Evidence of meeting #18 for Veterans Affairs in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was veterans.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Policy Advisor, National Aboriginal Veterans Association
Oh, I'm sorry. Traditional foods would be deer, moose, wild salmon, rabbit. It would vary across the country and according to the aboriginal group you're dealing with--Métis, Inuit, those on reserves.
I think that's the best way I can answer your question.
Conservative
Betty Hinton Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Well, in terms of deer, moose, caribou--you name it--for the first 10 years of my life, that's precisely what I ate. My father was quite a hunter. By the way, I am Métis.
To get back to what we can do for you today in terms of the health care review, you did also mention that you are not a part of the Gerontology Advisory Council. I gather from your comments that you'd like to be part of that. I'm thinking you would probably come at that from a cultural perspective.
Is that your intent? Is that why you want to be a part of it, that you believe there are differences between the cultural needs of aboriginal, Métis, Inuit, and non-aboriginal people as far as the gerontology part is concerned? Is that the reason you'd like to be part of it?
Policy Advisor, National Aboriginal Veterans Association
Absolutely. I think for the credibility of an exercise like the one being undertaken, it has to have aboriginal engagement and aboriginal people speaking on those issues. Ideally, aboriginal veterans would speak for themselves. That would be the purest form.
As you've heard Claude say, the NAVA organization has no capacity to be engaged in that type of activity. However, if there were capacity dollars for them to do that, they could do that.
Conservative
Betty Hinton Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Before he cuts me off--and he will, he's vicious--
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Anders
I just go by the clock. You all agreed on it originally.
Thank you, Mrs. Hinton.
We'll now go to the Liberal Party of Canada. We're on the second round, so it will be five minutes instead of seven.
Mr. Murphy, for five minutes.
Liberal
Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Petit or Mr. MacPhee, you may have stated this in your opening remarks, but I didn't pick it up. Your organization represents status, non-status, Métis, and Inuit?
Liberal
Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Is there a separate organization representing other status aboriginal veterans?
President, National Aboriginal Veterans Association
There wasn't supposed to be. This is why this organization was formed. It was formed by Ron Irwin. At that time he was the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
President, National Aboriginal Veterans Association
Well, we're trying to keep it together, but they're breaking off. They're receiving money, so.... You know, that talks.
Liberal
Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE
From what you're saying, then, there is another aboriginal veterans organization that's receiving money?
Liberal
Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE
And they're based out of what province? Or is there a head office in Ottawa here?
President, National Aboriginal Veterans Association
Well, the first nations president comes out of Sarnia. I was at a meeting with him last week here in town.
But they're a global funding organization. They fund their own veterans; there's no funding going directly to their veterans.
Liberal
Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Okay.
And I thank you very much for your presentations. I listened carefully.
Let's deal with the VIP program. This is a great program. This is a good program, one of the better programs that the government offers. It's not as extensive as it should be, but it is a good program.
You're saying it's not a matter of eligibility, it's that the program is not geared toward aboriginals living in rural and remote parts of Canada, and it's not geared toward the aboriginal culture. Is that correct? If aboriginals wanted to go through all the hoops and bells and whistles, they would qualify if they were entitled to it. Is that right?
Liberal
Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE
But does Veterans Affairs have any employees of aboriginal descent working for them to go to these areas and deal with the aboriginal community?
President, National Aboriginal Veterans Association
I know that in Saskatoon, where I come from, they have one aboriginal person working there. I don't know how much he travels. He came to one of our meetings and explained the VIP program, which is what you're talking about, and some other new programs for veterans who are coming back from Afghanistan--stuff like that.
Liberal
Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE
What you're saying--and I agree with you--is that somebody who lives in rural Saskatchewan, in a remote aboriginal community, has to deal with somebody in, I assume, Regina. Is that correct?
Liberal
Shawn Murphy Liberal Charlottetown, PE
So there isn't a connect between the bureaucracy in the larger cities and the people living in the remote and rural areas.