The commitments that are made are significant and it’s going to be very, very difficult for any government to retreat from those commitments here,

When we talk about an appropriate response, we’re talking in the order of $5-billion.

Our position is that it must be implemented as is. It’s a very complex agreement. A lot of detail. Very delicate proposition and any tinkering with the proposed compensation package would cause it to unravel....

The residential schools were designed to eradicate any sense of Indian-ness. They denied us the opportunity to learn about ourselves.

Any suggestion that one supports the objectives and the targets but not the approximately $5 billion allocated to these targets is of great concern to us because we won’t be able to meet the targets...

Unfortunately, many First Nations communities still lack the basic infrastructure to connect to the Internet,

We don’t take issue with anything the minister has expressed here today.

It is clear to us that we have strengthened our hand considerably and that governments are going to have to invite us to the table to negotiate the kind of changes that we need for...

The challenge is not to debate whether the right exists or not but how to get full effect of the right,

The government is not in the habit of handing out money.

We believe in the importance of public education, public information as a vehicle for change. Speaking to a class of 30 may seem to be of little consequence compared to the issues we’re dealing with,...

It needs to be addressed immediately. We can’t afford to wait,

We have filed a class action suit because we want to secure a place at the table, … We want to establish some certainty in the process, that the views of the Assembly of First...

It highlighted the extreme circumstances that many of our communities live in – poor drinking water, poor health care, poor housing, poor schools, no recreational facilities, high unemployment.

All of the targets we’ve set are achievable, … We’re driving this process and we’re forcing government to respond to our plan.

That is a national tragedy and an international embarrassment.

There are at least 100 First Nations communities that are in a boil-water situation. There are at least 40 of those in Ontario.

People are anxious to bring this terrible chapter to a close.

This situation is entirely unacceptable,

We can’t be treated as secondary. We can’t be an after-thought,

No one wanted to pull the plug before. That tells me they are listening and they see us as an important issue.

decades in time, innumerable events and countless injuries to First Nations individuals and communities.

It is an agreement for the ages,

It’s been suggested that it will be a law of general applications with some exclusions.

We have conquered our own cynicism,

We’re extremely pleased. It’s about symbolic recognition of the loss of languages and cultures.

This is an incredible opportunity for us, and we can’t let it slip by.

We have seen how far we can go in two years, imagine how far we can go in ten years.

It’s a wonderful day, … I know that every moment has been worthwhile. Justice has prevailed.

Canada has a Third World in its front yard and back alleys. That is a national tragedy and an international embarrassment.

I know there are pessimists and cynics who think this process will fail. I disagree.

Trust us. We will transform our community.

Next year is going to be an extremely busy time for us. It’s going to be a huge undertaking.