Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Feb. 18th, 2021

Evidence of meeting #18 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was security.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Food Security in Northern Communities
Support for Indigenous Communities, Businesses, and Individuals Through a Second Wave of COVID-19
Committee Business

Members speaking

Bob Bratina
Eric Melillo
Lenore Zann
Pam Damoff
Jaime Battiste
Sylvie Bérubé
Rachel Blaney
Arnold Viersen

Before the committee

Chief Elmer St. Pierre  Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
Lori Nikkel  Chief Executive Officer, Second Harvest
Chief Garrison Settee  Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.

12:05 p.m.

NDP

Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC

The other thing you talked about was education, and the supports that are required for youth and mental health. I imagine that food sovereignty has a huge impact on the mental health of young people. Are you getting the appropriate supports, and how is food sovereignty specifically impacting the mental health of young people?

12:05 p.m.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.

Grand Chief Garrison Settee

Our education funding is low. It's not meeting the requirement. We can't have programs, such as land-based training and education with a land-based approach. It's not there, so we're robbing Peter to pay Paul many times to get a program going.

12:05 p.m.

NDP

Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC

Is the mental health issue really impacted by on the land education?

12:05 p.m.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.

Grand Chief Garrison Settee

Absolutely. It brings healing, when there is an opportunity to go out on the land. The mind and emotions are settled. Self-esteem is critical.

12:05 p.m.

NDP

Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC

Thank you. Those are all the questions I have.

12:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina

Thanks very much. Thank you to all of our witnesses today. I'm sorry we have to move on to other business, so I will say thanks very much for your testimony. If there's anything further that you felt we needed to hear, you can submit written testimony, and we'll be happy to receive it.

[Proceedings continue in camera]