Evidence of meeting #21 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was women.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Tamara Polchies  Executive Director, Fredericton Native Friendship Centre
Tanna Pirie-Wilson  Female Aboriginal representative, National Aboriginal People's Circle, Public Service Alliance of Canada
Gail Nicholas  Vice-President, New Brunswick Aboriginal Women's Council Inc.
Sarah Rose  Representative, New Brunswick Aboriginal Women's Council Inc.
Natalie McBride  Executive Director, Gignoo Transition House Inc.
Sandra Gruescu  Committee Researcher
Julie Cool  Committee Researcher
Angela Crandall  Procedural Clerk
Melissa Cooke  Women's Shelter Coordinator, Lennox Island First Nation
Roseanne Sark  Director of Health Program, Mi'kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island
Sheila Robinson  President, Newfoundland Aboriginal Women's Network

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

That leads us back to the thing we talked about. What's the role of the federal government to be a coordinator, put best practices out there, and do that kind of stuff?

Could any of you talk about the issue of the systemic violence outside of the community and the discrimination—the way society treats aboriginal people and systemic violence against aboriginal women as something that you shouldn't care about because it's just aboriginal women; they're used to that; that's the nature of the beast, you know? That's something that's a huge piece we're hearing as well.

You seem to be doing a lot of good work, Sheila, in terms of that train-the-trainer thing, because you're doing small practical steps that take the women back and train and teach and try to give that empowerment to the women in the community. You say you're working on male empowerment too. Is there anything else, other than those very practical things that one can do to deal with the whole concept? I know discrimination against aboriginal people is rampant in our society and in all of the Americas. Are there any suggestions you have of what could be done?

I mean, prevention and education is a huge feat, so should there be an education program, do you think, for non-aboriginal people to learn and put aboriginal people into a different place, other than this stigma that's attached to being an aboriginal person, this throw-away idea of aboriginal women—the stigma that you don't need to worry about them, they're just not worthwhile?

Do you see the need for some kind of national...?

11:45 a.m.

President, Newfoundland Aboriginal Women's Network

Sheila Robinson

Cultural sensitivity?

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

Cultural sensitivity, education, the ads are one thing, but the ads are basically about male violence against women, per se. In Australia, when I visited there as minister, they had started that, because Australia is a very macho society that actually likes sport. Australian men are into sport—not aboriginal men necessarily, just men. So they have these ads, just as you say, with the big football stars and big rugby stars. All these guys are coming on the radio now and saying "I know you get mad, but don't go home and beat the woman" or whatever, the sheila. They're doing this kind of thing, which is just like this. You have to deal with your anger in a different way, other than beating up on women.

That's a generic thing. I'm talking about sensitivity towards the sense of who aboriginal people are. Earlier on, Nicole said that when she was young, in school, she got taught a history of aboriginal people that was based on the idea of aboriginal people being bad and that we had to kill them all to get where we wanted to go as colonials. There were cowboys and Indians. Indians were bad and cowboys were good—that kind of simplistic thing. I know we need to move beyond that. How do we do that? Is there something practical and tangible?

Sheila, you're the tangible lady here. Is there something practical and tangible you think we can do?

11:45 a.m.

President, Newfoundland Aboriginal Women's Network

Sheila Robinson

I'm just thinking about an example. I'm aware that this is being recorded.

With the Olympics coming to Canada, there was an issue with the Conne River Choir, the Se't A'newey Choir. There was confusion as to whether they were invited or not invited to come and be part of the opening ceremony. It made the national news.

A lot of the feedback from people in the outside communities, the province, and in fact the country was that they didn't have it in writing. Well, as an aboriginal woman, I know that your word is far more powerful than a contract, so it made sense to me that they believed they were going. If there could be a tangible example of how cultural sensitivity is important, maybe that's one. If you understand the aboriginal perspective, you know that you take someone at their word, and that is far more valuable.

Although I'm loath to use that as an example, it is percolating in my head.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

Yes.

Melissa, do you have anything you wanted to add to this?

11:45 a.m.

Women's Shelter Coordinator, Lennox Island First Nation

Melissa Cooke

Just a continuation of what came to mind was the Sisters in Spirit. We just had our first walk on P.E.I., so being included in national initiatives like that is important.

11:50 a.m.

Director of Health Program, Mi'kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island

Roseanne Sark

To speak to the national initiative on Sisters in Spirit in October, one of my sisters was one of the coordinators of the event. She had written a song in honour of a woman who went missing and was murdered. She gave it to the family of Shirley Ann Duguay. She sang that song. Shirley Ann Duguay was non-aboriginal and went missing, later to be found. On the island here, we live with that memory.

I think the national appearance of us standing together as women can speak volumes to how we can promote the beauty of women within our society. The beauty of aboriginal women needs to come out, because we are women, but we are aboriginal women who have been discriminated against, mistreated, and looked at as lower members of society. Encouraging groups to be more inclusive of women will encourage the wider society to welcome and not discriminate, to not look at aboriginal women as lower society members.

We have beauty in our cultures, and there are some great things happening. Even with the Olympics, the aboriginal communities were in the grand entry at the opening, and that was a beautiful thing. That to me speaks loudly to the country.

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

Thank you very much, Roseanne.

11:50 a.m.

Director of Health Program, Mi'kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island

Roseanne Sark

There's another thing.

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

We have to leave in a minute. We're running late.

11:50 a.m.

Director of Health Program, Mi'kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island

Roseanne Sark

Okay.

On the Status of Women Canada, the presence of aboriginal women on the council will also contribute to bringing that awareness to other aboriginal women in the country.

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

Thank you very much.

I want to thank you for coming and taking the time to share with us. It is very helpful. As I said, we want to really be able to make a difference in this report, as opposed to it being just one more report to throw in a corner somewhere.

Thank you again very much.

We're going to suspend.

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

The meeting is resumed.

Obviously our three o'clock witness has not arrived, and it is getting on. It is now 3:20, so I will entertain a motion to adjourn.

3:20 p.m.

An hon. member

So moved.

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry

The meeting is adjourned.