Status of Women committee  Thank you for asking that question. At this point in time one of the mandates of the urban aboriginal strategy is to get all the stakeholders together here in Prince Albert to get them to the table to provide almost--I hate to say it--a one-stop shop where we can provide services to the clients who come forward to us once we put them through a needs assessment.

Status of Women committee  Thank you for that question, Irene. I've worked as a social worker both in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. When I was working in Manitoba I saw a system that was much more sensitive to the needs of first nations individuals, Métis individuals, and non-aboriginal counterparts. There were four authorities at that time made to be sensitive to all four, because they had a first nations north and a first nations south.

Status of Women committee  I want to add something. I do agree with that statement that we should be adding a traditional component onto teaching our current families, especially the women and children, but I'd also like to see a traditional family one. I mean that help should be brought to the perpetrators as well.

Status of Women committee  Yes, I can answer. She's asked why we don't get those services. I can attest to what Wanda is saying. I'm originally from Cumberland House, and I still see a lot of our people come here into the city and not get those services only because we don't have enough of our own people serving our own people.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much for the question, Anita. Usually when anyone comes to our agency for help, it's already gone past that point where they've been involved with social services or they've been involved with child and family services. Most of the time they are involved with the judicial system, whether they have to go to court for charges, whether they have to go to court to serve as a witness against their abuser, which most likely is their husband or their common-law.

Status of Women committee  Thank you very much, Mrs. Chairperson. First of all, I'd like to say thank you for inviting us here today. We don't get the opportunity very often to have a standing committee arrive in Prince Albert. I know it's the first stop here in western Canada, and I really appreciate that you've come here today despite how the weather is treating us outside.