Status of Women committee  Right, yes. It would be fantastic if there were federal support for programming that is working, such as mentorship, but also for land-based programming, because that's another theme we're seeing now. People are really needing and wanting land-based education.

Status of Women committee  Thank you.

Status of Women committee  Yes, absolutely. I think any kind of support like that works—mentorship programs, transition-year programs—but again, we need a bigger overhaul, a big-picture overhaul, and these are solutions that will just chip away. They're not really going to cause a huge shift.

Status of Women committee  The Indian Act dictates who can be Indian and who is not Indian. One of the criteria was that if you were enfranchised as a Canadian, you were no longer Indian. There were different ways of enfranchisement. One was that if you enlisted in the armed forces, and another was if you were a woman and you married a non-status person, then you would not become Indian.

Status of Women committee  To begin with, there has to be some kind of acknowledgement of the history that's happened. I know that sounds basic, but as an educator who teaches incoming first-year students and graduate students, you'd be surprised at how many 18- and 19-year-olds have no clue about the history of Canada in relation to indigenous peoples.

Status of Women committee  Both.

Status of Women committee  That's a huge question, with many different ways to respond. Fundamentally, we have to examine the relationship between Canada and indigenous women. For example, to go back to the treaties and the Indian Act, the Indian Act dictates every aspect of our life. It even dictates what kind of glasses I can pick when I go to an optometrist.

Status of Women committee  Tanisi. Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to speak today. The information that I'm providing and my statement are based on my own research, on research that others have conducted, on my observations of the experiences of friends, family, and community members, and on my own experiences as a two-spirit-identified Cree woman.