Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on May 15th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Go ahead, Ms. DeLaronde.

[Sandra DeLaronde]

Thank you for that question. The resources that have been designated for COVID-19 and for shelters—and I have to say “shelters”, not spaces—is not reaching the indigenous women's community. In order for change to occur, I think these processes must be indigenous-led processes. Even now, for the amount of money received, between federal or provincial shelters there is a disparity in that amount of money, and they are always at capacity and they need renovations, etc.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

That brings us to our time. Thanks, Ms. DeLaronde.

Ms. Gazan, you have two and a half minutes. Please go ahead.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Chair, my last question is for the coalition again, and specifically for you, Hilda. You mentioned that there are only 46 women's shelters in the country and only four in Manitoba. Clearly, this is a crisis. I know. I live in Manitoba.

Where are the gaps? What needs to happen immediately to protect indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people?

[Hilda Anderson-Pyrz]

The gaps exist in the infrastructure to provide these safe spaces, as well as capacity development, especially when we look at our first nation communities, even in urban environments. Many of the same challenges we experience in our communities exist in urban environments too. Indigenous women and girls and two-spirited and gender-diverse people are often forgotten in program development or in accessing those resources. Ending poverty.... I always say this, because we need to end poverty. Many of our women and girls end up in these vulnerable situations because of poverty.

I want to reiterate that the federal government needs to immediately implement call for justice 4.5 for a guaranteed annual livable income. If you can find safe spaces to live, if you're able to thrive and to grow and to access different resources that are readily available or are currently being developed, that is so critical.

If we can't have that, and if we can't develop those from an indigenous lens so that we're at the table and we're making those decisions and we're developing those plans, you're going to continue to see extreme levels of violence, because we cannot accept paternalistic approaches anymore. We have our own ways, and they need to be respected to protect our women and girls and two-spirited people.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you very much for that.

Does anybody want to add to that?

Ms. Whitman, would you like to add to that?

[Lorraine Whitman]

Sure.

I agree with what was just said. Truly, we do have to look at it through a matriarchal lens and not the paternal one, which we've done so much of. It has caused so many problems within and it's one area we really have to look at. That was mentioned at the end of the national inquiry report as a finding. Of course, genocide was mentioned as well, and I have to go into that as well because that's an important component.

I think in Canada we can be a shining light if we work together with women and are able to nip it in the bud now and start moving forward in a positive way.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you, Ms. Gazan and Ms. Whitman.

Committee, we have not enough time to do the next five-minute round, but we can get in one more questioner. That will be Mr. Schmale. Then we'll wrap up the session.

You have five minutes, Mr. Schmale, starting now.

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

Thank you, but I think it's Mr. Zimmer, believe it or not.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

His name wasn't on my list, but okay.

Go ahead, Mr. Zimmer.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Thank you once again, Chair.

My question is again for you, Ms. Omeniho. We talked about the PPE situation with regard to the Métis being that unique group that sometimes has difficulty in terms of getting resources. I almost feel like asking Ms. Damoff a question, as she said that PPE is the responsibility of the provincial governments off reserve. On reserve it's the responsibility of the federal government, and we haven't seem much PPE get to those reserves. That also needs to be part of the plan to fix, because we saw some of our local reserves scrambling to find their own PPE during the crisis.

Ms. Omeniho, what do you see needs to be done right now? We've seen some of the programs, the CERB and different other things. What would help with the everyday lives of Métis women and girls? What could be done right now? Do you find that the programs currently offered are fitting the bill, or are there some gaps there as well? We've heard about gaps from citizens, from constituents in my local riding, but what specific gaps do you see, especially with regard to Métis women and girls?

[Melanie Omeniho]

There are considerable gaps when it comes to Métis women and girls. There are food security issues that are going on that are still affecting them. Maybe in an average world, if everybody had access to money and resources, they could try to access those kinds of things. You know, people can say what they want, but groceries are going up. I feel like I'm a more privileged person than some, because I'm able to buy my own groceries. If you can't find them in the store or if they hike the prices so high that you can't afford them, what are people who don't have that kind of income doing to be able to supplement what they have?

Going forward into this new transition, where they're trying to open things up, we do still need PPE. I know that some small amounts have been leaking out from different places, but we need to be able to educate our people about the importance of protecting themselves as things open up. I agree with what Lorraine mentioned earlier, that in the second round things will be a lot worse if we don't have people able to protect and defend themselves against this virus.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Ms. Omeniho, would you say the distribution network is there? Again, I hope you will write to the committee as soon as you can on the broader answer to this, but in terms of that distribution network, where should that PPE go specifically so that essentially the equipment gets into the hands of the Métis, to the people who need it, to the caregivers you mentioned and to the elders? Where's the best place for that PPE?

[Melanie Omeniho]

I'll be really honest and say that the last place should be the provinces. The provinces very, very often tend to work with the treaty organizations, even though they're supported federally by Indigenous Services Canada.

Number one, I think there can be a coordinated effort amongst our Métis communities and our Métis organizations. There are lots of them. I know that they're trying really hard to do food hampers and grocery cards, things that are tangible for people and that make a difference. If they have access to those resources, it will be far easier to get things out to our communities rather than have them go through a large bureaucratic process.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Thank you again for that. I think that's the answer I was looking for. We can have an answer that looks great on paper, but if that mask, that N95 mask, isn't making it to that 23-year-old nurse who is caring for an elder, then it all doesn't matter. We need to make sure that they get to people in a timely fashion.

Again, we look forward to your response. You can reach out to either my office or the chair's so that we all get this information. Then we can get it done. We know it needs to happen.

Thank you for your time today, Ms. Omeniho.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

That brings us just about to time.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Zimmer implied that Indigenous Services Canada is not getting PPE onto reserves. That's simply not true. While I wish that the federal government could send PPE down to women like Melanie, we just can't. There's a province in the way, and we have a constitution.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I think—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

That's a point of debate, and I'm going to interrupt at this point.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I would debate her on that point every day because our indigenous in the north are simply not getting it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I want to thank, first of all, our committee because these are difficult and profound issues. I thought that we had very useful questions and comments from our committee for the most part.

Of course, I want to thank our witnesses from the Manitoba Coalition, Hilda Anderson-Pyrz and Sandra DeLaronde; from the Native Women's Association of Canada—we finally got you on and connected, and it worked out very well—Ms. Whitman; and from the Women of the Métis Nation, Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak, Melanie Omeniho.

We're so lucky to have people like you involved in trying to solve these problems, which are only exacerbated by the current pandemic. Once again, thanks to everyone.

Our next meeting will be next Friday. Until that time, thank you for this committee meeting.

I call this meeting adjourned.