Evidence of meeting #42 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 indigenous.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
Lenore, I think we'll be able to come back to you, and you can pick that up with Hilda later.
Right now, Madame Bérubé, it's your turn. Please go ahead.
Bloc
Sylvie Bérubé Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Blaney, your statement, your testimony, was very moving. We are learning about everything these women may be going through.
You talked about misogyny, patriarchy, poverty, discrimination, domestic violence, and that was not all. In your opinion, what can be done to remedy the situation? Do you have any recommendations?
You said that it is important that you be part of the recommendations in the fight against the trafficking of indigenous women. Do you have any recommendations for us to consider?
Lead Matriarch, Aboriginal Women's Action Network
I am so sorry. I didn't understand any of that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
Fay, you don't have the language selected. On the centre bottom of your screen is a globe. Select the globe, and then select “English” as the language. That's where you will hear the interpretation.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
It's a very good question, and I think Madame Bérubé should restate it so that you can hear it.
Sylvie, go ahead.
Bloc
Bloc
Sylvie Bérubé Bloc Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC
I was saying that I found everything that you said to be very pertinent. It was very moving. I took careful notes.
You said that this is about genocide, poverty, discrimination and misogyny, and that the Indian Act is patriarchal. You said that you wanted to participate as a woman and as a leader in this matter, that it was not up to us to decide, but up to you to see what could be done to remedy the situation.
Do you have any recommendations for us that would help you to solve the problem?
Lead Matriarch, Aboriginal Women's Action Network
Okay. I feel like I am repeating myself. I'm sorry.
I really believe that we need to begin our capacity development amongst ourselves, as indigenous women, in order to be able to respond to the huge variety of issues that impact us. There is child apprehension. There is male violence against women in our families. There is even the language of “family violence”—which I really object to—that obscures who is doing what to whom. Generally, that's male violence.
There are a variety of issues that impact us as indigenous women. We need to do capacity building and have consciousness-raising circles amongst ourselves so that we're able to develop our responses.
I had the gift, in 1982, of being in a circle of women, and that was where my interest in my own situation arose. I sat with the concerned aboriginal women here [Technical difficulty—Editor]
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
Oops. I think we've lost Fay. We'll reconnect with Fay, and in the meantime, we'll move on to Rachel Blaney with her question.
Rachel, go ahead.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
If I could come back to you again, Ms. Anderson-Pyrz, first of all, I do want to touch base on the hotline. I've heard from indigenous folks in my riding, especially with the finding of the 215 children, “Why would I call a hotline? Who is on the other end? They have wrecked everything. Why would I call them to ask for help?” I've heard it so many times that I can see there is a gap there.
I'm just wondering if you could talk about that, but could you also just talk about the services that you provide? What are the challenges, especially due to the fact that you're representing a rural and remote region?
Thank you.
Manager, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Liaison Unit, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.
When we look at the hotline, we look at whether indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are comfortable in accessing services. Relationships are fundamental when we're coming from experiences of human and sex trafficking, or gender-based violence.
It's very difficult to reach for supports over a telephone, because that's not our way as indigenous people. We tend to be more comfortable when we're able to meet in person where we feel safe, and there's a relationship to build. Then we're able to openly express our lived experiences, and that also provides a doorway to ask for help.
When we look at a hotline, it's one step, but if someone's calling a hotline, there needs to be an automatic response saying, “Thank you for calling. This is a service in your area, and this is how you can access it.” That's not happening right now, because there's not enough resourcing across this country to support victims of gender and race-based violence.
Within our unit, we take a very decolonizing approach to the services that we provide. We really focus on indigenous-led services and supports that are rooted in our ways of being through culture, ceremony and languages. This is what we've heard from different events, healing gatherings, and different stuff that we have done through evaluations. We really take those evaluations to heart. They are shared with us from participants who seek our resources and supports through the MKO MMIWG liaison unit.
We also find that with colonial structures that are set-up to provide services, it's very challenging to interact with these types of supports and resources due to the barriers that are posed, and the lack of willingness to work with indigenous service providers. We are viewed as less than them and that we don't have the capability or the capacity to deliver meaningful services. However, if you look at our approach, it's very meaningful and effective in dealing with indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people who are victims of race-based and gender-based violence, as well as focusing on wellness, healing and prevention.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
Thank you for that response.
Just to clarify, the next speaker will be Mr. Schmale, followed by Mr. Battiste, for five minutes each.
Conservative
Jamie Schmale Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON
Thank you to our witnesses for being here, and providing some great testimony.
I'll go to the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples first. Could you describe CAP's affiliate, the New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council, and its program called “Looking Out For Each Other”?
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
National Chief Elmer St. Pierre
Basically, I just found out about this a couple of months ago. When the women go out, they usually go out two at a time, or they make contact. Say, Susan phones up her friend Joy saying, “I'm coming over to visit.” They keep an eye out that way.
It's been a very successful program. The women and girls are saying where they're going to go. It's a good program, especially if they're going out at night shopping or whatever the case may be. You've always got a partner, or a good friend, who goes shopping with you.
Conservative
Jamie Schmale Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON
I understand. As you mentioned, you just found out about it recently. The more I read about that program, it does seem very interesting in how they are able to ensure that everyone arrives safely when they're going out. People know that they're to be expected somewhere.
I want to hear if you have anything else to add. You kind of mentioned it in your opening remarks. Taking care of children at an early age, and ensuring a robust support program is in place—we actually heard in testimony today—can be major factors in preventing trafficking of minors.
Could you comment on why CAP was excluded from the government's indigenous child welfare act reforms and what impact has that had on the communities left out of that process?
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
National Chief Elmer St. Pierre
It was a major impact like with Jordan's principle. CAP, the grassroots people and our PTOs have no say in any of this. As far as being left out goes, we weren't the only ones who were left out. The Native Women's Association was also left out. I don't know whether the MPs know this but there are only three main aboriginal bodies, national indigenous organizations, that sit at any of the tables, and those are MNC, Assembly of First Nations and ITK.
We used to sit at the table. Five years ago, we used to be at all the tables. There are MPs who are stepping up and saying, “no, we're bringing CAP in.” We just did one here not too long ago at which the MP kind of got slapped on the wrist for having us there. There are the other three organizations that I just mentioned. Sometimes right at the end of an invitation it will say, “if the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples is there, we will not be there.”
Our whole focus is our grassroots people and helping them out one way or another. A prime example of that was with COVID-19. I don't know whether everybody knows, but when we first applied for it, we were offered $250,000 to do nine communities right across Canada, which would have worked out to about $25,000 for each province. We tried to figure it out ourselves. We figured that maybe each family would have ended up with a baloney sandwich or something like that.
We took Canada to court, and just as we were about to go into court, they came up with a number. It wasn't the very best figure, but it was enough for us to help out our people. To this day, I don't know why we are excluded from all the tables, because if we're not there, how are we going to know what to do? We get our news second-hand. There are a couple of ministers on here who I guess I could say are faithful to us, because anytime they have a table meeting, we get invited and we know what is going on right at the start.
A prime example is with the UN declaration. Six months prior to CAP being contacted, there was consultation done with the three other organizations. All of a sudden they decided they had better have consultation talks with CAP. We got a total of maybe three hours of consultation whereas three of the other organizations got six months' worth. To me, that's not fair.
We are aboriginal people. We're Métis people. We're non-status people. We're status off reserve, and we're southern Inuit. I just don't get it. You probably all heard about the distinct base, and that is where we get left out. I don't know why, because we're a distinct base. We're Métis people.
Liberal
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
National Chief Elmer St. Pierre
I know that Bob. Actually Bob, you're one of the people who brings us to all of the meetings. I'll mention that the other one is Rachel Blaney. We've had meetings with Rachel. Some of the other ones I'm not quite sure of, but at least the two of you who are here, we've had table meetings with, and I'm glad we have a few on our side who will bring us in no matter what the other three organizations say.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bob Bratina
Thanks, Elmer. Thanks a lot.
I just don't want to get slapped around. I just say “Bring 'em in! Welcome.”
We go now to Jaime Battiste for five minutes.
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to return to the subject matter at hand. My question is going to be for Ms. Anderson-Pyrz and Ms. Brown and then Ms. Blaney. Our government put $2.2 billion in the recent budget to address the calls to justice by the murdered and missing indigenous women and girls inquiry. One of the things we've done is to introduce a national action plan on June 2, and we're hoping to use that money to end systemic racism and violence against indigenous women in Canada.
I'd like each of you, in one minute, to tell us what your recommendations would be on how we could best utilize this money to address the challenge of the trafficking of indigenous women across Canada, so that we can come up with recommendations back to the government that say this is what we heard and these are the important things that need to happen first and foremost.
Ms. Anderson, could we start with you?
Manager, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Liaison Unit, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.
Yes, absolutely.
I think the first thing the government can do is implement guaranteed livable income because poverty is a major contributing factor to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Provide opportunities that are barrier-free for healing from colonial violence and the impacts that are rooted in culture. Provide ceremony and land-based healing opportunities as well.
Thank you.
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Thank you for that.
Ms. Blaney or Ms. Brown, did you want to chime in with some recommendations on how we can use that $2.2 billion to address the issue at hand?
