Evidence of meeting #7 for Status of Women in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was seniors.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
Yes, we applied for that. We wrote the proposal in 2007. It lasted 22 months. I think it ended last March.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
I have already said that money isn't always the issue, but do you recall how much the funding was for that?
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
It was about $250,000. It was supposed to be a 24-month project.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
So it almost got you there. Was that for your specific community or was it broader?
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
No, it was for the Native Women's Association of Canada.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
You talked a bit about the study group. Please touch on this. How big was your study group?
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
In the grandmothers group, there were—I'm just trying to think, because I went to the first meeting, but I didn't go after that—about 12. Most of them were female elders, but there was one male elder too.
Conservative
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
There were about 12 to 15 who would come to meetings and steer our main researcher on the project.
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
Yes, I think we got good, valid information from the elders themselves.
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
There was a video produced. It's online on our website. I can get it for you. I didn't include it here, but we did have a public announcement developed from the research. We disseminated it in various ways. It's a public announcement. That was successful.
But it was the first study that was done in this area, and a lot more has to be done. The provincial groups—the provincial and territorial member associations and the Native Women's Association of Canada—could do something similar within their provinces and territories. This was done nationally. When you do something nationally, you don't know what the trickle-down effect is.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Were the issues of healing circles tied into that as part of the review?
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
They came together and spoke in talking circles, but healing circles.... No, they didn't.
Conservative
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
Talking circles were how the elders came to share their stories about elder abuse. But this project was not to heal the advisory committee members: it was to get their advice and information and all they know. They were very respected elder community members that were called in to attend to this project.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
That tied in with the RCMP visiting the elders as well. Was that all part of that as well? Or was that an outcome?
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
That was a story told by one of the committee members who brought in a success story, as well as what was happening in Winnipeg. These were pieces of information that were brought to the project.
Conservative
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
You talked earlier about the case of missing aboriginals. Some moneys went into a study relating to that. Our hearts and empathy, and obviously our sympathy, have to go to any family that has been affected by that.
I tied the reference into healing circles because.... Can I just be blunt? Are there ever any times when aboriginals should be in jail?
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
Well, yes. If there is a serious crime committed, yes, but what I know about this is that a lot of aboriginal people--men and women--are in jail because of crimes that are not that serious.
Executive Director, Native Women's Association of Canada
Exactly, so I have to differentiate. If there is a serious crime committed, yes, but not for the total population.