Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on May 13th, 2020

[National Chief Robert Bertrand]

Well, again, it's to be treated as equal. I don't know if I mentioned it in my opening remarks, but we signed a political accord back in 2018. That has to be worked on. We have been working on it, but it is so slow to get the resources to implement some of these items that were included. The other thing that we could suggest to the government is that they did sign on to UNDRIP, but now we urge them to please not only sign it but to follow up on what UNDRIP really stands for.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Was CAP aware of the government's plan to respond to COVID-19 for indigenous peoples? What was your reaction to the government's announcement?

[National Chief Robert Bertrand]

I believe CAP was aware of the announcement on March 13. We had already reached out to request that CAP and its PTOs be included in the federal response policies before that announcement was made, but we didn't hear the criteria for the competition for funding until, I believe, mid-April, and the results weren't shared until late April.

We lost a month. People would have had time to prepare, but again, because of this distinctions-based approach, we were left out. We are hoping.... That is one of the reasons why we are here today. It's to make sure that—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have one minute.

[National Chief Robert Bertrand]

—your committee suggests strongly to the government that not only the three distinctions-based organizations be included, but also all the NIOs be included in their discussions with indigenous peoples.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Let's continue quickly on the distinctions-based approach. Considering CAP represents indigenous people of all distinctions, how can this committee help ensure your constituents are not excluded from distinctions-based policies?

[National Chief Robert Bertrand]

Again, you can make sure that you follow up on how the political accord is coming along. For any new programs that are announced by CIRNAC or ISC that affect indigenous people, make sure they are not only reserved for distinctions-based groups, but open to everyone.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

We're at time right there, Chief. I'm sorry to interrupt.

It's time to move on to our second speaker.

Mr. Battiste, for six minutes.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm really happy to have the ability to discuss urban indigenous people today. I think the committee needs to get a better understanding, just as I do, of some of the barriers that exist for indigenous people who are off reserve.

I want to focus a bit on the friendship centres. What challenges has COVID-19 created for your organization? I know that friendship centres are often a gathering place for urban indigenous people. Without that ability to gather, what programs are you currently able to offer during the COVID era? Are they being communicated? How are we communicating with those you represent?

[Jocelyn Formsma, Executive Director, National Association of Friendship Centres]

I could jump in and start on that, and then hand it over to some of my colleagues.

Hello, Jaime. It's good to see you.

There are a few things. I think immediately once the pandemic was declared, friendship centres and their partner organizations leaped into action to ensure that the community was okay by finding out where people were and finding out what was needed. As to the immediate needs that were met as people were being isolated, they made sure people had food and supplies, including cultural medicines and home-cooked meals, those kinds of things.

What we've found is there are challenges being faced right now in the quick transition of programs and services. As you said, we were used to coming together at a building, bricks and mortar, and a lot of friendship centres have now had to transition to virtual-based supports. Access to protective equipment for those who are still doing direct outreach to folks.... They're still meeting with people one on one. They're still trying to help youth in care, for example, so they can still see their families.

There's still some one-on-one, in-person service delivery, but there's also the virtual stuff: being able to access equipment and technology and hitting data limits, and, for some in the north, accessing Internet packages or just Internet service at all. It's about being able to lend out equipment to community members so they have a point of access for their family members for the friendship centres to check in. We have looked at program adaptation and technology.

Mental health has also been a huge challenge. As we said, we have a large number of indigenous women leading our network. They are not only the caretakers of the community, but also the caretakers at home. We can deal with the mental health challenge, leading through and making decisions on behalf of the community. Many feel like they're not doing enough or are feeling guilty about what is and is not being done.

On the coordination of resources, we know that in the urban spaces not a whole lot of resources were made available from the federal government. There has also been a challenge with provincial, territorial and municipal funding. It really hasn't materialized, except for in a few provinces.

Then there's the ongoing challenge of goods, like food, sanitation goods and other kinds of infrastructure supports to renovate centres into safer spaces for the community.

I'll just pause there for now. Those have been the immediate and ongoing challenges.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

I'll stick with the friendship centres. There are barriers right now for indigenous people who are living in urban settings. For a lot of the programs that we provide for municipalities or urban locations, we believe that indigenous people would be included in those, but often there are challenges so that they can't access the programs. Are you hearing a lot about that during the COVID era, or do you feel like the programs that we've rolled out in urban settings have been easy to access for first nations and indigenous people off reserve?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

One minute.

[Jocelyn Formsma]

I'll just make one quick point on that. What we find is different from what first nations are able to offer. I can't make a blanket statement on that because there are some exceptions, but the friendship centres really have offered that culturally appropriate wraparound support. It's a bit more than what you might be receiving if you were getting financial aid, or if you were able to get access to a food bank, or something like that. Friendship centres have the trust with the community members so they're able to do a lot more with a single interaction. I think that's what's unique and what's really been missing. I know a lot of first nations are doing their best to try to do outreach and support their off-reserve members, but often they're just physically not able to offer that full wraparound support for those members. I think that's where we need to partner and work together to ensure that we're not leaving those gaps for off-reserve first nations.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

That's our time. Thank you very much.

Next we go to the Bloc Québécois, with Sylvie Bérubé, please.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to thank all the witnesses with us at this committee meeting.

My question is for Ms. Cloutier, from the Val-d'Or Native Friendship Centre.

Welcome, Ms. Cloutier. I would like to know, what is one of the biggest obstacles you must face right now that makes it harder to take meaningful and humane steps on the ground for the native friendship centres?

[Edith Cloutier]

Thank you for your question. Ms. Bérubé.

I agree with my colleagues on the issues facing native friendship centres.

Actually, the federal government currently does not recognize urban realities—I believe we have heard the various stakeholders speak eloquently about it. Urban indigenous needs are being ignored. We saw this with the funding provided to First Nations in response to COVID-19. We have also heard it, and I think we will hear it again, in terms of taking this distinctions-based approach to service delivery. This approach focuses on recognition of the unique characteristics of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. As a result, a large segment of the indigenous population, the urban indigenous, is invisible. This is evident in the field, given the difficulty of accessing funding methods specifically designed for the urban environment.

When we have to cope with and are engulfed in a global crisis, we see that access to limited funding—and indigenous Services Canada uses this distinctions-based approach, for example—makes it difficult to structure an adequate response in terms of services, which need to be reorganized and reviewed, and more importantly, reviewed as a matter of urgency. As a result, people are left without a voice, as it were. That is why we are grateful for this forum. It is a privilege to be able to bring that currently silent, unheard voice to you, because we want to be able to provide direct services.

A program specific to native friendship centres existed until about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, the program was merged into a broader program, which made funding for native friendship centres more precarious.

One of the government's key responses would be to bring back a program focused on supporting native friendship centres as front-line service organizations in over 100 cities across Canada.

This recognition would come with adequate funding so that we could provide answers to the community, front-line answers to an organization that is a pan-Canadian movement, let us not forget. Mostly governed by women, friendship centres are the largest community service infrastructure responding to the vast and very specific needs of people who are marginalized. The centres serve many people.

The restructuring that eliminated the native friendship centre program had disastrous consequences. This is even more evident in a pandemic.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you, Ms. Cloutier.

I have another question.

What are your biggest concerns during this COVID-19 pandemic?

It goes back a little to what you mentioned earlier.

[Edith Cloutier]

Yes, I mentioned that in my presentation. It is totally wrong to claim that we are all equal in the face of a pandemic.

For example, how can you stay at home if you have no home?

How can we cover basic needs in a time of crisis when we are already struggling to do so in normal times?

How can we feel safe staying at home when that same home harbours violence?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have one minute.

[Edith Cloutier]

We have mentioned this before: when your mental health is fragile, how do you cope with anxiety and depression?

The pandemic will be transitory, but social inequalities will always remain. A number of studies have brought highlighted gaps in health care. In fact, in terms of health and quality of life, we know that this pandemic will just exacerbate the inequalities.

Friendship centres provide leadership. They have organizational agility that allows them to act swiftly, to take charge of an emergency situation and to act directly on the ground. I feel that, while we are dealing with this crisis, we also must look at the post-COVID-19 issue, because we will still have to meet needs once the pandemic is over.

As I said earlier, the social inequalities will become more and more pronounced.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you, Ms. Cloutier.

[Edith Cloutier]

Thank you for your question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you.

We're perfectly on time.

Now for six minutes, we have Ms. Gazan.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you very much, Chair.

My first question is for the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council.

Lindsay, according to the Aboriginal Housing Management Association, systemic impacts of colonization, including the forced incarceration of children in residential schools, and systemic barriers including institutional racism, patriarchy and higher numbers of indigenous children aging out of care has resulted in indigenous people being eight times more likely to experience homelessness when compared to the rest of the Canadian population. This has become even more pronounced with the COVID-19 crisis.

Do you think the current federal response is adequate to address the crisis of urban indigenous homelessness? If not, can you identify some of those gaps?

[Lindsay Kretschmer]

With all due respect, if the current federal response were adequate, I don't know that we would be having this conversation. I don't know that, if we represent about 3% of the population here in Toronto as indigenous people, we would represent over 16% of the homeless. I don't know that the litany of plight statistics that currently face our people would remain such if we had solutions. We do need capital. We do need swift, actionable responses. We're past the time for consultation, the time for talking. We need some land, quite frankly we do. In line with reconciliation, with MMIWG, we need to coordinate with each other to start thinking about some of those vacant properties, carving off some land and returning it to indigenous groups to build affordable housing for indigenous peoples, to respond to these issues.