Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My name is Alexandra Cropp. My given name is Banaso Ospo Ken Iskew—Thunder Bird Pipe Woman—from the Turtle Clan, and I am from the Norway House Cree Nation.

I come to you speaking from a policy perspective and speaking from my experience of working for my nation for over seven years, supporting new partnerships and programs and co‐leading the development of the new Norway House Cree Nation Health Centre of Excellence. The centre has leveraged indigenous ways of being, science and knowledge, not only from its inception but also in putting many other indigenous and western medicines together, forming one holistic model of care.

Throughout my time with Norway House Cree Nation, I had the opportunity to partner with post-secondary institutions that were very keen to understand indigenous ways of being and to incorporate that knowledge and those systems into the curriculum, not only by supporting the development of indigenous ways of being within the faculty of nursing and the midwifery programs there but also by understanding the need for integration and including those rightful individuals at the table, ensuring they are able to speak to their lived experiences and support the development within that curriculum.

In 2022, I moved on to a new firm called Mokwateh. It's an indigenous-led consulting firm based out of Sand Point First Nation. It's led by JP Gladu and Max Skudra. JP Gladu, alongside Mark Little, former CEO of Suncor, championed a 5% federal procurement target for indigenous businesses, which was integral to ensuring that the federal government committed to that 5%.

In my role with Mokwateh, I was able to support two nations in their submissions to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ensuring we were engaging the nations at an early phase and understanding that it was done in a respectful and meaningful manner in order to have a better understanding of what their priorities were. We were able to incorporate that knowledge, their lived experiences and their day-to-day challenges within the current system by identifying the changes that needed to be made, while not only respecting the articulated actions within UNDRIP but identifying areas where indigenous practices and policies could be leveraged to better inform those laws.

During my time with my nation, I had the opportunity of collaborating on several innovative and forward-thinking initiatives that leveraged our indigenous ways, our science, and our knowledge in a way that catalyzed transformational changes within their health care system.

That unique work really stemmed from the importance in highlighting the necessity to include indigenous knowledge and traditions throughout each phase of that project, not only supporting the conception and planning but continuing through the construction phase and going forward to long-term sustainability.

This was done at an early stage, not only understanding the importance of community members and those individuals who are going to be touched by that project but also understanding who is going to sustain that in the future, following our seven generations, including our elders, youth, staff and, of course, chief and council.

Embodying our indigenous ways of being is so critical as we look to build policy development, not only when it's community-led but community-managed in a way that actually is respectful. It incorporates everything that needs to be done to support our ongoing generations as we grow into it.

While I may not have had the opportunity to grow up in my nation and may not be versed in the intricacies of our trap lines and historical sites, which are critical in any infrastructure planning, my experiences have taught me the most paramount lesson of all, which is to include our community members and the indigenous leaders from the beginning by facilitating an essential exchange of information, enhancing our understanding of the traditional territory, and intertwining our indigenous knowledge and science within that space.

This is such a learning journey. It respects and acknowledges the indispensable indigenous knowledge of our systems. It not only respects this valuable information but also legitimizes our sources of information, requiring a deep understanding of the historical and cultural ties indigenous peoples have with our land, resources and ecosystems.

Indigenous peoples embody a profound foresight in their decision‐making, not merely planning for the immediate future but considering the impacts on the next seven generations, recognizing that today's choices will significantly shape the world for future leaders and guardians.

In the pursuit of establishing inclusive policy-making, it is crucial to ensure the active involvement of our indigenous communities from various regions within Canada.

It is essential to understand that indigenous peoples are diverse. Our knowledge systems differ significantly from one area to another, and while the process may not be flawless at its inception, nor will it satisfy all, it is imperative that we take deliberate steps to properly engage our indigenous peoples. We can ensure that resilient policies are built in partnership with indigenous peoples to better serve everyone within Canada.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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