Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on May 15th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

We're right at time, Mr. Viersen.

Just before we go on to Mr. Powlowski, we continue to have some issues technically that may be resolved in part by having those who are not speaking click off their video. In that way, it really reduces the technical load and it allows for clearer translation. Perhaps we could do that.

I'll also keep an eye on the “raise hand” icons in case someone wants to come in, of course, anytime. As long as we can hear you, we're okay.

With those instructions, Mr. Powlowski, you have six minutes. Please go ahead.

[Marcus Powlowski, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

I don't know if I like this, Bob. It was bad enough to begin with. Now I'm looking at a bunch of names and hoping someone is out there.

Thanks to all the witnesses for coming.

In my recent lifetime—now it's changed and I'm a parliamentarian—I used to be a doctor and work in a number of fly-in communities: Nain, Labrador; Iqaluit; and Norway House for a few years, which isn't exactly fly-in but it's a very long road. I see Ms. Anderson-Pyrz shaking her head. I don't know if she's from there. I know Anderson is a really common name in Norway House.

I really enjoyed working in those places, but I can see that if you have family problems, an abusive spouse, it's particularly difficult in isolated communities, partly because a lot of people are related, partly because everyone knows everyone. Maybe you have an abusive spouse but your spouse's cousin or brother is on the police force or in the band council, so it makes it that much more difficult. Maybe you could comment on that.

Before you do, let me go on to something I really wanted to get to. I think if you're in a difficult situation, in an abusive relationship, in those kinds of communities it's hard enough to begin with, partly because getting out of the community can be really hard. The cost of a plane ticket is beyond a lot of people's means. In my experience as a doctor, I've seen people so driven to despair that they've actually attempted suicide because at least then you get a flight out of the community. Even at the best of times, getting out of these communities when you're in a difficult situation is hard. It's that much harder now because of COVID-19 and the attempts to block off the communities for the sake of the safety of people in those communities, but once you block them off, it's harder to get out as well.

Maybe I could ask a bunch of the witnesses to comment on the problems faced under COVID-19, in particular by those isolated communities.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Who would like to answer?

Ms. Anderson-Pyrz.

[Hilda Anderson-Pyrz]

Sure.

It's very difficult when indigenous women and girls and two-spirited people experience violence when they live in a remote, isolated location, particularly when it comes to providing adequate supports and resources and a shelter.

In Manitoba, we have only four shelters in all of the first nation communities, so that makes it more difficult. Many of the violence prevention programs are severely underfunded, as well as many of the other services, whether it be mental health or health care in our communities.

The remoteness and the isolation make it much more difficult to access outside supports and resources, and given the context of COVID, it's very challenging with flight schedules and the blockades that exist in our communities to prevent the spread of COVID.

We've done a lot of work within the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak as well to share a lot of information on pandemic teams about including domestic violence plans in all the pandemic plans in our communities to ensure it is addressed. There are safety mechanisms that we can use to the best of our ability, given the underfunding that we receive and the lack of resources we're able to provide as a result of severe underfunding.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Ms. Omeniho, did you want to respond as well?

[Melanie Omeniho]

Yes, I did. It is a significant issue for many of the women in our communities. They are not allowed out of their communities in most cases. In fact, there are even RCMP to keep them on curfews. They are extremely isolated, which creates really dangerous situations for some of these people.

As far as organizations receiving funding are concerned, we do believe there were a lot of organizations that were getting reduced funding. There aren't that many organizations actually on the ground delivering services at the best of times, but because of COVID-19, many of those that people had been relying on have actually closed their doors because they didn't have the necessary resources to deliver services. It has made it extremely challenging and somewhat dangerous for some women.

We're hearing about deaths in our community, and it's very disturbing and very concerning. We believe there needs to be ongoing, secure, stable funding for anybody who is delivering services to indigenous women, and that's part of what we are pushing forward on with the implementation of the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls process in the near future.

We are hoping there is more security, more access and more availability.

This is the other little plug that I want to do. I recognize that right now, because of the pandemic, we can only react to what's going on, but in the future there should be a lot more work done toward prepared planning for emergency response for indigenous women. It shouldn't be just us reacting to what's going on; we should be actually prepared to address issues in a more stable environment all the time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

That brings us to time. Thank you very much.

Now it will be six minutes for Madame Bérubé,

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank the witnesses here today. We really appreciate your presentations.

I represent the constituency of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou. The constituency is very large and is home to many indigenous communities and indigenous women. I want to let you know that I was in Val-d'Or last September during the tabling of the report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, or NIMMIWG.

The report clearly states that indigenous women in Quebec most often experience indifference, and sometimes even contempt, while former colonial policies have infiltrated Quebec institutions.

Ms. Whitman, the pandemic is making things difficult for indigenous women. According to an APTN report, the current pandemic is increasing pressure on women's shelters and creating complications for these facilities because of physical distancing measures.

Can you elaborate on this reality, particularly with regard to the situation in Quebec?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Who would like to answer that?

Ms. Whitman, go ahead.

[Lorraine Whitman]

Thank you.

I did get part of it by the time I found the translation. In regard to the violence that's occurring, you're certainly correct that with the shelters and what have you, it makes it far more difficult for our women to be able to find accommodation and make use of some of the services, especially with some of the shelters.

Some of them are not culturally related to the indigenous women, the Métis and the Inuit, so it makes it uncomfortable. At the same time, the shelters are facing this pandemic, which means they aren't able to take as many people into the shelters, in protection of the women and the children who are already in the centres. Of course, with new women coming in with children, it makes it even more distressing that some of the women's needs are not being met. Although I do understand there have been some rooms in hotels made available to accommodate the women, there are still women who are missing in these gaps that are occurring with this pandemic and the violence.

It's as though we're struck with two crises: the pandemic, and then the increase in violence.

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

Thank you, Ms. Whitman.

What more could the government do—I'm thinking in particular of Indigenous Services Canada—to better help women who are victims of domestic violence? On that note, how could this department prevent domestic violence and violence against women?

[Lorraine Whitman]

We need sustainable, reliable income. As was mentioned, we're reacting to this, and with the murdered and missing indigenous women inquiry, we should be proactive and there should be dollars here so that we can start having preventive messaging and ways that we can meet the needs of our women. This isn't going to happen overnight, because this goes back to the colonization and back to the conclusion of the inquiry that this was genocide.

We need stable, immediate funding that will help. We know that, with the pandemic, if we have a second round, it could be worse than the first, from my understanding, so we need dollars and sustainable funding in order to meet the needs of our women, our children and our gender-diverse people, as well as a national action plan.

We're willing to be inclusive and give our ideas. We did a round table with the MMIWG. We had suggestions there that we submitted to the government. However, we haven't heard anything back on the suggestions we made.

Thank you.

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

Thank you, Ms. Whitman. On May 5, you expressed your disappointment with the Liberal government's implementation of the 231 calls to action in the NIMMIWG report.

In your opinion, how does the failure to implement these recommendations worsen the issue of domestic violence for indigenous women during this crisis?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Ms. Whitman, you have one minute. Go ahead.

[Lorraine Whitman]

It makes a big difference in the line of violence that's occurring, because we need sustainable dollars. We need to be able to work together, and we need the inclusion of indigenous women to be able to make a step forward, with a plan that is made by the indigenous people for the indigenous people, a plan that is culturally related.

We have been given no dollars, even last year with the commemoration. In 2019, we had applied for commemoration dollars and we were refused. We had sent in proposals.

This is disheartening, when we have people who give their testimonies and open their hearts to what has happened. We have a 1,200-page inquiry report, yet we were told that we didn't meet the criteria. NWAC, the native organization, was at the very forefront with Sisters in Spirit, and we were at the forefront of the inquiry going ahead. I am still baffled as to why we were given no dollars in regard to the commemoration or dollars so that we could move forward for our betterment.

I do realize that the government has given more dollars out. The Prime Minister mentioned, just the other day, violence against Canadian women in Montreal and the event that just happened in my community of Mi’kmaqi, but is there a gender base regarding our indigenous women, our children and our gender-diverse? I didn't see anything mentioned in his speech.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I'm sorry to interrupt. We're at our time.

Ms. DeLaronde wanted to speak. I saw her hand go up, but perhaps it will wait until the next question.

Ms. Gazan, you're next. You have six minutes.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My questions will be directed at the coalition. I want to start by commending you for your presentation. It was powerful, and certainly important for this committee.

My first question is for you, Sandra. You spoke in your presentation about the need for a 24-7 low-barrier safe space. Could you expand on the need and tell us a little more about what that would look like?

[Sandra DeLaronde]

Thank you, Ms. Gazan.

First, I would like to say that there has been a pandemic of violence against indigenous women and girls for as long as this country has been in Confederation, and that pandemic did not receive any licence from government until the national inquiry. The failure to act on the calls to justice from the national inquiry has provided licence to individuals across the country, whether it be in domestic partnerships or in trafficking situations, to continue to devalue the lives of indigenous women and girls. That needs to be said.

Second, on your question about the 24-7 low-barrier safe space, what a safe space looks like is that it's not constrained by the barriers of shelters, which are generally for people in domestic relationships. A low-barrier safe space would be available for people who are not in domestic situations: LGBTQII individuals, people who are homeless, or people who are trafficked. Those individuals, today, cannot access a shelter.

Also, we know that violence is not limited to indigenous women and girls. It's across the country and across ethnicity. We want to ensure that safe space in Winnipeg is inclusive of all women and women-identifying individuals.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you so much, Sandra.

I know you're very familiar with the calls for justice in the national inquiry. I want to speak specifically to call for justice 1.2.v.

As you know, the national inquiry is framed around human and indigenous rights and international conventions. How has the government fared in honouring its international obligations, such as its obligation to uphold human rights and indigenous rights in relation to respecting the dignity of indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people?

[Sandra DeLaronde]

Historically, since Confederation, Canada has failed to acknowledge and adhere to basic principles of human rights when it comes to indigenous women and girls, hence the finding of genocide in the national inquiry. What's important to note is that any adherence by Canada to international human rights conventions has been because indigenous women have fought for their rights and have been recognized for the inclusion of those rights through the implementation of Bill C-31 and Bill S-3.

What's really important and critical right now is that this government has committed to implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It's saying we can't do it now because there's a pandemic. This is the time to be doing it, and I call on the government and all parties to ensure that this declaration is implemented into law in Canada now.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you very much, Sandra.

I'll move on to you, Hilda. As you know, we're coming up to the one-year anniversary of the national inquiry. The government, and let's hope it keeps its promise, has indicated that the national action plan would be released in June. Do you feel that families and organizations have been adequately consulted during this process?

[Hilda Anderson-Pyrz]

Absolutely not.

I can speak as someone who is on the front line in my role as manager of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Liaison Unit for the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, and as someone who sits as the co-chair for the Manitoba MMIWG Coalition, hearing from families, survivors and two-spirited people in Manitoba.

Everybody is wondering what is happening. There has been little to no consultation, considering that Minister Bennett has often referred to Manitoba as ground zero with respect to the national tragedy of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. It's very disheartening. Families and survivors shared stories with the national inquiry, which was put into motion by many women fighting for years and years. Not to be consulted and not to know what's happening really devalue the women and girls, survivors and two-spirited people who shared their testimony.

We need to ensure that these voices remain at the forefront, because these are the stories of their loved ones. These stories are sacred, and they should be consulted throughout the entire process, including in the development of a national action plan.

Shame on the Liberal government.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

We're at time, Ms. Gazan.

Thank you very much.

I'm sorry that I missed you again, Ms. Omeniho, but we're—

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

Mr. Chair, I want to point out that I was very interested to hear the answer to that last question on the national inquiry and the consultation with family members, and things like that. I would just note that when we try to stray from COVID, we typically get shut down immediately, and so I—