Status of Women committee  I know there are a lot of programs out there for off-reserve organizations, but in our first nations communities, we don't get that much. We're always having to go to many of our funders to try to get something and we have to do a lot of reports on everything. Many of those things have to do with mental health, the women, and the children.

Status of Women committee  I just want to add to what Chief Meeches said. Right now we have so much development going on in the north. I encourage the women in our community--I encourage anybody I speak to on the street, whomever--that they can become a truck driver. They can become an operator. They don't have to do just the regular women's jobs.

Status of Women committee  The program was a certain help, I guess, in providing a lot more than what were doing or what we were receiving. It's been a struggle in our communities to try to do something. The families that we have, they don't come out and say things. They will do anything they can to keep the family together.

Status of Women committee  In terms of the importance of this program, as Chief Meeches was saying, there has to be an awareness program out there. Our children in the communities up north come here, or in many of the urban communities or centres, to go to school. We don't give them information on what could happen out there.

Status of Women committee  Some contact.

Status of Women committee  I was trying to commend their efforts and what they really want to do, especially with what was established by the first nations.

Status of Women committee  Thank you. On the information, regarding the information going out to the families I believe the RCMP are doing all they can, but it's hard to go to all the missing and murdered women's families. I know that in the north they constantly ask about what's happening. They need updates.

Status of Women committee  The family violence program has been going on since 1998. This information is in your package. We started sitting on a committee, the leadership, comprised of the women chiefs in Manitoba. One of the first things we wanted to look into was family violence. There are some elders and there are some community members who sit on this board.

Status of Women committee  Good morning, members of Parliament and staff of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women. We welcome you to Treaty 1 territory here in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Status of Women committee  My name is Betsy Kennedy. I'm the Chief of War Lake First Nation. With me is Chief Francine Meeches of Swan Lake First Nation. We have many notes here, I notice, and a lot of information, but we would like to speak to the family violence prevention programs, the missing and murdered women, and also the sexual exploitation of our girls and women in our communities.