Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Nov. 17th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

We have quorum, so I call this meeting to order.

I'll start with the land acknowledgement. We have quite a few land acknowledgements as we go around the room, but in my case I am on the territory, the traditional lands, of the Anishinabe, Haudenosaunee and Chonnonton first nations.

The committee is continuing its study of support for indigenous communities through the second wave of COVID-19.

I have a couple of notes. First of all, I've had some real technical problems. I'm working off my Surface in my office because I just couldn't get anything to work on the PC. It was a bit cumbersome getting things started and material printed off, and I apologize for that.

Once again, today's meeting is taking place by video conference. The proceedings will be made available via the House of Commons website. During the meeting the webcast will always show the person speaking, rather than the entirety of the committee.

You'll hear a lot about our interpretation. We need to facilitate the work of the interpreters. One issue is the sound. If you have a headset microphone with earplugs, make sure you're speaking close to the microphone that's located on those. These headset mikes should be working fine.

The other thing you need to know about interpretation is that at the bottom centre of your screen is a globe that says, “Interpretation”. You should move your cursor to the language you wish to hear or speak in. In my case, I will put English. That will facilitate the translation.

I'm going to first of all invite our guests to speak, with a reminder that each of the witnesses has been prepared to make their opening statement of up to six minutes. I'd like to welcome the first round of witnesses.

We have by video conference from Montreal, Éric Cardinal as an individual. From the First Peoples Wellness Circle, we have Dr. Brenda Restoule, chief executive officer, appearing from Nipissing First Nation in Ontario. From the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, we have Carol Hopkins, who is the executive director. She's with us by video conference from Bothwell, Ontario.

We'll begin our six-minute round of presentations.

Mr. Cardinal, please go ahead for six minutes.

[Éric Cardinal, As an Individual]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good morning to all the members of the committee.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify before the committee. I am appearing as an individual, but also as vice president of Acosys Consulting Services, a company that provides services to indigenous organizations, communities and businesses. By the way, I want to say hello to my friend and the firm's president, David Acco.

We have been supporting a number of first nations councils in their management of the COVID-19 crisis for a few months already. During the first wave, we saw a fairly extraordinary reaction from various communities, which took the gravity of the pandemic very seriously and which, at the same time, embraced their responsibilities like true local governments. We have seen a number of communities adopt measures different from those adopted by governments and municipalities. For example, most Quebec first nations closed their borders much earlier than it was done elsewhere. We have also seen first nations keep some services and activities closed, while the province was announcing their reopening.

Therefore, during the second wave, we can expect those communities to reimplement stricter measures. They will obviously have to be supported by the federal government, through things like financial assistance, in accordance with their needs.

When I visited the committee last June, I talked to you about the Mi'kmaq nation of Gespeg, which had received very little government assistance because it is not a reserve as defined in the Indian Act. However, even if the first nation has no community to manage, its council still has responsibilities toward its members, just as other first nations governments do.

Since the beginning of the crisis, the Gespeg council has, therefore, adopted measures necessary to reducing the impact of the crisis on its members. Gespeg, like many other communities in a similar situation, has effectively found itself in a blind spot of assistance programs. That situation has still not changed. Clearly, programs must be adapted to better meet all the community needs in a fair manner for all indigenous citizens.

Where this hurt the most was in terms of economic impact. As in the case of many indigenous communities, Gespeg's economy is based on fishing and tourism, two sectors that have been hard hit by the pandemic and the lockdown measures. However, assistance is not arriving as it should be. That is what I would like to stress today because, during this second wave, the government will have to be even more mindful of the impact on economies in indigenous communities. Subsidies and financial support programs are not the only things being talked about when it comes to helping their economies.

There is another very simple way to help the communities' economies without it costing the government any money or hardly any money. It is simply a matter of ensuring that indigenous communities and businesses can benefit from their fair share of public contracts.

Acosys has the privilege of supporting the Indigenous Business COVID-19 Taskforce, which brings together the leaders of a number of national indigenous organizations: the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers, better known under its acronym CANDO; Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada; the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada; and the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Businesses, known under its initialism CCAB. That team provides the Canadian government with advice and strategic input on two key topics.

First, it is a matter of identifying, engaging and....

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

I have a point of order, Chair.

I'm sorry to interrupt the witness. I understand there's no English translation on the phone line.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Could we verify the translation, Mr. Clerk? Are we working?

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Naaman Sugrue]

It should be working fine in the room, so we're okay to continue, but I'll look into the phone lines.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Pam, what was your issue?

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

I can hear it okay, although just now when he spoke in English, I had French translation. Apparently the phone line was not providing English.

[The Clerk]

We should be fine momentarily.

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

Apparently, it just came on.

I apologize to the witness.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

There's no apology required. We need to function completely bilingually. Otherwise, we have to suspend the proceedings, so that's fair.

Éric Cardinal, I should tell you that I've saved you about two minutes, so you have some time left. You can continue your presentation now, Mr. Cardinal.

Go ahead, please.

[Éric Cardinal]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

As I was saying, the taskforce provides strategic input on two topics. This is initially about identifying, engaging and mobilizing the indigenous supply chain to enable it to participate in and contribute to government calls for tenders for products and services related to COVID-19.

Second, the impact of the crisis on indigenous businesses and communities must be analyzed to ensure that the Government of Canada can provide adequate support measures equivalent to those provided to the rest of the Canadian economy.

That work began with a survey that shows that indigenous businesses are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 compared with the rest of businesses in Canada. We are seeing that the government makes little use of indigenous businesses for its purchase of goods and services, especially when it comes to needs related to COVID-19.

To remedy the situation, the taskforce decided to create, in partnership with Indigenous Services Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada, a unique database of indigenous businesses that can fulfill various government contracts. To build that consolidated database, Acosys has partnered with Google and SADA Systems. Indigenous businesses have responded overwhelmingly. I'm happy to announce that the database has helped generate more than $5 million in sales for indigenous businesses that are registered, and this is only the beginning. In addition to meeting the government's needs in terms of products and services closely or loosely related to COVID-19, this initiative gives Canada a path toward what we call “economic reconciliation”.

In the second wave of COVID-19, the priority is of course to ensure the health and safety of individuals. That said, the Canadian government must also make sure to support the often fragile economy of indigenous communities. One of the best ways to do so is to support indigenous businesses by awarding them government contracts for the procurement of goods and services. It seems obvious that the Government of Canada must increase its efforts in that respect. I want to point out that the official target in terms of indigenous procurement is 5%, or the equivalent of the indigenous demographic weight in the country. We are currently at about 1%. So there is a lot of work to be done, work that will radically change things for indigenous businesses and communities. The impact of COVID-19 on the economy of communities is not just figures; it is also job losses, income losses, food insecurity, depression and many other dramatic consequences for families and communities.

Therefore, it is clear that higher priority must be given to their economies and their businesses in the efforts to support indigenous communities during this second wave.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you very much for your presentation. That was well within time, so thanks so much.

Our next witness, for six minutes, is Dr. Brenda Restoule.

Dr. Restoule, please go ahead for six minutes.

[Dr. Brenda Restoule, Chief Executive Officer, First Peoples Wellness Circle]

Good morning.

[Witness spoke in Ojibwa]

[English]

First Peoples Wellness Circle is pleased to be a witness before the standing committee today.

As an indigenous-led organization dedicated to advocating for mental wellness in indigenous communities and supporting a segment of the mental wellness workforce, we would like to focus our comments around the first nations mental wellness continuum framework, where we get our mandate, to talk about mental wellness during COVID-19.

A recent workforce survey completed by the implementation team of the first nations mental wellness continuum framework found reports of noticeable or significant increase in rates of stress and anxiety related to COVID-19 and public health measures, including depression, substance use, violence, financial stress and stress in meeting basic needs. This matches the June 2020 Stats Canada report data on indigenous peoples mental health impacts during COVID-19, which saw fair or poor mental health, with stress and anxiety particularly noticeable for indigenous women.

Children and youth are experiencing higher rates of loneliness, stress and anxiety as a result of public health measures, and although there's a lack of indigenous-specific data, past evidence suggests that negative impacts are exacerbated by family and community challenges, such as intergenerational trauma; difficulty meeting basic needs related to housing, clean water and food security; financial insecurity and poverty; violence, substance misuse and mental illness; and inequitable access to health, community and social supports. Informal reports have also indicated that the public health measures have also retriggered memories of colonial trauma and are negatively affecting the well-being of families and communities.

This same workforce survey noted there was a noticeable decrease in access to health and social support services, although there is a noticeable increase in need for information around mental wellness and for better and more reliable connectivity and access to technology. This same survey highlighted how nimble the mental wellness workforce in our communities has been in meeting needs by increasing their partnerships to support families and communities; continuing to provide access to mental wellness services, including increased access through virtual care; being innovative in their approaches; and ensuring access to land-based activities and cultural events. However, there is concern around the capacity to meet the increased demand for services and supports for children, youth, families, elders and populations at greater risk of mental health issues as this pandemic continues.

It's expected that the mental wellness pandemic will last far beyond this pandemic and requires a thoughtful and planned approach. We offer the following suggestions.

Number one is access to culturally relevant mental wellness supports and services across the lifespan. Mental wellness supports and services in indigenous communities have been consistently underfunded compared to Canadians, resulting in a patchwork of supports and services that vary across the country. The pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequities in mental wellness services, as noted by higher levels of crisis, violence and overdose deaths. Services have not been funded in ways that support the world view of indigenous people.

The first nations mental wellness continuum framework identifies the need to invest in community-defined and community-led programs and services across the lifespan that lead to collective outcomes for families and communities. They must be accessible in the home, schools, workplaces and community. Programs and services must be grounded in cultural practices, values and knowledge, including enhanced access and funding for cultural practitioners. We have seen many creative efforts by first nations to virtually share cultural teachings, engage in cultural practices, access land-based learning and activities, and access cultural practitioners to address negative impacts of COVID-19. These efforts support indigenous citizens to feel connected and give hope during these unprecedented times.

Number two is equitable access to virtual care for mental wellness. The public health measures required many mental wellness services to pivot to virtual care so that services could still be accessible to those in need. Wellness workers in indigenous communities have also pivoted to provide virtual care; however, there are challenges in accessibility and competency in using virtual care. Connectivity, access to reliable Internet services and the cost of services and technology are primary reasons that indigenous communities experience significant difficulty with shifting and accessing virtual care. These challenges are more pronounced in remote, isolated and northern communities. Canada has committed to digital health for first nations by 2030, but this is much too late.

Mental wellness teams and NNADAP treatment centres have already shifted services to virtual platforms, but the shift is hampered by poor connectivity and accessibility to technology as well as limitations in workforce capacity related to both reliable and culturally relevant information on ethics, privacy and liability, and access to supervision and IT support. Investments in connectivity, infrastructure, technology, sustained access to virtual care and human resources must happen more immediately. Otherwise, the gap in health inequity for indigenous people will continue to grow.

Number three is support for the mental wellness workforce. A needs assessment of mental wellness teams completed in 2019 identified that human resources did not match the need in communities to address the complex issues stemming from colonial traumas. Recommendations called for additional funding to meet the health human resource demand and to provide wellness services to the workforce to minimize effects of burnout, compassion fatigue and retention issues.

The heightened pressures on the workforce during COVID-19 to do more—to respond in creative and innovative ways, often with limited resources and tools; to provide advice to leadership; and to address the mounting crisis of violence, substance misuse, overdose deaths and mental health challenges occurring in communities—is taxing an already overburdened workforce. The workforce survey highlights the noticeable efforts by the workforce to respond, and initiatives spearheaded by indigenous health organizations have provided some level of support to the workforce, but it's not enough.

Investments to increase the mental wellness workforce are part of a solution to alleviate the pressures. However, investments should also consider strategies, such as debriefing, supervision and workforce wellness programs, including access to elders, healers and ceremonies, as being critical to maintaining and retaining the workforce.

Finally, investments to define evidence from an indigenous knowledge perspective on workplace mental wellness are required. Production of indigenous evidence-based materials on workplace mental wellness strategies, support for people to return to work, mental wellness training for supervisors and managers, and setting up—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Sorry, Dr. Restoule, but you're well over six minutes. We want to ensure that the timing works so that we get all of the questions in.

[Dr. Brenda Restoule]

No problem.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I'm sure the rest of your points will come up through the conversation.

[Dr. Brenda Restoule]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thanks, Dr. Restoule.

Now from the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, we have Carol Hopkins.

Carol, please go ahead for six minutes.

[Carol Hopkins, Executive Director, Thunderbird Partnership Foundation]

[Witness spoke in Ojibwa]

[English]

I'm Delaware, of the Delaware Nation at Moraviantown in southwestern Ontario, and the executive director of the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation. Our mandate is to serve first nations across Canada in addressing addictions and mental health. I'm going to be talking to you, much like Dr. Brenda Restoule shared with you, about mental wellness and substance use.

I want to start by saying that in the context of the pandemic, culture continues to make the difference in supporting first nations people with their wellness.

We know that because we have a national information management system that supports and is used by adult and youth treatment centres across the country, and we have a culture-based assessment tool called the Native Wellness Assessment. We've adapted the information management system specifically to collect information from treatment centres that have adapted their services over the pandemic to collect information about wellness.

What we have found is that treatment centres have adapted services to outpatient services. Those outpatient services have been on-the-land services with appropriate public health measures. Through that outpatient service, we've seen at least a 5.5% to 8% increase in wellness.

Through a CIHR-funded study, we were able to determine that indigenous wellness outcomes are described as hope, belonging, meaning and purpose. There are 13 different indicators to measure those outcomes.

The 8% increase in wellness in outpatient services is in the quadrant of purpose. First nations people who are accessing those outpatient services on the land are improving in a sense of purpose. Having access to culture in relevant ways to support their mental wellness is significant.

In terms of virtual services, treatment centres have adapted their programming to virtual services, whether it's individual counselling, group counselling, live streaming, psycho-educational sessions or follow-up by telephone. We've seen as much as a 7.5% increase in wellness services.

The one quadrant where we see the greatest achievement is in the quadrant of hope. First nations people who are accessing treatment services virtually have a greater sense of hope.

Hope is having access to services that represent their identity and that are contextualized to reflect their community dynamics and what they're facing. We know that prior to COVID first nations people had a lot of inequity across the determinants of health: inadequate housing, lack of access to clean and safe water, and institutional racism. Those things have been exacerbated in the pandemic. There is greater stigmatization and negative experiences that are reported by first nations.

I'm talking about treatment centres, but community-based services have also quickly adapted their services to understand how to reach clients in addressing substance use. The things that have been exacerbated in the context of the pandemic have been increased substance use, increased suicide rates in some regions and community violence.

That is because communities don't have capacity to respond to the needs of first nations people. We heard youth say that mental wellness was not prioritized as an essential service. Youth were left on their own to figure out how to reach out to get support for addressing depression and anxiety.

As community programs, as well as treatment centres—the national native alcohol and drug abuse program and the national youth solvent abuse program—adapted and started offering virtual counselling and on-the-land services, or reducing their services with a modified number of people who would be residents of the treatment program with a reduced workforce, they all had a preference for culture.

That is also the greatest concern of communities: ensuring that they have access to culture. One of the things that we as an organization did was to create this community wellness hub where people would have continued access to peer support, resources and culture. We also heard from communities in which they are making elders and cultural practitioners available to deliver teachings and counselling over the Internet.

As Brenda said, we need greater capacity to sustain these innovations, and I provided a couple of examples in the presentation I sent. Communities that are suffering from addressing methamphetamines and opioid addictions have partnered with the local health authorities to ensure rapid access to addictions medicine and also to provide community-based outreach to ensure that people who are using drugs have the right, maintain the right and are supported in their right to health and are getting access to what might be happening for them to address methamphetamine and opioid addictions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Ms. Hopkins, we're well over time again.

[Carol Hopkins]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I apologize for that. We have a couple of issues. One is making sure we get all our questioning in. The other one is that there are other meetings after our meeting, which tend to get delayed if we delay.

[Carol Hopkins]

No problem.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I have to be a bit tough on the time. This is for everybody.

With that, we're going to go to our first round of questioning. This is a six-minute round, and the first name up is Mr. Viersen.

Arnold, please go ahead for six minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I want to thank the witnesses for being here today.

I want to start with Ms. Hopkins. Thank you for your testimony.