Status of Women committee  Personally, I feel unsure about the future. Right now, with the apology...and I say that term loosely because to me an apology speaks to what happened and why, and no one told us why they did this. It wasn't spoken for, so I have a hard time with the apology, as do many aboriginal people I know.

Status of Women committee  I think we're in a place in the world right now where we're coming out of a place of oppression and colonization throughout the world. Although I think Lisa's absolutely right--Canada being first would really be something--I think we're a long way away from being in a nation that is healed from years of oppression.

Status of Women committee  First of all, what I'd like to say is that I haven't gotten over it yet because it's continuing on from government to government. What I'd like to see is some attitudinal change from people who tell me to just get over it. It's not over. There has not been change. People are not getting what they need in order to heal, and that's why we're here today.

Status of Women committee  First of all, I'd like to just state that I don't think that incest and childhood sexual abuse is normal in any family, aboriginal or otherwise.

Status of Women committee  Does this happen? Absolutely, it happens, and we know this is one of the prevalent pieces that was handed down to the aboriginal people of this country through the legacy of residential schools. I think those are the things in that legacy that need to be addressed. Is there sexual assault that happens within aboriginal families?

Status of Women committee  I'd just like to add that I think it really comes down to the responsibility of the policing forces to find out exactly what it is we do and how we do it. I think there needs to be more than just sensitivity training on a cultural value. There are some real losses in understanding throughout the judicial system as well, which are totally and completely cultural.

Status of Women committee  I mean by police dogs.

Status of Women committee  Well, there's been violence against aboriginal women in this country for 500 years. The reason behind why we are, I guess, only hearing about it.... I've heard about it my whole entire life, being an aboriginal woman, and my ancestors before me heard about it. I think there's been a huge blanket lifted off the eyes of some of our Canadian people.

Status of Women committee  I'd just like to say that I'm happy to hear that there is money coming forward for aboriginal women's programming. But I'd also like to add that both Vancouver Rape Relief and WAVAW, the only rape crisis centres in Vancouver, serving a very large population, have not received any funding.

Status of Women committee  I'd just like to speak to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. One of the important things that's going to have to happen in order for that declaration to do aboriginal women any justice and to be helpful is that committees such as yours have to refer to it when you're speaking on our behalf, and you have to use that document.

Status of Women committee  I think there was a question put out there on how we can better assist women to approach institutions. I think one of the key responsibilities being missed here is that we need to understand that there isn't a very good track record, first of all. There needs to be some type of liaison work that is absolutely and completely clear about what the role of those institutions is when they see aboriginal women.

Status of Women committee  I have to agree that the core funding issue is probably the most important. I know that WAVAW has applied eight years consecutively to the Status of Women for funding and have been denied eight years consecutively. Literally, we're doing work off the side of our desks. The amount of need surpasses what we're able to offer.

Status of Women committee  Good afternoon. Thank you to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women and to the House of Commons for the invitation and request for Women Against Violence Against Women to take part in this important work. My traditional name is Singing Thunderbird Child, Twice Standing Woman.