Veterans Affairs committee  Thank you. You took away all the things I had to say. Somebody did their research.

Veterans Affairs committee  I have to warn you in advance that I'm a crier, so that's a lesson to begin with. [Witness speaks in Ojibwa] Does everybody know what I just told you?

Veterans Affairs committee  Okay.

Veterans Affairs committee  No. Can anyone translate or interpret what I just said?

Veterans Affairs committee  And again and again. I will do that in a second. This is an example of one of the huge issues that aboriginal and Métis veterans have faced from day one. I just told you who I am, what my family's position within my community is—was, I don't know what it is today—what my job is

Veterans Affairs committee  Seeing that I am the founder of that day, sure, I could speak to it. If you went into your archives and found these documents, you would know about it. Back in 1992 we were gathered here on the Hill to establish the National Aboriginal Veterans Association—the good one, not the

Veterans Affairs committee  Yes, I understand. That's what I'm saying.

Veterans Affairs committee  Developing this day was not to, in any way whatsoever, take anything away. It was to enhance the fact that our communities were losing what an aboriginal veteran was. They were losing their veterans. They're dying. They're gone. I noticed in your invitation that you had no reco

Veterans Affairs committee  Do you have anything else?

Veterans Affairs committee  I have something here for you too.

Veterans Affairs committee  You came to me with a loaded question there. “Non-approved” means that, from what I have experienced with the people I work with who have PTSD—and that's another topic too, PTSD and vicarious trauma; those things need to be dealt with. Those people can't decide to go to an abori

Veterans Affairs committee  Exactly.

Veterans Affairs committee  Well, it's just like the little example I gave you about a woman having her period. That, in mainstream society, is nothing. You know it happens, okay, so you go buy your.... But within our culture, it's a big deal, and being able to communicate with a female veteran who can say,

Veterans Affairs committee  Poor you.

Veterans Affairs committee  There are a million things. The first thing I'd like to put on the table is to caution every single, solitary one of you from the top of Veterans Affairs down to be careful of who you choose as an elder. Make sure they are truly recognized by their people as elders, not by just a