Good afternoon.
My name is Melanie Omeniho and I am the president of Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak. I'd like to bring greetings on behalf of my board of directors and staff. I am located right now in the land of Treaty 6 and the Métis motherland, and am found in Edmonton at this time.
We implement our vision and mandate through national advocacy for distinctions-based, culturally relevant policies that are intended to improve the lives and well-being of Métis women, children, families and communities. We apply a gendered, intersectional approach to the views and equitable access for an equality of outcomes through a Métis gendered lens, considering our historical and contemporary Métis women's roles and acknowledging that gender and culture are inseparable.
It is also through this approach that we have developed the gender-based analysis that we work with. Preventing violence and abuse against Métis women, children and two-spirited and gender-diverse people has been a priority for Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak since its very inception. In addition to consistently engaging in activities to promote Métis women's leadership, LFMO undertakes many activities to end gender-based violence and intimate partner violence.
From our perspective, gender-based violence is not a women's issue; rather, it is an issue that requires a whole lot of society response to end this grim reality. Over the last few years, much of our work has been dedicated to developing our report, which we call “Weaving Miskotahâ”. It is the Métis nation's journey to ending violence and missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.
We are currently undertaking the development of the Métis nation action plan to implement our plan. In addition to our ongoing work on missing and murdered women, girls and 2SLGBT people, LFMO has undertaken the development of a gender-based violence tool kit. Our tool kit is strength-based and incorporates principles of lateral kindness. When we use these lenses, we hold in balance the acknowledgement of our challenges while celebrating our resilience and strength, those positive characteristics that have helped us to overcome for generations and keep going and thriving through our adversity. This is relentless work, but our mission will always remain to see a world where Métis women from across the Métis nation motherland are safe, respected, connected and empowered, and have the capacity to work with Canadian Métis governments, agencies and organizations to help create the conditions for healthy, vibrant and productive communities.
The lack of understanding of Métis identity and the misrepresentation of indigenous women have been reflected in their stereotypical media portrayals, which have led to their continued dehumanization and mistreatment in Canadian society. Gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, against Métis women does not exist in a vacuum. It is a reaction that is a result of colonization, toxic masculinity and imposing patriarchal values and norms. Popular culture, including televison shows, movies and video games, has situated Métis women and girls as uncivilized, hypersexualized and disposable.
When accessing services, Métis women, girls and gender-diverse people have continually faced racism that is distinct from the racism experienced by first nations and Inuit women, girls and gender-diverse people. The racism is often due to a lack of information about Métis women's experiences. One way that LFMO promotes ending violence with respect is through our “She is Indigenous” campaign, and we are going to continue to work with our grandmothers and elders to help make sure that there are kinship and community programs and cornerstones to healing.
We are going to develop, with an emphasis on education and awareness.... To help change this, we need to involve men and boys in these conversations, and we will continue to do this in a culturally relevant manner.
I thank you for this opportunity.