Mr. Speaker, many support the forthcoming inquiry on missing and murdered indigenous women and welcome the government's pledge to address the 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
I was recently reminded of the immediate need for action on both. I met Kirsten in a beautifully painted teepee at an Edmonton winter festival. On entering the teepee, I was overwhelmed by the aroma of spruce boughs, then invited to join indigenous youth reclining on buffalo hides. They told me about their backgrounds and the program called “moving the mountain”.
Kirsten proudly led me to the teepee she was building adjacent to a moose hide she had stretched. Left with such a strong feeling of hopefulness, I decided to find out more. Moving the mountain, initiated by Edmonton's iHuman Youth Society, is now hosted by the University of Alberta. It directly supports indigenous girls and young women wishing to escape homelessness, addictions, and abuse, providing them with a safe place to learn and seek alternative paths. These next-generation victims of residential schools deserve our support now.
I will be looking to the March budget for expanded support for concrete programs to deliver a ray of hope to these young women and others like them.