European art forms of ballet, dance, and things of that nature than we do on supporting and maintaining the first languages of this continent, which are going to be lost forever if they disappear. That's something important to reflect upon on Canada's 150th birthday, and something this department can do.
We can look at developing curricula for all schools that provide full and clear histories of first nations with respect to treaties and those relationships that we have.
We can have sustained support for first nation artists and the kind of work they do to help tell those stories, to help believe in the revival in communities and really to help be that first wave of change.
You can support full recognition and commemoration of first nations in this country in Canada's 150th anniversary. One of our leading elders all across the nation, Elder William Commanda from Kitigan Zibi, passed away recently. He had a real vision for Victoria Island being a gathering place in the nation's capital, an important touchstone, ceremonially and also in the commemoration aspect, which is something that this committee could get behind as well.
We could create a hall of leaders to recognize the contribution of first nation leaders across this country.
There could be an indigenous peoples library, both real and virtual, to catalogue and consolidate historical contributions that indigenous peoples have made to this country moving forward.
So Canada at 150 is an opportunity to share and fully support first nation peoples and an understanding of their histories and supports of this country. I think that through supporting those histories, perspectives, and aspirations we can support the way forward to ensure that the next seven generations have a much better path than the previous generations.
Thank you very much
:
On September 1, 1996, Parliament declared Charlottetown the birthplace of Confederation, and if Parliament said it, it must be true.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It's really a pleasure to be here in front of this committee. I've had some counterparts speak to you over the last month or so and I was very envious of their ability to get in, so thanks very much.
I'd also like to thank you for bringing this group together at the table, because Peter, Deborah, Paul, and I have had a chance to connect, and we're also exploring ways to work together as we think about 2014 and how it connects to 2017.
Prince Edward Island is extremely proud of the fact that Charlottetown was declared the birthplace of Confederation, so much so that we have a lot of “Confederations”. We have the Confederation Centre of the Arts, the Confederation Trail, the Confederation Bridge, the Confederation Centre Children's Choir, Confederation Lincoln Mercury, and Confederation Realty. You name it, we have Confederation on it.
In fact, as many of you know, the Confederation Centre of the Arts was opened on September 1, 1964. It was Canada's national gift for the meeting of Confederation 100 years before in Charlottetown. I am honoured to have been the centre's CEO for the last 10 years.
Fifty years later, plans are afoot in P.E.I. to showcase the role that Prince Edward Island played in nation building, and I'd like to share a little bit about that with you.
In August of this year, the provincial and federal governments agreed to form a company called Prince Edward Island 2014 Inc., of which I was president and CEO for about three months before I moved into the deputy minister role. However, I retain some of my responsibilities.
The vision of that organization and the partners is to create an unforgettable 150th anniversary year in 2014 that will serve as the catalyst for the sesquicentennial of Confederation in 2017. It will unify, inspire, and serve as a source of pride for Prince Edward Island and for the country.
There are five pillars of activity that have been outlined in the draft plan being presented through a series of public engagement pieces, starting on Thursday. They include celebration, which is the party side of any anniversary. That's really important for people. I know that you've talked to Peter Aykroyd and Helen Davies, and they both talked about the importance of celebrations to the public.
There's also commemoration: creating stamps and coins for 2014, public awards, and public recognition.
Hosting is an important element. The first ministers conference will be held in September 2014 in P.E.I. We've challenged every organization, every group, every minister, and all federal counterparts to bring their conferences and meetings to P.E.I. in 2014. We also met just last week with people from the Juno Awards, the Canadian Country Music Awards, and the Gemini Awards. We're negotiating with the East Coast Music Awards about being in Prince Edward Island that year. That's the hosting side of things.
There'll be a large marketing piece, which will be national in its scope. We'll be working closely with the 2017 organizers across the country to connect the Charlottetown conference and the values that shape it with the rest of Canada. That marketing program will be very much national in scope, as will all the elements.
The last piece is legacy. We often talk about legacy in relation to creating new buildings and leaving behind that type of infrastructure. We're not so sold on that in this case.
We think that an idea was created in Charlottetown and later in Quebec City in 1864, and that this idea ultimately became Confederation in 1867. We're challenging ourselves and you and folks across the country to think about ideas that could change the country, the world. What kinds of things can we do in 2014 to connect with 2017?
The other piece is public engagement. We have a couple of pieces planned for public engagement. On Thursday, we are hosting about 100 people from across P.E.I., from all walks of life, to come and look at a draft strategic plan designed to help us shape the vision for 2014. We're fortunate that Deborah is going to join us, because we've been in talks with the Trans Canada Trail about possible partnerships for 2014 and 2017.
We also have, in February and March, a national forum planned under the leadership of Peter MacLeod, who spoke to you from Toronto. Peter has been engaged by us to bring together national leaders to talk about 2017 in Charlottetown and how we can connect the fact that it has been 150 years since the Charlottetown conference.
I'll speak briefly about the governance. We're proposing a national advisory trust to lead the 2014 celebrations, with a board of directors and a project review committee that would be made up of Canadian Heritage, which has been designated the department responsible for 2014, ACOA, the provincial government, and P.E.I. 2014. We work very closely with ACOA, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, in the region on the tourism and economic objectives the celebrations will have.
Turning to money, we've developed a budget. It's kind of been an interesting process, because we've been asked to think about what it would take to do that, so of course it's a chicken-and-egg process when we don't have the programming solidified, which we do not want to have until we have public engagement. But we have developed a budget, and the Province of P.E.I. has stepped up to the plate and committed to a total of $40 million over the next four years, both from provincial coffers and also from the municipal and private sectors. So that's an objective. We also have a request in to the federal government for $30 million, to be started next fiscal year, and we've been in discussions with Canadian Heritage folks on that.
The biggest objective of the funding would be to develop what's called a P.E.I. 150 fund, which we would develop criteria for and groups would apply for. We've looked at examples like Vancouver's 125 and the Quebec 400, which groups and communities and citizens are eligible to apply to in order to develop their dreams. Again, getting back to the philosophy, we're not necessarily about creating new buildings and infrastructure. We're about supporting and strengthening the existing, from coast to coast to coast, as part of 2014.
I understand that you've had a large number of witnesses here. I was looking at the list of some of them. Colin Jackson is a predecessor of mine at the Confederation Centre of the Arts, and we've talked about the work he's doing in Calgary. As well, you've had Peter Aykroyd and Helen Davies.
The year 2017 will be and should be a very, very special year in this country. The vision we have for 2014 and the 150th Charlottetown Conference is no less ambitious and should serve, as it did in 1864, as the catalyst for 2017, a celebration of Canada evolving as a nation, of considering all things possible as we reach for 2017, and it should serve as a time to reflect on the values that were shaped in Charlottetown in 1864.
Thanks for your attention. I look forward to your questions and comments.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[Translation]
Members of the committee, it is a real pleasure to be here today.
[English]
You have in front of you a summary of our notes. You also have a book that gives you some idea of the majesty of the Trans Canada Trail, an article from the Globe and Mail, and as well, a package that is the case for support, which has been developed as part of the fundraising.
[Translation]
Canada 125 was the entity created by the federal government for the celebration of the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. There were a broad range of events and projects but the most successful were those that brought Canadians together as Canadians, as participants, and not as spectators.
[English]
So the success of Canada 125 was focused on events that were initiated by the people, with Canada 125 being an enabler. We see Canada as a community of communities, caring, sharing, and cooperating. These are the best values of Canadians. You see that right across the country.
[Translation]
We have been a nation of trails and travellers since the earliest fur traders and voyageurs. To me, it is a history that dates back to the coureurs des bois and the adventures of La Vérendrye and des Groseillers. It encompasses all the adventures in our history. There is enormous pride for our vast spaces and the splendour of our magnificent country.
[English]
The Trans Canada Trail is a legacy project from Canada 125. It was actually founded--again--in P.E.I., in Summerside, in September of 1992, and was the brainchild of two individuals, Bill Pratt from Calgary and Pierre Camu from Ottawa. It was seen as a way of creating a permanent recognition for Canada in the day-to-day life of Canadians and it has been an enormous success.
Why did they think that was the case? Because the single most successful event that was planned by Canada 125 was something called the block party. That doesn't refer to the Bloc Québécois, but actually to a block in a city. That initiative came from a woman in Winnipeg who had sent in the idea.
What happened was that Canada 125 created a bucket, effectively, and in that bucket were streamers, logos, flags, ideas--initiatives for a party. Those parties all took place on the same day, July 1, 1992, and it was an enormous success. The amount of correspondence and reaction we had from the public with respect to that one event.... The reason was that it allowed people to share Canada. It allowed them to meet their neighbours as new friends. Also, it allowed everybody in Canada to celebrate their differences and our common values.
Like the railway and the Trans-Canada Highway, the Trans Canada Trail links Canadians to one another, but it does so at human speed. It's a huge success. It has been driven by local communities as part of a coordinated plan that is owned by all Canadians. It has been built by thousands of donors and volunteers in every part of Canada.
[Translation]
The trail enjoys the tangible support of every province and territory as well as 400 local trade groups. We have been fortunate to receive non-partisan support from all governments. We can say that every prime minister who governed since the start of the Trans Canada Trail has given it its support. The same goes for governors general.
The trail was one of the two entities recognized by the federal government in its original legislation as a qualified entity for the donation of environmentally sensitive lands.
[English]
Today, the trail is close to 75% complete. There are 400 community-based trails, each with distinct features and unique and diverse landscapes. In fact, Peter noted that every time he travels in Canada, he tries to find a piece of the trail to exercise on. I do the same thing. So does Deborah. So do many, many Canadians. It is within 30 minutes of 80% of Canadians. When it's complete, it will extend 22,500 kilometres, from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic Oceans, and will link over 1,000 communities and all Canadians.
The names of the trail sections evoke a sense of place in history: the Waterfront Trail, the Niagara River Recreational Trail, the Voyageur trail, the Confederation Trail, the Lachine Canal trail, the Grand Concourse, and the Fundy trail. All of them represent parts of our history.
[Translation]
Across the country, there are many important trail projects in progress and we definitely have momentum. There are 200 identified gaps in the trail, totalling approximately 600 kilometres.
We must establish links between wilderness trails and urban areas. Some require major engineering and construction to overcome rugged terrain, while others require thoughtful design to protect environmentally sensitive areas. We know exactly what needs to be done and we have a strategy in place.
[English]
The Trans Canada Trail has recently established a foundation—and you have the package in front of you—for a $150-million fundraising campaign. The national leadership consists of Hartley Richardson and Valerie Pringle, so we don't lack for spokespeople or enthusiasm.
We want to create opportunities to engage every Canadian in connecting with this national legacy project. The trail is a collective endeavour. It is a tangible and symbolic tie that brings us altogether, and we believe is a source of national pride.
One of the things about the trail is that it really speaks to our history as Canadians. It speaks to us with respect to our character as Canadians.
This country started with trails, followed by a railway, and then, in 1963, that was followed with a highway. Now we're going back to the future. We've created a trail that is a pedestrian trail, a ski trail, a biking trail, an equestrian trail, and, in some places, a water trail. Why have we done it? Because there's a strong sense in our public, a strong demand in the public, for preservation of our natural environment and, also, an opportunity to share this country in a human way.
I think the trail demonstrates some of the best characteristics that define us as a people. The determination of and the effort made by the individual volunteers who build and maintain this trail are truly astounding.
[Translation]
It helps us celebrate the best of ourselves — the places, the stories and the experiences that make us who we are. It celebrates Canadian values.
By generating passion and commitment among Canadians for our country, the trail makes Canada strong. It inspires us — emotionally, intellectually and spiritually — and gives us hope. I would say that the human aspect of the Trans Canada Trail is extremely important for our families and our country.
[English]
The trail is one of the largest volunteer projects ever undertaken in Canada. More than 100,000 people have contributed time, energy, and resources, and most of them tell us that they're motivated, not by their own self-interest, but by a desire to make a difference and leave a legacy for their children and their grandchildren.
I have to tell you that it's inspiring to me to meet these people, it's inspiring to see their efforts, and it's inspiring to be part of this whole exercise.
[Translation]
The Trans Canada Trail board, partners, local trail groups and volunteers are committed to fully connecting the trail by 2017, in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
The connection of the trail will be a historic milestone for Canada and Canadians. Indeed, it will be the culmination of two and a half decades of work by volunteers. These are not only individuals, but also community organizations, corporate partners and governments.
We see the trail as a lasting gift from Canadians to Canadians. There is a French expression that says “ce n'est pas un cadeau”, meaning this is not a gift.
[English]
This is not a Trojan Horse; this is a real gift. This is something that is truly grassroots. It's a huge success because it is an initiative of individuals from all across Canada. This is not a top-down exercise.
I noticed that in the testimony from Mr. Aykroyd he indicated that, in his experience, the most significant factor was that the initiatives came from the local groups. That was our experience at Canada 125, and I believe it is something that you should keep as a fundamental consideration in anything you recommend. The initiatives have to be initiatives that come from the wellspring of creativity that Canadians have to offer, because their ideas will be driven by genuine emotion. This is the energy that you will need to harness in order to make the 150th anniversary celebrations successful.
[Translation]
As we mentioned, we are linking the celebrations on the Trans Canada trail to other events: the war of 1812 Bicentennial, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the 150th anniversary of Canada’s founding fathers of Confederation and the Charlottetown and Quebec City conferences in 2014. There are many other opportunities to be explored.
[English]
This opportunity touches Canadians in so many ways. I think if you start to do the analysis, you will see that it speaks to Canadians' health and fitness. I'm sure you've all seen the reports about the difference that getting up off the couch and getting onto the trail means for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer.
A half an hour a day on the trail can save lives. It can join families. It is a strong, significant element of culture and history. It is a strong educational force and reinforces our commitment to the environment. Most importantly, it is unity of purpose and unity of people.
In 2017 the Trans Canada Trail, when complete, will be the longest and grandest recreational trail in the world. It joins, as we said, all Canadians, 1,000 communities, and three oceans, and it represents a huge opportunity as the venue for the 150th anniversary celebrations.
Thank you.
Thank you to our guests.
I want to get to a specific technical issue with our three guests.
Before I do that, I've been waiting for some time now, Mr. Dinsdale, for you to come here, because I think your story or stories will play an incredibly large part in the 150. I would not presume to know where to start telling the story you want to tell.
No, actually, that's not true: there is one story I'd like you to tell. I'm hoping, from a personal point of view, that the story of the Beothuk in Newfoundland and Labrador is one of those stories. I think that serves as an example of how you can tell the story of nations within a nation in the 150. What an incredible story, as you've mentioned. It is more than the basic narrative that's out there right now.
There is the War of 1812 and there are the constitutional talks of 1987, as you've brought up, but there's so much more to this, and the human element is played out in sound bites of a minute and 30 seconds every night, and quite frankly, that's a shame.
I think 2017 will serve as a pinnacle, a fantastic example not only of creating something for people to visit but also of the message that goes out about the myriad stories across the country.
That being said, yes, I'm very interested in museums. I'm very interested in these centres people visit. But there is another way for people, young and old, who are not able to visit but want to know the story and want to know first nations history. I think there is a substantial investment we can make in the production of content across this country. You mentioned the National Film Board with regard to 1987. Do you think that is a key component?
:
Thank you very much for the question.
First off, we have such a fascinating history, and we know so little about it. You mentioned the Iroquois group that came out. They were members of the Six Nations, I am sure, most likely Mohawk, given the proximities.
People often say, well, you're first nations, and ask, “Why aren't you Canadians first and why do you have this other concept?” Sometimes I describe the Mohawks around Akwesasne and St. Regis, near Cornwall. They have part of the reserve in Ontario, part of the reserve in Quebec, and part of the reserve in New York State. They have five jurisdictions governing their affairs: Canada; the U.S.; the State of New York; Ontario; and Quebec. So when you ask a young person growing up in one of those communities who they are, they will say, “I'm a Haudenosaunee, I'm Onkwehon:we, I am not Canadian, I'm not American, I'm not Quebec...”. So it's this fascinating history we have of how borders come across somewhat arbitrarily during the history, the dividing of nations.
I know about the project that you're talking about, but not the particular excursion to do some reconciliations. If you haven't read it already, Champlain's Dream is a fascinating history and account of the first foray into Canada and the nature of the relationships, particularly between the Mohawks in what is now New York state and Quebec and this area, and how they engaged. It's part of the history that we don't know enough about.
On storytelling like Wapikoni Mobile's, we actually met with them last year when the funding first was cut. The National Chief wrote a letter of support, I think. The arts more broadly are those that are able to tell the stories we can't always articulate. Their projects had many different functions. One, of course, was employing young people and training them for future opportunities to tell those stories and have them out there. Those, like many arts projects, are incredibly important, and we would support more of them to tell the stories and try to foster that relationship.
I have a question for Mr. Dinsdale.
You mentioned something in your introduction which really intrigued me: the idea of investing in the preservation of first nation languages.
I produced a documentary film about the Blood Indian Reserve, which is right by my place. The question that we were trying to learn about was, what makes a difference? I have adopted siblings from the tribe. Their mom died of a Listerine overdose, but her brother is sober, middle income, and teaches Blackfoot immersion; same parents, different situation.
The question was, what makes the difference between the 20% who are like Andrew, who are sober and free, and the people who are in bondage? We found that three elements were present in almost all of the people who were free. They were: they spoke Blackfoot, they were involved in religion of some sort, whether Christian or native, and they had a strong relationship with their grandparents.
We also found that the loss of identity was worse than suffering itself. There was a teenage kid who said: “What the heck is an Indian? I have no idea what that means”. His parents and his grandparents were taken from their communities and taught not just that they were savage, but that they shouldn't even exist. Then, in the sixties and seventies, we came to our senses—whatever that means—and said that the pre-Columbian Indian was a wonderful thing, it's what makes them wonderful. But this kid says, “I can't be that, so my worth is based on something that can't even exist”.
So how can we help first nations people? When you look at roots and people who study their geneology, you see that there is great power in freeing people if they connect with their ancestry. But how can we do that in a forward-thinking way without giving them this desperation of not being able to go back?
:
Thank you for the question.
I think what you highlight are certainly the impacts of the residential school experience, of that child's grandparents either having successfully avoided residential schools or being able to survive it with the culture intact in some manner, and of that allowing them to be parents and move on. I think that's an important dynamic of what you describe.
I think this idea that our culture is static, that after contact and signing of the treaties in the west, and the plains in particular, with the long headdresses and the teepees...if that's the view of it, then we should fully anticipate that our British brothers and sisters would have powdered wigs and covered carts and that kind of.... Cultures evolve, as our culture has certainly evolved.
With respect to languages, once they're gone, they're gone forever. We can't go back to a homeland somewhere, and reintegrate back into that culture, back into that language. When those cultures die, when the Beothuk died, when other nations die, those languages are gone forever.
We go back to the elders and we ask what should we be focusing on. When we do drug and alcohol programming, when we do employment training programming, why don't we just go to the mainstream institutions...? Because they don't work. If the mainstream institutions worked, then we would have success in these interactions right now. It's about rooting those programs in culture, and the language is in the culture. Our elders say that culture is the language. It expresses world view. It expresses your position in the cosmos. It expresses how you interact with nature. It expresses all aspects of your identity. Once you lose that, where do you go to define that identity? This makes culture so critical.
The push really is to invest in those cultures. You mentioned the Blackfoot immersion program. There's an incredibly successful program in the Six Nations, where they're doing immersion in Mohawk and Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa for their communities. It's really a push that requires support, because it is so tenuous right now. The projection is that of the 50 aboriginal languages now, only 12 are going to survive a generation: what can we do today to stop that? That is a great legacy for Canada: to take this on as a project.
:
Thanks to all of you for coming.
Mr. Dinsdale, this is a question for you.
Mr. Simms is lucky to have the Trans Canada Trail at the end of his backyard. Not too far from my backyard, there was a discovery of a village of the Wendat tribe, I'm told; it was a village circa 1500 to 1530. It's a pretty remarkable place. They say that about 2,000 people lived there. There were some 90 structures on the site and there was a palisade. We're still in the process of trying to find where the burial grounds were.
They're naming a school Wendat Public School, but one of the problems is that nobody in the town has any idea why they're naming a school Wendat Public School. Nobody in the town really has any concept of what was actually here and that it was a trading route back and forth to Lake Simcoe.
I don't like to talk about resetting a relationship, because you're always building on a relationship. I find that concept almost...I don't want to say insulting, but a lot of people worked very hard for a long time to help build a relationship—not always good sometimes, but sometimes good. I like to think we're always building on it.
One of the problems we have now and have had in the past is that for far too long in this country when there's a special event we'll ask first nations to participate, and then as soon as the event is over, we ask you to go away. I think the Olympics started to change that.
In a community like mine in Stouffville, I don't think any of the school kids have ever talked to somebody from the first nations. There has never been a visitor to the school, somebody from first nations, to talk about what was actually happening on that site. How do we, as part of the 150, help people...? My town is 40 kilometres north of Toronto. How do we get first nations out more into the...? I know that you focus on a lot of issues that are very important, but how can we provide funding to—and I don't know whether it's funding or what it is—get them into the schools, to get them out there to explain what's happening? We have a great little museum in Stouffville and it doesn't talk at all about first nations who were on the site.
How can we do that and maybe start helping people understand that it's not just the troubles they might see on the nightly news, but that there was an incredible history before that?
:
Thank you very much for the question. I appreciate it.
I should tell you that I lived in Barrie for eight years and commuted to Toronto, so I'm familiar with the many Huron and Wendat remains being found in the Lake Simcoe area.
If we're not going to reset the relationship, then let's go to counselling. Maybe we'll start there and find a way to stop our past behaviours, and then go on to better behaviours moving forward. I think that's the intention.
There are many different players engaged with outreach to Canadians and engaged in this kind of cultural sharing. Again, a very important one—in the purview of this department—is the friendship centre movement. The National Association of Friendship Centres has been with you since 1972, when your Secretary of State.... That relationship has been maintained all the way through to today; I saw that their executive director came before you earlier.
There are friendship centres in Barrie and Toronto and organizations out there that do this kind of outreach. Are they resourced enough to do it all? They would probably tell you they're not, but they can make that pitch to you. I think it's just as important that they reach out to you as well, or to your school boards, to engage in more of an ongoing basis. There's a tremendous powwow in Toronto and all the school kids go down to participate and see active and live cultures. That's an important kind of contribution.
I think there are many partners who can participate as part of this awakening we're having in this country about the relationship. The apology and all of this residential school disclosure stuff is helping, and people are asking more questions and reaching out a bit more.
We haven't talked about our shared history with respect to those older peoples. My community is Curve Lake, Ontario. We have petroglyphs, which are drawings that were made, and we have serpent mounds and burial mounds in the shape of snakes. We have no idea why they're there. We were just told that the old people did it. We believe that the same old people were in St. Louis: these mounds were also built there and the same kinds of societies were developed. So there's a lot of history that we need to explore and understand together, and it's work that we can do together moving forward.
I got a bit off track here, but I think the idea of how we engage with each other with respect to recognizing our past is important.
There's one other thing I'll mention, if I can have a quick minute. I don't think we should be ashamed. Earlier, someone said we were going to be ashamed of our past at the 150th, but I think we should be proud of how we're going to move going forward. That's how I think we should look at it. Yes, we can acknowledge that past, but let's be proud of how we're going to behave moving forward. I think that's something we can do together. That's just another context I wanted to raise.
:
That's a very good point. I'll hark back to my experience as the secretary of Canada 125.
The first thing to mention is that Canada 125 was done like a nine-alarm drill. It only started months before the actual year and, as a result, we were playing catch-up ball virtually from the get-go. It had a limitation on infrastructure. It started with somebody within government and, during the course of that year, it transitioned away from that person to Bill Pratt, who had been the project manager for the Olympics in Calgary, as well as for Heritage Park in Calgary. Ultimately, Bill was brought in because they needed a project manager.
So a good chunk of the time was spent playing catch-up. The first thing I would commend to you is that what you're doing today is a huge step forward in terms of actually having a plan, as opposed to being in a reactive mode all the way down the field.
The second thing is that—when I look back again at the success of the events—there were well-attended events, but they were there and then they were gone. They had no residue. It was like a flash grenade: there was a little bit of ash and that was it. There was a bright light, a lot of noise, and it was done.
Consistently what we found was that anything that had a local impetus to it was a good expenditure. Wanuskewin is a good example of a site that is still running today for children to go and see. That was a good expenditure. The Trans Canada Trail, as far as I'm concerned, was a fantastic expenditure.
I think if we look to capturing the imagination of people, then I think.... In fact, one of my strongest beliefs is that what the Trans Canada Trail gives people is a sense of place, a sense of hope, a sense of community, and a sense of the future. Those are parts of the reason why it has endured. The reality is that it's a place where people go every day. I ride the trail every day; it's part of my life.
That's what we want to do and I think that's actually the impetus behind making Canada 150 successful: to create something that will continue to give to Canadians every day, on a go-forward basis. It will provide bridges across the country, bridges amongst communities, and bridges amongst generations. When you take your grandchild out for a walk on the trail, that memory will last a lifetime. These are gifts that will continue forever. So how to make a success out of it is to make it an icon—something that is so representative of us as a people.
I keep coming back to something, because I've heard a lot today. I grew up in a family of historians. My mother was a medieval historian who wrote 13 books, and my uncle was Mason Wade, who wrote The French Canadians. I lived immersed in history. When I look at the things I've read in my own past—such asThe Odyssey, The Iliad, the Norse legends, and the aboriginal legends...those are the types of legends that should be part of the trail. That's how we make Canada. That's how we make the trail part of our imagination and part of our identity: it becomes one of our icons. That's where I think the success comes from.