The committee studied the issue of landless First Nations and the process for creating reserve lands. Appearing were officials from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), followed by chiefs from the Anishinabek Nation, Wolf Lake First Nation, Namaygoosisagagun First Nation, La Nation Micmac de Gespeg, and Long Point First Nation.
Darlene Bess of CIRNAC said the department is redesigning the additions-to-reserve (ATR) policy, having made nine interim changes in 2024 to allow landless bands to submit proposals without a settlement agreement. She noted that 160 rights-based discussion tables are underway, with land interests at 117 of them, and that the government has a target of 70 ATRs this fiscal year, with 36 completed so far.
Ian Kenney of ISC explained that band recognition and reserve creation are separate processes, with only three recognized bands currently having no land at all: Qalipu, New Westminster, and Wolf Lake. He said the recognition process involves extensive historical research and outreach to neighbouring communities to verify connections, and that program eligibility for landless bands varies by program.
Laura Mitchell of ISC identified five main barriers to reserve creation: environmental site assessments, duty to consult with other nations, municipal service agreements, third-party interests, and community capacity. She said the department is piloting new approaches, partnering with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and using a new tracking system to automate parts of the process, but noted that the federal government cannot unilaterally control timelines due to the involvement of provinces, municipalities, and other parties.
Danielle White of CIRNAC said that in the Cowichan aboriginal title case, Canada supported adding private property holders as parties and has appealed the lower court ruling, preferring negotiated solutions as seen in the Haida title agreement. She noted that Canada remains open to without-prejudice discussions should parties wish to pursue them.
Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige of the Anishinabek Nation said that fewer than 30 First Nations are landless, but the consequences are profound, preventing sustainable communities and economic development. She criticized the slow pace of land return compared to fast-tracked resource extraction legislation, and called on ISC to admit past mistakes and release comprehensive data on landless bands.
Chief Lisa Robinson of Wolf Lake First Nation said her community has been recognized for generations but remains without a reserve due to administrative choices, not legal uncertainty. She said the current negotiation process, begun in 2020, has not delivered results, and that the dispersal of her 300-member community is causing irreversible loss of elders' knowledge. She asked for clear political direction from Canada to resolve the issue.
Chief Helen Paavola of Namaygoosisagagun First Nation said her community is unrecognized federally and is pursuing recognition through the Federal Court because the existing policy does not account for "near bands" that already have a situated community. She urged the committee to consider reforming the policy to include such groups.
Chief Céline Cassivi of La Nation Micmac de Gespeg said her community obtained reserve status in December 2025 after a 16-year effort, using a new accelerated process. She noted that the absence of a reserve had led to loss of language and culture, limited access to only three federal programs compared to 27 for other communities, and scattered membership. She recommended continued federal support for reserve creation and equitable access to resources.
Chief Steeve Mathias of Long Point First Nation said his community of about 1,000 members was forced to relocate twice due to hydro development and now occupies leased land in Winneway, Quebec. He said provincial policies that calculate reserve size based only on housing needs, without accounting for economic development, are a major barrier, and that he is finalizing a written brief for the committee.
The committee passed a motion, as amended, to write to the Auditor General requesting a value-for-money and performance audit of the Giant Mine Remediation Project covering the period since 2015. Members agreed to begin drafting a report on the landless bands study, with recommendations to be submitted by the member who proposed the study.
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