Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Feb. 7th, 2017

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

I call the meeting to order. Welcome, everybody.

First of all, it's my first full day of chairing the committee, and I take that as a great honour. Thank you for participating and coming out. Welcome to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

I'd like to acknowledge that we're meeting on unceded Algonquin territory.

Today we continue our study on suicide in indigenous communities, for which there are three presenters, two here in person and one by teleconference.

It is my pleasure to welcome Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild, who is on the phone. No, I'm sorry, he can't make it. He's stuck at the airport.

I welcome Bobbi Herrera, CEO of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations in Alberta. I hear you have some pretty wicked weather. From the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in Saskatchewan, we are joined by the fourth vice-chief, Heather Bear. It's good to see you again.

We are also joined by Sylvia Johnson, co-minister of health, children and youth from the Métis Nation of Alberta, who is on the phone.

I'm happy to give each of you the floor for 10 minutes, after which committee members will ask you questions.

I'm going to begin with Sylvia Johnson. You may begin your presentation.

[Sylvia Johnson, Co-Minister of Health, Children and Youth, Métis Nation of Alberta]

I would just like to apologize for not being able to get there. I could not get out of Grande Prairie with flights, and then after Grande Prairie, I couldn't get out of Calgary, so I just thought, well, I might as well give up and come back home. It's minus 40 here today.

I would just like to start by saying good morning. I would like to thank the committee and the organizers for having me present today. My name is Sylvia Johnson, and I represent the Métis Nation of Alberta, as the president of region 6 and as co-minister of health, children and youth.

The Métis Nation of Alberta is a recognized representative voice for the Métis people of Alberta. Alberta has the largest Métis population in Canada with approximately 96,000 self-identifying Métis and 32,000 who are registered with the MNA. In Alberta, there are also eight protected Métis land bases, and these are known as Métis settlements.

In my presentation, I will focus on two areas in which the Métis Nation of Alberta would like to concentrate its efforts to support our youth. The work of suicide prevention is not just about preventing death by suicide; rather it is about empowering our people to create and sustain healthy, lively, and culturally connected communities, and to have adequate supports and programs to properly serve our people who are experiencing mental unwellness.

The first focus of my presentation will be on the need to strengthen the resiliency and self-worth of our youth through culturally specific youth programming. The second is the need for equitable and proper mental health supports and services tailored to the specific needs of Métis Albertans.

A major aspect affecting the mental well-being of our youth is a confused identity and cultural disconnection. Métis people have a unique history in Canada, and this is often misunderstood by mainstream society. The importance of Métis people to the development of Canada is not appreciated as it should be, and much of what has been written historically does not accurately represent Métis nationalism and culture.

It's very damaging to our young people to have mixed messages that devalue their cultural history and contradict what they believe about themselves.

I would ask the committee to invest and support the MNA in developing materials and programs so that we can educate people about our culture and our history, preventing further traumatization of our youth.

It also must be recognized that our organization needs to play a vital part in the development and review process of all Métis material being produced and distributed. Additionally, Métis youth in Alberta are living removed from their culture due to a variety of historical circumstances, and are consequently suffering. The future of the Métis Nation will undoubtedly fall on the shoulders of our youth, and hence there is a dire need to rectify this reality.

There is a desperate need for youth programs that allow the youth to connect with their rich culture and gain the confidence needed to be the Métis leaders of tomorrow in order to pull our people towards a self-determining future filled with healthy, lively and culturally connected communities.

The Métis population is a very young population. Forty-three per cent of the Métis in Canada are under the age of 25, and specifically, the Alberta Métis population reaches its population peak between the ages of 20 and 24. Therefore, any data representing the experience of Métis Albertans largely affects our young people.

Currently, Métis people in Alberta experience great levels of substance abuse and certain mental illnesses. From our health status of the Métis population of Alberta, we know that Métis people in Alberta experience a higher prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse, mood disorders, and neurotic disorders. However, even though our people experience a disproportionate burden of mental health issues and addictions, we do not have the capacity to provide support and resources to our community.

Métis people in Alberta are at a disadvantage in accessing supports and services for mental health issues and substance abuse compared with first nations and Inuit because they are not able to access the same non-insured health benefits. In addition to members not having access to these non-insured health benefits, we are unable to provide any substantial and consistent support for those suffering from mental health issues and addictions. With the recent Daniels decision and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call for action, the era of reconciliation is upon us. It is time for Métis people to move towards a self-determining future to enable our people to surpass these inequities.

Due to a lack of funding and partnerships, the Métis nation of Alberta does not currently have the capacity to develop mental health supports and programs for our people that understand the distinct experiences of the Métis people. Core health funding would allow the Métis nation of Alberta to develop mental health strategies designed by our people, for our people, such as in-house mental health counselling, and support the specific needs of our members.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you very much.

I'm now moving to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, and fourth vice-chief, Heather Bear.

Heather.

[Vice-Chief Heather Bear, Fourth Vice-Chief, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations]

Good morning.

First of all, I'd like to acknowledge our Creator on behalf of all of us.

Honourable members of the standing committee, I want to thank you for this opportunity and, of course, thank you to the witnesses.

I am here to emphasize the devastation that suicide has caused among our indigenous youth population. This should not happen, not in Canada.

As fourth vice-chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, I present on behalf of the Saskatchewan First Nations Women's Commission and the 74 first nations in Saskatchewan on behalf of our children and our youth.

The federation is committed to honouring the spirit and intent of the treaties as well as promotion, protection, and implementation of the treaty promises that were made between the nations and the crown. The treaties in our territories have yet to be honoured to their true spirit and intent. Our communities are continuing to experience tragedy at levels far greater than the remaining population.

I am here to raise awareness and to advocate for our indigenous children and youth. I am here to inform you that our 1-800 suicide crisis line is not the only solution, that sending in help after a suicide is not the solution, and that the crisis is much larger than we think. Currently, Saskatchewan has the third highest rate of suicide in the country. In northern Saskatchewan, indigenous people make up 85% of the population, and the suicide rate there is three to six times the national rate.

These statistics are not as true as we are led to believe. In fact, we believe the rates are even worse in Saskatchewan. The hospitals and health authorities are not all reporting ethnicity, and there are also many times that deaths are considered accidents rather than suicides.

What we are certain of, though, is that we need more in-depth studies on the actual suicide rates in Saskatchewan with a strategy to address them. Those studies should be indigenous-led with indigenous researchers to ensure that communities are being well received.

Again, even though the statistics are alarming, they do not tell the full story. In reality, our indigenous people, especially our children and youth, are facing a multitude of issues and trauma and do not know where to look or who to contact for help.

Just in December we were dealing with six suicides, four in northern first nations communities. We are mourning the deaths of six young girls between the ages of 10 and 14. It is absolutely heartbreaking that this happened. Imagine a 10-year-old taking her own life. There were more than three dozen recorded suicide attempts within this period in Saskatchewan.

The harsh reality is that indigenous youth of Saskatchewan are underprivileged and often overlooked. Their everyday struggles are unheard of for most youth. The youth are struggling with their sense of identity and belonging on top of worrying about school and their everyday problems. We are losing our youth to gangs, child welfare, jails, violence, and now suicide. Our youth are impacted by the negative legacy of colonization, residential schools, legislation and policies, loss of language and culture, racism, and trans-generational grief. We must stop these damaging cycles and provide our youth with a brighter future. Breaking the cycle not only entails coming up with wide-encompassing solutions, but it also means deconstructing systems that tend to discriminate against our indigenous children and youth. Indigenous children and youth are not provided with the same supports and services that non-indigenous children and youth are provided with. This is fact. This must change.

Our youth need an opportunity. Our youth are not lagging behind because they are not smart or they are not capable of achievement. Our youth are simply not given the same opportunities or being equally invested in. Our youth are experiencing barriers and are further marginalized due to poverty and location. The benefits of properly investing time and resources into indigenous youth and children will pay off in the long run.

Consider this. There was a suicide prevention conference last week. The conference was packed wall to wall with youth. From my understanding, the youth were thrilled to learn about suicide prevention, to have a voice, knowing they matter, knowing that supports exist for those in need. Awareness of suicide and prevention projects are uncommon and often unheard of in our community. We recommend that there be education and awareness in the schools and in the communities. The youth must be empowered by learning about healthy relationships, healthy foods, or simply how to communicate, how to develop their coping skills, or a class taught in their own indigenous language.

They should also have accessibility to quality education, recreation, sports, youth workers, or even a guidance counsellor. These sorts of opportunities are at every corner in the urban schools, and they should equally be available for indigenous youth in their home communities.

We need to offer our youth holistic approaches that can attend to their diverse needs. The solutions must be culturally relevant, appropriate, and safe. The communities must be involved in providing workable solutions to addressing the root causes of the high incidences of suicide. Often the families in the communities are left with no supports or resources to deal with the tragic loss of their youth. The communities are often not aware of the signs and symptoms that lead to suicide so they need to be engaged throughout the design of any approach.

The communities must also have access to technology so that certain resources or services are easily reached. The service agencies must be provided with the budgets and resources to assist our youth and children. Mental health needs in first nations communities are almost non-existent or are not working well. The current health service delivery options are found to be insensitive, short-term, hard to access, and not timely. Two communities in the northern area are moving forward with their own solutions, and they need to be supported.

The Lac La Ronge Indian Band is looking to build a first of its kind mental wellness centre. Research projects are looking at mental health, such as Sturgeon Lake First Nation. These communities are great examples of not just focusing on the suicide issues but also looking at the entire picture.

We recommend that the solutions keep in line with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action. We cannot risk losing any more children or youth. We need to move away from the reactive and short-term solutions and think about really working to provide an improved quality of life for our children and youth in the long-term and in future generations.

We as leaders, mothers, and nations want the very best for our children and our youth. As indigenous nations our survival relies heavily on the progress of our future generations. We want our children and youth to learn and grow confident in knowing that their human rights are honoured. So we remind you of the seriousness and urgency of the issues and solutions raised today.

I want to say as a mother who has lost a child to suicide, I know and understand the pain and agony. I know that it was our elders and our ceremonies and the good ways and the teachings of our people that helped me go through and not around.

So with that, in closing, thank you for your time.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you very much. We appreciate hearing your voice.

Now we're moving to Susan Bobbi Herrera, chief executive officer of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations.

[Susan Bobbi Herrera, Chief Executive Officer, Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations]

Good morning, Madam Chair and the hon. members of this standing committee.

I extend greetings on behalf of the 17 first nation chiefs of Treaty No. 6 West. It is my honour to be invited to address the topic of suicide among indigenous peoples and communities.

This has been a primary concern of our first nation leaders for many years. Many of our communities have been devastated by the loss of members who have chosen suicide over life. Our cultural teachings inform us that life is the greatest gift of our Creator and that there will be consequences when someone terminates his or her own life.

Having had the opportunity to work on indigenous issues internationally for several decades, we are grateful that this critical issue that impacts the very future of our indigenous peoples is being highlighted internationally, but most importantly, by Canada.

We must work together in bringing hope to our peoples that not only do each of their lives matter, but that they do have a future worth living for.

When another life is lost to suicide, in desperation my leaders ask, "What more can we do or what could we have done?" We ask ourselves, “What is contributing to our people choosing to take their own lives?” Is it the loss of identity, or a sense of a loss of belonging, or losses resulting from intergenerational or historical trauma and dispossession? Is it mental health issues contributing to and compounded by the poverty that is prevalent in many of our first nation communities? Is it addiction to drugs and alcohol? Is it the stress and deep desperation of loss of hope? What has become very troubling is this new phenomenon of cyberbullying.

We do have hope, as there have been advances made in preventing youth suicide and self-harm. There is evidence available that cultural, spiritual, and linguistic revitalization and the provision of healthy, positive lifestyle choices, whether in the arts, sports, recreation, or leisure, all contribute to prevention. They provide youth an opportunity to choose life.

We are also seeing a growing trend in our first nations of Treaty No. 6 of suicide by our aging members. Further research and statistical data are required to aid us in addressing this cause. There is no clear reliable data from our first nations, and while we can understand the reluctance of reporting by our nations, we do need reliable data so we can work towards finding the solutions.

As mentioned, utilizing our indigenous culture as treatment is a good practice. Teaching relevant cultural practices and associated spiritual teachings in kindergartens and in homes is critical. Exposure to culture at a service level is not sufficient. Our teachings and beliefs have been and must continue to be the foundation that lifts up our first nation peoples in a good way and that will promote healthy, happy lives.

Our peoples must be reminded that asking for help must be viewed as a sign of strength, not weakness. Canada must reach out as our treaty partners. Take note of the treaty display that we see on our medallions, where there is a representative of the crown and the indigenous sovereign nation representatives are extending their hands in partnership and friendship. We must work together too. We owe that to those we represent, not only politically, but morally.

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues included the issue of self-harm and suicide at the 14th session and issued in its final report the following:

Indigenous peoples worldwide continue to suffer from intergenerational trauma and colonization, assimilation, loss of language, culture and traditional knowledge and the disintegration of families. Collectively, these problems are linked to the lack of recognition of and respect for the right of self-determination of indigenous peoples. Such trauma can lead to desperation and hopelessness, with indigenous communities frequently seeing suicide rates that are significantly higher than among the general population. This challenge affects indigenous peoples in all regions of the world.

The Permanent Forum urges States to recognize that suicidal behaviour, suicide and self-harm are directly related to the social and economic situation of indigenous peoples in specific countries and primarily linked to loss of self-identification and departure from the roots of traditional cultures and ways of life. This, in turn, is linked to the loss by indigenous people of their rights to their lands and territories, natural resources, traditional ways of life and traditional uses of natural resources.

The Permanent Forum welcomes information received from States and indigenous peoples on current initiatives and strategies to tackle self-harm and suicide among indigenous children and young people at the national level, as well as international efforts in the Arctic and Latin America. In particular, at the regional level, the Forum welcomes the information from the Pan American Health Organization on initiatives that are being conducted in Latin America. The Forum is, however, concerned by the lack of coordination at the global level.

The Permanent Forum therefore urges the World Health Organization to develop a strategy and programme to tackle self-harm and suicide among indigenous children and young people at the global level. The Forum recommends taking into account the indicatives that are being conducted at the regional level, in particular by the Pan American Health Organization, and using them as a basis for further expansion. As a first step, the Forum suggests that the World Health Organization gather evidence and initiate research on the prevalence of self-harm and suicide among indigenous peoples and prepare a compilation of good practices on the prevention of self-harm and suicide among indigenous young people, publishing the findings by 1 January 2017.

The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples' report on the right to health of indigenous people, with a focus on children and youth, also reported that:

Indigenous peoples continue to experience intergenerational trauma secondary to removal of children from families, and residential schooling. The health impacts of these practices are profound, including mental illness, physical and sexual abuse, self-harm and suicide, and drug or alcohol addiction. A correlation has been demonstrated between intergenerational effects of these events and suicide, and sexual abuse during childhood.

Indigenous children and youth are particularly vulnerable to human rights violations, due to their age and the intersectional nature of discrimination experienced by indigenous peoples. Children and youth have not historically been recognized as holders of rights; this is especially the case for indigenous children, who are frequently deprived of fundamental rights concerning their families, communities and identity. The combined effect of intergenerational trauma and lack of progress towards realization of indigenous human rights has resulted in many indigenous children experiencing a multitude of early and traumatic life experiences, placing them at risk of ill health, mental illness, suicide and contact with the criminal justice system.

I'm going to skip forward to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action:

We call upon the federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal governments to acknowledge that the current state of Aboriginal health in Canada is a direct result of previous Canadian government policies, including residential schools, and to recognize and implement the health-care rights of Aboriginal people as identified in international law, constitutional law, and under the Treaties.

We call upon the federal government, in consultation with Aboriginal peoples, to establish measurable goals to identify and close the gaps in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, and to publish annual progress reports and assess long-term trends. Such efforts would focus on indicators such as: infant mortality, maternal health, suicide, mental health, addictions, life expectancy, birth rates, infant and child health issues, chronic diseases, illness and injury incidence, and the availability of appropriate health services.

The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous People noted the disproportionate representation of indigenous people in poor health statistics globally; discrimination against indigenous cultures within the health system; a vital need for culturally appropriate health care services; and direct and effective participation of indigenous people in health policy-making and decision-making.

Further, and most importantly, our position as treaty first nations gives our citizens the right to full health benefits as promised through the medicine chest clause of Treaty No. 6. It has been the teaching of our elders since the time our ancestors entered into the treaty with Her Majesty The Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

We hold Canada responsible to uphold the true spirit and intent of our treaties as a successor state obligated to implement those treaties made in good faith and through sacred ceremonies. We therefore make the following recommendations to Canada: substantially increase resources for all indigenous communities dedicated to prevention and holistic treatment and comply with general comment number 11 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Declaration and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and other relevant international laws, standards, and norms; ensure direct, meaningful, and equal participation of indigenous peoples at all relevant processes and mechanisms to focus on prevention and treatment of self-harm and suicide; and provide support to indigenous peoples, especially the youth, by ensuring direct engagement and participation in decision-making on matters that directly affect us.

Thank you for providing the opportunity to our organization to make this presentation on behalf of my chiefs and grand chief, who sends his regrets. He is currently in the air. We look forward to continue working together for the benefit of our first nation citizens. We will forward a full written submission for your review.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you.

We are now going to proceed into rounds of questions.

The first question is coming from the Liberals with Michael McLeod.

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you for the presentations.

We've been on the suicide study for some time now and we've heard many of the issues that you've raised. There are a lot of similar issues that we've heard from witnesses on such as housing, lack of jobs, the cultural disconnect in our communities, the residential school fallout, and violence. These are all issues that we seem to share.

Although we've heard from many witnesses, it's still shocking to hear the number of people who are taking their lives. It's something that, prior to my getting elected to this position, I thought was really focused in the area of the north. I'm from the Northwest Territories and I heard it in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and other places. It's something that's happening right across the country, and a lot of it is in our small aboriginal communities. We've never really brought out the totals of how many people are taking their lives. When you brought out the numbers from this summer, it reminded me that this is not an issue that's going away. In fact, it's escalating. I think in Nunavut we had maybe 80 people take—

[Hunter Tootoo, Independent, Nunavut, NU]

It was 29.

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Yes, 28 or 29. In the Northwest Territories we had close to 10 this summer.

There are a lot of issues out there that are causing despair in our communities, and we have to focus on all of them and start trying to deal with the deep-rooted problems that we have. We can't deal with them in isolation.

There are a couple of areas I want to ask about. The first one is the sexual abuse that is happening in the communities. You raised it from the Treaty 6 perspective. I would like to ask all of you. How big of an issue is it in our communities? I know in some of the communities, it's still a big issue as a result of the residential school and lack of housing.

Could you elaborate on that issue in your communities?

[Vice-Chief Heather Bear]

Thank you for the question.

Sexual abuse among our people and youth is a reality. It's a shame-based issue and a very difficult issue to work and deal with because of the need to build trust within, I guess you would call, our essential services within our communities. It's about families. There are examples out there where these issues are disclosed, such as in circles. There again, it's the elders. Many of the elders, right now, have been directly impacted. I'm a residential school survivor, but my grandmother and my mother were day schooled. I'm a survivor, but that's a life-long journey of healing. The statistics and the reality are that some people who have been abused will abuse again. Of course, that's the intergenerational impact. There are others who don't. We need to look at what works. I just have to validate the elders and the good ways of our people to get us strong again so we can speak out.

I'll leave some time for Treaty 6.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you.

Ms. Herrera, and then we must get an answer as well from Ms. Johnson who's on the phone, so try to keep your comments to about a minute. Thank you.

[Susan Bobbi Herrera]

Thank you.

It's a very serious question that you are posing. I really look back at the loss of our culture and our identity as indigenous people. Where I grew up, there was a very strong cultural influence as a way of life, not that “today you will learn your culture” or “today you're going to learn your language,” but to be the person that I became.

I see that doesn't happen in our youth today in many of our first nation communities. They are made to feel less than. They are made to feel that it's normal to have sex at a very young age, 11 or 12. It is shocking.

We took a group to the University of Oklahoma, and one girl in the group, when she interacted with others, found out it wasn't normal to have sex with a father or brother. We didn't know this was happening to her. So it's a loss of our identity, our cultural connection that puts values on women. We have our roles as females. Men have their roles. I think that's what really is missing.

We have predators out there. As Ms. Bear said, once you have had something committed against your, you're more likely to commit that against someone else, so it is a very growing concern.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you very much.

Sylvia Johnson.

[Sylvia Johnson]

Thank you very much.

Regarding sexual abuse, of course, with Métis youth and Métis people, we live here in the bush in northern Alberta, and health services are not very prevalent here. The specialized services that we would like to utilize are a six-hour drive north. This means that we don't have the resources to provide to our children and youth. We have very limited means and ways to help them.

Sexual abuse is a fine line for our youth. What exactly is abuse and what exactly is their acceptance and love? We also have pregnant young girls; they're homeless and they couch surf. They have nowhere to live and they go from couch to couch, whoever will let them in. Of course, they have to accommodate whoever is letting them into their place.

It's 40-below here today, and I'm very worried about some of these young girls out on the street. They are going to give birth and they are not dressed properly and have nowhere to go.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you.

[Sylvia Johnson]

We also have young men who suffer the same thing. There's a fear of the police and who to trust, who to trust with this and be safe with it. We believe we need resources to identify this very serious issue, which leads to suicide and other things.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you, Sylvia.

Now we're moving over to the Conservative Party and MP Viersen.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to our guests for being here today. It's a great privilege to be able to listen to your testimony.

I guess my questioning can be broken into three areas. I'll ask all three of my questions, and then I'll let you all answer.

The first question is about technology. What effect do you think our interconnected world has on it? In every one of the communities that I go to visit, I notice that everyone seems to have a smart phone; everybody seems to be on Facebook. I know that's how I keep in contact with a number of the communities, through Facebook. I wonder if my estimation is correct. Does it play any part in this current crisis that we face in some communities, with perhaps online bullying, but perhaps also it provides a tool? I know that Facebook has an algorithm and they'll send you a message saying, “Hey, your recent posts look as though you're having trouble. Are you in fact having trouble? Do we have to find you some help?” There may be a solution there as well.

The other thing I'd like your comments on is I think an Ontario government program, called “I Am a Kind Man”. There's a different term for it, but I can't pronounce it.

Lastly, I wonder if you could name some role models whom we could hold up. I think that's a big thing, that the indigenous communities don't have necessarily a good role model. In some cases, some of these really good role models end up succumbing to suicide as well, and then we can't really hold them up as, “Hey, this is what you want to be,” because it has often ended in tragedy. Could you think about it for a few minutes maybe as well, whether there's a good role model or two that we can showcase to your communities in particular as we go forward from here?

Those are my three questions: the technology/Facebook kind of thing, I Am a Kind Man, and role models.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Why don't we start with Sylvia on the phone, and then go the other way.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Sure.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Sylvia.

[Sylvia Johnson]

Pretty much all youth have a cellphone with access to Facebook and things like that. As you said, there's a lot of bullying on Facebook. There's a lot of peer pressure. There are also a lot of inappropriate things that are said and put up on Facebook. It reaches everybody in our little communities immediately.

We've had people who have been deceased, and the family have found out about it on Facebook. That's also how people have found out about what their children are doing or are involved with. That has become sort of the norm now. I'm not at all familiar with I Am a Kind Man. So I can't speak to that.

As for role models, it's not hopeless here. We do have role models. We have young people who have gone on to university and who go on.... The problem is that we want them to come back to our community as role models to show other youth that, yes, if they can get through, if they can come out of our community and go on with their lives, and become quite self-sustaining and enjoy life, and even find to quite a bit of success, so can our youth.

We have people here who have gone on to become TV celebrities. We also have some who are in university. I believe that through those models we can show our youth that it is not hopeless.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you, Ms. Johnson.

We have about three minutes. We shall go on to Chief Bear.

[Vice-Chief Heather Bear]

Thank you. That's a very good question.

Speaking of role models in Saskatchewan, the FSIN has Andre Bear and Cheyenne Fineday as our youth representatives. They were voted in by the youth of our communities.

ASIST is an example of a program with peer counselling. I know that Andre Bear, our representative, is also our AFN youth representative, so he would be a wonderful role model, speaker, and advocate to empower our young people and give them hope.

Cyber-bullying is a problem. When children are living in poverty but have phones at eight or nine years of age with fighting and video on them, we need stronger laws, especially in our communities, to deal with any kind of cyber-bullying. We need to do things from a legal perspective.