441-02570 (Indigenous affairs)

WHEREAS:

• The Mi'kmaq Nation had used ancient Peace and Friendship Treaties to secure the Treaty Rights to the Commercial Fisheries under Donald Marshall Jr., a Mi'kmaq Status Indian Treaty rights holds, vs the Crown;
• A subsequent Marshall court case by the Crown determined that every Mi'kmaq status Indian treaty rights holder had the right to a Moderate livelihood;
• The Mi'kmaq status Indian treaty rights holders believe the Government has erred in its position as the primary trustee by not ensuring an equal financial obligation to each Mi'kmaw Indian status treaty rights holder, but then had faulty negotiations with the leadership of chiefs and councils and other provincial and territorial organizations that had not acted in the best interest of the Mi'kmaw nation Indian status treaty rights holders;
• The Mi'kmaq status Indian treaty rights holders believe it is incumbent upon the Government of Canada to audit, review, and investigate all bands and provincial and territorial organizations, and to verify that each Mi'kmaq Indian status treaty rights holder has been accommodated with revenue payments of the Moderate Livelihood's financial resources;
• The Mi'kmaq Nation Indian status treaty rights holders encourage and ask the Government of Canada to establish a Peace and Friendship Treaty and conservation annuity, which is to be paid to each Mi'kmaq Indian status treaty rights holder; and
• The Mi'kmaq nation Indian treaty rights holders request this annuity be collected by the Government of Canada from the Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Atlantic Commercial Fisheries and other commercial fishing corporations for treaty and conservation purposes.

THEREFORE: We, the undersigned Mi'kmaq nation Indian status treaty rights holders of the Atlantic region and Quebec, call upon the Government of Canada to give a public apology and provide financial restitution to the only true and legitimate rights holders, the Mi'kmaq Nation Indian Status Treaty Rights Holders of the Atlantic region and Quebec, for previous faulty negotiated commercial fishery agreements.