Status of Women Committee on June 10th, 2010

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Good morning, everyone.

I'm going to call the meeting to order.

I want to thank our witnesses for coming.

We are not travelling with the whole committee, only some members, because when you travel when the House is sitting, people are required to be in the House. Quite often people travel with a smaller committee than normal, so what you see here is a representative committee of the four parties in the House.

I know you were told you have 10 minutes to present, but I'm going to propose something to you. If you disagree, that's fine, we'll do a 10-minute thing, but if you don't, we can do it the other way. I thought what might be better, instead of conducting this as a very formal meeting, with seven minutes for questions and five minutes for questions, is to do it more as a round table, so there is a better interaction and an ability for people to talk to each other, as opposed to presenting something stiffly and then somebody asks you specific questions that we can bounce back and forth.

Have you all got written texts? You have. And how long are they? Eight minutes? I was hoping I could give each one of you about three minutes to introduce yourselves, to tell me what you do and what you think the issues are that you want to bring to the table.

We're studying the issue of violence and aboriginal women. We want to talk about the root causes of violence. And when we say “violence”, we want to talk about the scope, meaning not just sexual or physical or psychological or systemic violence. Discrimination is a form of violence, stigma, all those kinds of things constitute violence writ large. Then we want to talk about the forms, what forms you believe that violence takes.

So we want to go into this in a different kind of way than just saying here is violence against women, and it's obviously got be something you see--a black eye, that's violence.

We want to talk about it, and then about its impact on aboriginal women and their ability to survive and to function well in society, and then what you think.

We've talked about this for the longest time. Everyone knows this issue has been talked to death. Sisters In Spirit have been doing work on it, commissions have done work on it, but it seems as if it is so pervasive that it is not something anyone seems to have been able to deal with.

We want to look at this from a perspective in which you can give us some recommendations about what the Government of Canada, which cannot fix things, can do that will help to facilitate...if there's legislation, if you think there are things we can do within the federal jurisdiction, if you think things should be done differently from the way they've been done. I want you to be creative, and be as frank as you possibly can and tell us what you really think.

That's what I'm proposing to you, that you each do that for three minutes, if you agree, and then I will have everybody on the committee introduce themselves just for a minute—we don't want parliamentarians to talk too much, you know how we have a tendency to do that; we just want them to just say who they are and what they do, and then we will begin to get to the meat of the thing.

How do you feel about that, or would you just like to do your thing?

All right. Thank you very much.

I'll start with Pamela Shauk from the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal.

Pamela.

[Pamela Shauk, Outreach Worker, Native Friendship Centre of Montreal Inc.]

Hi, my name is Pamela. I'm Inuit. I'm from James Bay. I'm an outreach worker. I work with the homeless, not only the homeless, but with people who are homeless and need help, especially women. I work with all ages, from youth to the middle-aged and elderly.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Ms. Martin, who is from the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal.

[Carrie Martin, Evaluation Coordinator, Native Women's Shelter of Montreal]

Hello.

We actually prepared our presentation, so can we do it that way?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Sure, if you prefer to do it that way, go ahead.

[Carrie Martin]

Okay. Nakuset is going to start. We have our notes.

[Nakuset, Executive Director, Native Women's Shelter of Montreal]

Hello. My name is Nakuset. I'm the executive director of the Native Women's Shelter.

I just wanted to tell you a little bit about what the shelter is and what we are seeing at the shelter.

The Native Women's Shelter was established in 1987, and it's the only shelter in Montreal exclusively serving first nations, Inuit, and Métis women and children. We have placed a strong emphasis on healing from the effects of intergenerational trauma that resulted from the residential school system. Our approach is culturally based and holistic in nature, offering traditional and spiritual services not available through other shelters in the area.

[Carrie Martin]

Violence against aboriginal women is one of the most pressing issues in communities today and can be attributed to such factors as substance abuse, social inequalities, systemic discrimination, and the breakdown of families. These issues can all be traced back to the residential school system, the effects of which continue to reverberate in society today.

In 2009-10, 56% of the women who used the in-house services of the shelter reported being victims of violence in one or more forms. This statistic is reflective of the common experience of aboriginal women across the country. Statistics Canada has documented that aboriginal women are three times as likely as their non-aboriginal counterparts to report spousal assault, and the abuse that is suffered is significantly more--

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Sorry, can you please slow down slightly?

[Carrie Martin]

Yes. The abuse suffered is significantly more likely to be life threatening.

Having coordinated the harm reduction project for the past four years at the women's shelter, I saw firsthand the link between socio-economic conditions, such as spousal abuse and addictions, and positive HIV test results. Of the women who were diagnosed with HIV during the project, all were or had been victims of violence of some form.

[Nakuset]

According to the coordinator of the outreach program, which was designed to provide follow-up services to our former in-house clients, the incidence of violence is just as prevalent. She estimates that 70% of her clients are victims of domestic violence. Last year one of her clients was murdered. It is her opinion that the cycle of violence begins in childhood and is perpetuated in adult relationships.

These women leave their communities in search of a better life and find the same here in the city. Our front-line workers have observed a higher incidence of domestic violence among their clientele. Also noted is the high percentage of women who go back to their abusive partners. We are now seeing the third generation of women who are caught up in the youth protection system. The vast majority have addiction problems and an inability to manoeuvre through the legal system.

When we reduce the problem of domestic violence to an issue of self-esteem, essentially it is placing blame on the victim. It pathologizes the individual for a basic lack of resources, and in this case, resources are aboriginal-specific. We would like to see services that include counselling for aboriginal men involved in domestic violence and an aboriginal men's shelter that offers the equivalent services to those offered through the Native Women's Shelter.

[Carrie Martin]

We would also like to see other urban organizations offer culturally appropriate services concerning aboriginal women and domestic violence, such as exclusive support groups, traditional healing, and other services that offer aboriginal women alternatives to western healing.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

Carole Brazeau, from the Quebec Native Women Inc.

[Carole Brazeau, Justice and Public Security Coordinator, Quebec Native Women Inc.]

Good morning.

I'm from the Algonquin Nation, and I'm the justice and public security coordinator of Quebec Native Women. It will be Ellen this morning who will be speaking on behalf of our organization.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Do you just want to tell us a little bit about yourself, Carole?

[Carole Brazeau]

My background includes working for about 17-plus years at the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal, providing front-line services to aboriginal women and children.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

Ms. Robertson.

[France Robertson, Coordinator for the women's shelter and non-violence file, Quebec Native Women Inc.]

My name is France Robertson, and I am coordinator for the women's shelter and non-violence file for Quebec Native Women Inc. I've been in this position for eight years. I am an Innu from Mashteuiatsh and, within Quebec Native Women Inc., I deal with a network of women's shelters, among other things. This year, our members include Inuit women's shelters located in northern Quebec and approximately 12 aboriginal shelters in Quebec which assist both women and children. We also assist men. We rarely provide assistance to men, in view of the demand.

I'm going to let our president, Ellen, talk to you about the situation regarding violence against women in Quebec.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

Ms. Gabriel.

[Ellen Gabriel, President, Quebec Native Women Inc.]

My name is Ellen Gabriel, and I have been the president of the Quebec Native Women's Association since 2004. I am from the community of Kanesatake, a Mohawk community that experienced first-hand violence from the Canadian government during the Oka crisis.

I am an artist and have been an activist for the last 20 years. We like to look at the work we're doing in Quebec Native Women in a holistic way, in terms of how we can make solutions for our community. So we need to include the impact that colonization has had in not just how our communities function or don't function properly, but also how legislation that is currently in discussion in Parliament, proposed by the Conservative government, is just a patchwork remedy of changing the Indian Act. At the end of the day, the Indian Act will still exist. We have been lobbying hard for many years, since the Sisters in Spirit research initiative was created, demanding from the government, along with our colleagues at Amnesty International, a national plan of action so that we can look at the kinds of needs that must be addressed for families, children, and communities to overcome this sad part in our history as aboriginal people that shows no sign of decreasing.

We also call upon the police to implement the 2006 protocol, the chiefs of police protocol, where they recognize that there needs to be a specific mechanism for police to respond to not just murdered or missing aboriginal women but also violence. I think the police within the reserves are not adequately trained to deal with domestic violence, sexual violence, or murdered or missing aboriginal women. So there is a huge gap in how our communities are able, just in human resources, to respond to these grave issues.

I think colonization is a major factor in shaping violence against aboriginal women. Amnesty's 2004 report stated that long-standing stereotypes and prejudices in Canadian society have fostered widespread and brutal acts of violence against aboriginal women. This is compounded by government policy and dispossession of indigenous people's land, resources, and territory. They've suffered impoverishment, with the loss of ties to family and community.

In spite of the June 11 apology for the residential school system, there has been no indication from this present government that there is any kind of healthy reconciliation happening in the community to undo those negative impacts that the residential school system had upon aboriginal children, who later, when they became adults, tried to raise families based upon their experiences.

When you have the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, there is this expectant result from government that, within x amount of time, all should be well.

How can you undo over 100 years of colonization, oppression, and legislation that has been embedded in the psyche of our people? It takes time. It also takes support, honesty, and goodwill from the government to be able to support the communities.

It's not just a matter of money; it's a matter of education. I think one of the things that is sorely lacking in trying to address this issue is the lack of education in government in how colonization has affected aboriginal communities and how it continues to affect aboriginal people in our communities.

We need to think of changing the future for the children who exist today so they will not have to endure any more colonized, oppressive policies under the Indian Act. We have asked for the full endorsement of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Our languages have suffered; our sexuality has suffered; our identity as human beings, I believe, has suffered.

There has been no adequate consultation or accommodation to our needs in any kind of engagement sessions the government has conducted in the last four years of its existence.

I'll stop there, because I know there's more discussion to take place.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

Ms. Vaugrante.

[Béatrice Vaugrante, Executive Director, Canada francophone Section, Amnesty International]

Good morning, everyone. Thank you again for your invitation.

We are pleased to be presenting to you the work that Amnesty International has done since 2004 on violence against women. My name is Béatrice Vaugrante, and I am Executive Director of the Canada francophone section of Amnesty International.

Since 2004, we have been documenting the situation regarding violence against women in cooperation with our partners in the aboriginal groups representing women in Canada and Quebec. Since 2004, we have been calling for a comprehensive national action plan to combat violence against women.

We hail last March's announcement of the actions that were to be taken. However, we fear that there has been a somewhat reduced reading of the violence that is committed against women, a reading that is restricted to the criminal problem related to the terribly high crime rate and the number of women who are assassinated or disappeared. Since we've been documenting this issue and conducting research on these matters, we have believed that the problems are not merely criminal, but that they are rooted in violations of economic, social and cultural rights of aboriginal women. We're talking about health, we're talking about education, we're talking about housing. There is chronic under-funding of services offered to women, which constitutes other discrimination compared to what is found in non-aboriginal populations.

There are obviously short-term solutions regarding the police and protocols, which would make it possible to conduct better searches. That could be discussed in cooperation with the Association des policières et policiers provinciaux du Québec, which, since 2006, has acknowledged the high rate of crime and the need for a protocol. I especially believe that there are a lot of long-term solutions respecting economic and social rights and under-funding. An effort really must be made to examine how this discriminates against aboriginal women.

In my opinion, cancelling the Kelowna accords has done them a lot of harm. We must obviously endorse, support and implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Aboriginal Peoples together with aboriginal groups. We are talking about deeply rooted problems that will take time to solve.

There is the historic multi-generational trauma of the residential schools and the high child placement rate. Today, that rate is three times higher than at the peak of residential school era. Yes, there is violence, yes there are deplorable living conditions, and the children must be protected, but that has a terrible impact on the communities and culture, on their cultural fabric, on the fabric of the community. It is unacceptable for people to place their children. Women will even refuse to report violence so they do not lose their children. We cannot accept that in Canada.

There is also the denigration of the status of women, languages and institutions, the seizure of lands and the failure to conduct consultations on their lands and resources. These are complex, complicated substantive issues, but they must be addressed.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

Ms. Gentelet.

[Karine Gentelet, Coordinator of aboriginal rights, Canadian Francophone Section, Amnesty International]

Good morning. My name is Karine Gentelet, and I am the coordinator of aboriginal rights for Amnesty International. I am a volunteer member and I also sit on the board of directors of Amnesty International.

I'm going to agree with the director that the violence suffered by aboriginal women is a much broader problem than a criminal problem. This violence has economic, social and cultural roots.

She talked about the disposition of lands, the gradual destruction of institutions and of the social fabric in the communities. However, I would add that there is also a statistical problem. It is very hard to have access to figures when you want to work on violence against women.

I know that a joint committee in Saskatchewan has worked in an attempt to collate information, and aboriginal women's organizations also worked to establish data bases, but we lack data bases in Canada on violence against women, on the causes and repercussions of violence. That information would be very useful. I would also say that violence against women is a problem or racism and prejudices within Canadian society.

For example, when the predators were caught after aboriginal women disappeared or were murdered, the Canadian courts showed that those women had been targeted because they were aboriginal, because they were vulnerable and because they were isolated. So there is obvious racism. When we conduct research on the disappearances, we see that the police investigations often took longer to start because there were prejudices. It's often believed that these women left, that they ran away or abandoned their families, but it takes months to start the investigations, whereas often they were kidnapped or are dead.

That's it, thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

Madame Laliberté.