I'd like to call the meeting to order.
This is the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. We are studying, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), violence against aboriginal women. This was a unanimous agreement by the committee. It's a committee made up of all four political parties in the House, and all agreed that there should be a study.
This isn't a study inasmuch as everyone is going around sort of trying to figure out what's going on, but we really wanted to meet with aboriginal people across the country, to hear from them. Based on and picking up on work that Sisters in Spirit did, we wanted to know from aboriginal people, and from people who have been involved with them in any way, shape, or form, what are the root causes of violence against aboriginal women? What is the extent of that violence? What forms does that violence take?
We have been going on reserves. We've been going to isolated areas. We've been going into cities. We've been looking at the issues of women on reserve, women in isolated areas, and of course women in urban areas.
We're hoping that you can speak to us on these issues and that you can then give us some solutions that you think would work, because nothing seems to have been working at all over all the years that everyone has been doing whatever it is they thought they should do. So maybe we figure we can hear it from you and it might work.
What I'm going to do, because this is a huge panel, is give everybody five minutes. I'm giving the organization five minutes, not every individual, so you're going to have to decide who's going to speak. I'm really going to have to cut you short. What I'm going to do, to help you out, is indicate when you have one minute left so that you can wrap up. You're going to get a chance to answer it as the talk goes on. Many of you who have been sitting in the audience have seen how it works. During the time that you get asked questions you can throw in the bits that you didn't get into your original statement.
I'm going to begin with the Aboriginal Women's Action Network. I have Darlene Rigo and I have Laura Holland. Who's going to speak for the group? Darlene.
Then I have the B.C. CEDAW group, which has two people, Shelagh Day and Sharon McIvor. Who is going to speak for the group? Shelagh, for five minutes.
From the Pivot Legal Society I have Darcie Bennett. There's only one person here.
From the Royal Canadian Mounted Police I have Sergeant Bruce Hulan and Superintendent Russ Nash. Who is going to speak for the group? Both.
From Walk4Justice I have Gladys Radek and Bernie Williams. Who's going to speak for the group? Bernie.
Then, of course, we have the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs. I have one person, so I don't have to ask her who is speaking.
Now that we have that sorted out, we'll begin with the Aboriginal Women's Action Network.
Darlene, you have five minutes.