The Chief of Dakota Plains First Nation is hoping to see life improve for Canada's Indigenous population, following the release of the final report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Orville Smoke's experience the residential school system first hand, and says it's time Canadians realized the atrocities that took place.

"We've suffered at the hands of foreign policy to the point where we were dehumanized, gathered, and put into institutions. I think it was degrading. It wasn't fair, and I think we're living with that stigma today. The findings kind of tell us that somebody's going to stop and say there's something wrong here, let's make amends."

Smoke says he's hoping the government will implement the recommendations, in order to begin to move towards reconciliation. He's hoping to see change taking place, in order to provide a better life for Canada's Aboriginal population.

"I think our people are living very uncomfortably due to things like the Indian Act that put us in sub-human conditions. I think if we were given the opportunity to determine our own future, and given equal opportunity, I think we could make our people, especially women a children, more comfortable."

He says they'll ensure they encourage the government to look at not only those matters, but also the issue of the relocation of the Dakota people. Smoke says their people were thriving when they were located in the Portage area, but the federal government moved the Dakota people to areas where it was difficult to foster economic development.

"Up until then we were self-reliant. We were working in the city of Portage and area, and we were fending for ourselves. The federal government assumed we were treaty and moved us to where we are today. I'd certainly like to sit down and have a discussion over that relocation with someone who would look at the creation of our problems because of that move."

Smoke says their research indicated the Dakota people were in Manitoba prior to the settlement of Europeans, yet they were overlooked when it came to creating the treaties.