Question Period Note: Desautel

• The Government of Canada is committed to renewing the relationship with Indigenous peoples based on affirmation of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership.
• On April 23, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in the Desautel case. The Court ruled that non-resident or non-citizen Indigenous individuals from communities outside Canada may be able to exercise Indigenous rights here.
• We are currently working to ensure that the implications of the decision and the views of Indigenous partners are reflected in the Government’s next steps.

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If Pressed on Discussions with the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik on Recognizing U.S.-Based Communities
• The Government of Canada is committed to working closely with the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik in New Brunswick to address the implications of the Desautel decision for non-resident Peskotomuhkati communities in the U.S.

If Pressed on the Recognition of Sinixt Descendants in Canada (i.e. the ‘Autonomous Sinixt’ or descendants of the Arrow Lakes Band)
• The Government of Canada is committed to working with the descendants of the Sinixt both in Canada and the United-States.
• We will do this in a way that is consistent with a rights-based approach, direction from the courts, and in collaboration with our Indigenous partners.