Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  As I presented to you, and even in terms of the work that we do, I just want to elaborate on the ceremony that took place in the Coast Salish territory. Children, their siblings and their biological parents were involved. An extension of that was the caregivers, the foster parents.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'll start. That's a very important question to acknowledge. The work that Secwépemc Child and Family Services is doing is important in terms of reconciliation and connecting children to the families, and the biggest challenge right now is funding. In terms of developing capacity within the community and building those natural supports for those families, when we're looking at the family unit, it's not just the child, but also the parents and reintegrating that extended family model and that community model.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  In terms of that, here at Secwépemc Child and Family Services we do engage with an urban population that spans all across Canada. We do host and take care of their quests to return home. In terms of capacity and funding, once they identify who their home community is, Lyle serves as our cultural support worker who engages with them and also supports them to identify who their connections are.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Those are excellent questions and I'm happy to respond. In regard to your first question about the urban populations, and the high rates of children and youth in care from our urban centres, I think the first and foremost solution to that is that we need to identify with them who their networks of support are.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Okay. In closing, thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts about Bill C-92.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Good morning. [Witness spoke in Carrier] [English] I introduced myself to you in my Carrier language. My name is Bernie Charlie. I am a proud Carrier matriarch in training. I am the youngest child of nine of my mother, Dil-za Dza-kiy, Violet Charlie, who holds this hereditary chief name that she acquired through the traditional governance system of my people called the bah'lats also known commonly as the potlatch.