Status of Women committee I think we do need more evidence because I don't know who's doing research in the aboriginal communities. We're getting piecemeal data. We do need more evidence-based data, more research to be up to date, I think. We're relying on sources that I don't think are comprehensive. T
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee It is very important, and housing is a very big problem in aboriginal communities. It is broadcast widely across all the news channels and the media. There is overcrowding. In terms of matrimonial.... Communities are small. Everybody knows one another. If you take out the man a
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee The judges and lawyers are not even familiar with aboriginal culture. That's a whole other issue. Are they trained in aboriginal culture? These are all little pieces that are being put forward in good faith, but I don't think it's enough.
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee Michèle Audette is our president, and we have a first vice-president, Dawn Harvard.
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee I don't think I have to give advice because the Native Women's Association of Canada is working hand in hand with all the other NAOs: the AFN, the ITK, the Métis National Council, and Pauktuutit. We're working together to try to address violence from all our populations because w
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee No, it's not.
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee I wouldn't have any advice to give Mr. Bellegarde because we're working together on the situation to improve....
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee No, we're all working together.
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee Wow, well....
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee I think it began in the 1970s when aboriginal people wanted to have schools on the reserves and to control their education systems. I think that was put in place. I think that the funding was never matched by provincial funding. You're right, the funding for schools on reserve
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee In all sectors?
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee The Native Women's Association had different departments. One, for example, was health. In April 2012 we had word from Health Canada that all our funding was cut. We couldn't do anything in the health sector for aboriginal women. Eight of our staff were laid off, and we never b
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee That's the underpinning of why we're calling for a national public inquiry, to really get at the root of the problem. It's true that a lot of things have been put in place in my lifetime, and the rates are not going down; the murders are still there. They're even increasing in so
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee I do work with our colleagues at Pauktuutit, for example, and there's a grave shortage of shelters up north. I also know that in our first nations communities, there's also a shortage. As to the shelters that are not on reserve, many are not culturally appropriate and the women t
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith
Status of Women committee After Sisters in Spirit ended, of course NWAC applied to continue to update or keep up the data. New criteria were put out. We were told that there was not to be any more research or advocacy, so any project to do with research or advocacy that was funded by Status of Women follo
February 5th, 2015Committee meeting
Claudette Dumont-Smith