Thank you very much, Ms. Lavell-Harvard, for joining us today to speak to the important work of the Native Women's Association of Canada. You gave a very powerful synopsis of the extent of NWAC's contributions not only to indigenous women and indigenous communities, but also to Canadian society.
I do want to highlight the work of Sisters in Spirit as well. Despite the fact that its funding was entirely cut, it continues to be an effort that is in people's psyches, and certainly brings people together. It continues to bring people together. Families that were first reunited through the work of Sisters in Spirit continue to come together and be powerful voices on the ultimate need for justice for indigenous women.
I know that your presentation touched on this a bit. Obviously, we're all very supportive of the work being undertaken to bring forward a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, but one of the things I hear a lot from indigenous women, and from indigenous men as well, in communities across northern Manitoba and across Canada is that while the inquiry is critical and needs to take place, there are certain actions that can take place prior to the inquiry.
One of the words you used to describe the reality that many indigenous peoples face is “poverty” and how it really is linked to the marginalization and the vulnerability that many indigenous peoples experience right now. Do you agree that fundamental actions need to take place in parallel to the inquiry? Do we need wait for the inquiry to tackle poverty in indigenous communities, or can and should we be going forward on that front as soon as possible?