Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here today.
I'll make a couple of quick comments about some of the content of the presentations and then probably focus some of my questions to Rolanda. Just indulge me for about a moment.
First of all, Katharine, thank you for your references to human trafficking, the Northwest Passage, and the seal hunt. I am struck by at least two of those not having occurred to me in the context of some of what we will no doubt continue to build on in this conversation. I will probably reach out in a more private meeting to get more information from that. I know that the committee would benefit from some of that information.
It has been my observation, and unfortunately my experience, having worked as a nurse in isolated and remote communities across the northern provinces, including the Arctic, that there are indeed complexities here, as you mentioned, Rolanda, which hopefully, over the course of time, this committee— which I think is the most appropriate forum to address many of these issues—will consider.
Specifically, Rolanda, to your presentation, I have seen first-hand that not only is there an existing vulnerability in many of the communities, particularly in isolated, remote communities, and that there may be some resources, including shelters—although there's a host of reasons why shelters don't go in communities.... There are political and difficult issues to work through, no matter what side of the debate we might be on, but importantly, in addition to that, it gives rise to a certain vulnerability, as you referred to, and to running away from the community.
I think that pretty consistently there is a correlation between a problem or a situation that arising from domestic violence on reserve or in a community that leads to that girl or woman leaving for a city, confronting a whole host of different new realities, and falling vulnerable prey to some very dangerous conditions.
There are two things on my mind, Rolanda. If time permits, the others can chime in on this.
First of all, with respect to the matrimonial real property regime, I believe that the most important part of that is the protection order and priority occupations, because I do believe that there has been a shortfall in raising awareness in a variety of different ways on reserve, particularly in the isolated communities, to make it clear what the law could potentially do in these exigent circumstances. That's the regime itself and what it provides. There are other things in the dissolution of the marriage, but I'm focused on those two components.
The second thing is program outreach. I believe that over the course of time, no matter how good the intentions of NWAC, Status of Women, or other programs have been, they have failed to target the awareness to the appropriate people to some degree—to some degree—and that has been with children in schools, and particularly the males in those communities, around not just respect, but actually violence itself. We have funded these de-escalation programs in cities such as Kenora, where we have managed to influence and impact and have participation from surrounding communities, but we haven't gotten to where we'd like to be or where we should be in isolated communities.
Rolanda, more pointedly, my rambling notwithstanding, can you comment on the regime itself and what is particularly of importance and benefit to you, based on your experience? Comment, then, if you could, on what benefits MRP regimes provide to raising awareness in communities, if there are any, and what additional kinds of activities we could do on reserve to raise more awareness in what I believe is a target group that we should be focusing on.