That's who we are.
Our Equay-wuk program director, Sandra Bergman, is back there, so there are three of us here.
On the topic of violence against women.... Equay-wuk (Women's Group), first of all, is an aboriginal women's organization, and we serve women, youth, and families who reside within the northwestern Ontario first nations communities. We are a non-profit organization, provincially incorporated since 1989, serving aboriginal women from 31 of the first nations in the area. We are independent from other women's groups in Ontario or nationally. We don't really belong to ONWA or the Native Women's Association. We don't have membership there, and we do not receive core funding.
The main activities of our organization...we have two training programs. Job readiness training prepares aboriginal people, men and women, for employment. This program teaches life skills, writing, and computer training, and students work toward their high school diploma at the same time. They also participate in job placement at a business or an organization in Sioux Lookout. So that gets them ready for the work world.
We also have an early childhood education diploma program. This is done through distance education. Students don't have to leave their communities; they can study from the north. That's done through St. Lawrence College.