Status of Women committee  Cultural sensitivity?

Status of Women committee  I'm just thinking about an example. I'm aware that this is being recorded. With the Olympics coming to Canada, there was an issue with the Conne River Choir, the Se't A'newey Choir. There was confusion as to whether they were invited or not invited to come and be part of the opening ceremony.

Status of Women committee  I was just thinking about a couple of things. The work we intend to do next year is to empower the men to be part of the solution, to be role models, to go into their communities as advocates against violence. I'm not sure if you're familiar with some TV commercials that are running in our province right now.

Status of Women committee  We think so. Labrador is interested, and we're interested in going to Labrador. It's a different culture, but you can apply the model. My understanding of the toolkit that we purchased from NWAC, the Native Women's Association of Canada, was that of all the people who were trained in using this toolkit, we probably took it the furthest and had the most application.

Status of Women committee  Yes.

Status of Women committee  For the three-phase project that we undertook, “Aboriginal Women on the Verge of Rising”, we had $156,000 from Status of Women Canada, and partnership funding from Canadian Heritage and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador of $122,800 for that project. Then when we were asked to do elder abuse workshops in our communities, we got an additional $25,000, I think it was.

Status of Women committee  Yes.

Status of Women committee  We stretched it and stretched it and stretched it. It meant that pregnant women had to travel five hours in the winter down the Northern Peninsula, but they were so committed to being there, they went. When the women went into their communities to give workshops, there were very small honorariums attached: $75 for doing a half-day workshop, and $150 for facilitating a full-day workshop.

Status of Women committee  Yes, I have some copies of some things here today. Operational funding is the other thing. You can get project funding, which means that you can do X, Y, and Z, but it means there is no money for a board meeting of the board of directors overseeing a project. There's no money for a phone call, and there's no money for an audit if you found out you had to do an audit.

Status of Women committee  I can't tell you how many were living there then, but I can tell you that the Federation of Newfoundland Indians is in the process of forming the Qalipu Mi'Kmaq First Nation Band and that it may take place this year. It looks like there will be upwards of 30,000 members when that new band is formed.

Status of Women committee  At the stroke of a pen.

Status of Women committee  We don't have an official band yet to represent us, so we haven't had that election. Within the non-status bands, there are some women who are chiefs. Man, woman, child, elder, if their heart is pure and they have the best interests of the people in mind and they talk to the grassroots, then they will be a good leader.

Status of Women committee  I'll start. I think the work that the Newfoundland Aboriginal Women's Network is doing in our violence prevention initiative using a train-the-trainer approach is a success story. We're hearing from the women that there's a lot of empowerment. Many of the women who came and agreed to become trainers didn't have formal education.

Status of Women committee  It's interesting that you say “Atlantic approach”, because we've really been isolated in Newfoundland. I say Newfoundland as separate from Labrador. Part of the issue is that we're still not status, not considered status, and we're evolving to the point where women are understanding that you don't need to carry your birth certificate to know that you're alive.

Status of Women committee  First of all, I thank you as well for the opportunity to speak here today. I'm here to tell you about the good work the Newfoundland Aboriginal Women's Network has been doing on our violence prevention initiative over the past few years. We are a relatively young organization; we were incorporated in 2005.