Status of Women committee  Thank you. In a few seconds, let me say that there are thousands of us. With the Internet, you can find us. Across Canada, there were women everywhere I went who could participate or put in something forward or stop something. We have knowledgeable women across Canada. We're side by side now—I will be at the Senate for the next 25 years—so I hope to get some emails from you.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much for seeking to ensure that the recommendations include an important component on human rights, the rights of indigenous women, security and of course women's relationship with the environment. With regard to economic development, there are so many projects ongoing in our territories, and indigenous women are left cleaning rooms and working in cafeterias, when they could be team leaders, engineers or in charge of environmental assessments.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much. I was hoping to find a way to talk about that. Lithium, which is used to make batteries as part of the green shift, is found on Innu territory, Anishinabe territory and many other territories in Canada. Most indigenous women are visionary. If we do not start including women in the discussions on the future environmental or economic impact, I am really afraid that an important voice will once again be muzzled or forgotten.

Status of Women committee  I will repeat that the best people to give you the right answer would be the grassroots women, the women who live in the community, the women who live in Downtown Eastside Vancouver or in Montreal and so on, making sure that it's not a pan-approach but is diverse, one where we can respect what they really want to see and where they want to be involved.

Status of Women committee  I can see the chair is saying, “Okay, Michèle...”.

Status of Women committee  I'm not sure I understand the question.

Status of Women committee  Yes, there are. I'm from a place where the mining industry looks like the biggest golf course in Schefferville, there are so many holes there. If we have a healing approach or a healing process in place there, it's not something I can bring back to the native friendship centre in Joliette, because the reality is different, as are the protocols, the culture and the language.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much, Ms. Gazan. I do not consider the issues and topics that affect first peoples to be strictly aboriginal issues. These are cross-cutting issues that concern or affect us as they would in the case of a person from Quebec or the Northwest Territories. We must have independent and safe spaces, bringing together a multitude of human, scientific and theoretical expertise and experience, which will ensure that the truth is always maintained.

Status of Women committee  The best example I could give you is a fresh one. The Department of Public Safety says that it held a virtual consultation across Canada. In several communities in Quebec, there are first nations police services. To what extent have the women in these communities been encouraged to express themselves in a safe manner on the pros and cons or on the things that can be improved or changed in terms of public safety?

Status of Women committee  I really like your question, Ms. Vien. That should be one of the recommendations in your report: in the various regions of Canada, a circle of organizations and people like those you have named should be involved in this kind of exercise. As it were, this is what we are doing in the context of the regional first nations economic circle, which is currently being held in Mashteuiatsh.

Status of Women committee  That's right. Social acceptability will not be easy either. If we set up advisory committees without representation from women with a survivor's experience, we run the risk of missing the mark, despite our good intentions. I support your comment. In fact, you should make this a recommendation.

Status of Women committee  Sure.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much for that important question, Ms. Gazan. We have heard initiatives from members of the government. But initiatives go hand in hand with political will or political colour. The day we have our own autonomous governments, that will be another answer. Before we get to that point, the federal, provincial and territorial governments have responsibilities.

Status of Women committee  Of course. We can draw the same parallel. What we're talking about here is everything that's happening in the aboriginal territories in the context of resource development, but it's also important to look at all the institutions, services, or programs that indigenous women and girls are entitled to, or would be entitled to, but don't even know about.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much for the question. It allows me to address one of the aspects that I was unable to explain. Often the federal government goes through national organizations like the Assembly of Chiefs or the Native Women's Association of Canada, which may not be the ones on the ground.