Status of Women committee  I want to say that we have two RCMP in Berens River, and there are gaps in the RCMP service. This bill will not stop the women and children from dying in Berens River. I go to those funerals, and it's serious. This bill is not going to stop anybody dying in Berens River. If a man decides to pick up a knife and in a drunken stupor stab somebody he loves, he's going to do that, because we only have two RCMP in Berens River.

Status of Women committee  Well, we tried that after the aboriginal justice initiative, with the framework, trying to negotiate the implementation of self-government, so that we would have our laws flow out of section 35, which was argued for a lot, and hard. There are still some—there are always going to be some—indigenous people who don't agree with that, but Canada has shown us that they have a very big army.

Status of Women committee  Well, yes. It reminded me of when my husband used to hit me. I'd say, “Stop, stop, stop.” He never stopped. I finally left. You can say that you talked to a million Indians, but if you don't do what we're saying, what's the point of the talking?

Status of Women committee  Yes, and I quoted her.

Status of Women committee  With a report that said, “Don't do this.”

Status of Women committee  Pretty much.

Status of Women committee  Over the coming days, I think you'll hear from others far more articulate and diplomatic than I am who will make the same point I've made.

Status of Women committee  If we had a protection order.... Well, first of all, we would have to determine who owns the house. We would have no idea, because some of them are so old and have transferred between hands so many times...and they may or may not have a mortgage. Let's just assume that we can determine the legal standing of the house and that council has made a decision on who owns that house.

Status of Women committee  It just looks good. It looks really good. They joke around in some Métis communities, asking “How is it going?”, and they say, “Ah, they're peace-bonding it again.”

Status of Women committee  It's through section 35.

Status of Women committee  For my ancestors, on the other hand, the treaty party showed up in Berens River with a draft on September 20, 1876, with a “fill in the blanks”. In nine hours they rolled through Berens River. Apparently it's a done deal.

Status of Women committee  It's because they have a treaty, and section 35 says that Canada hereby recognizes and affirms “existing aboriginal and treaty rights”. You can't argue that her treaty rights are not existing, because she spent 19 years negotiating them.

Status of Women committee  Yes. As I said, I sat in the courtroom in Berens for four months. I watched our young men being hauled out of the community because of the process, because of the justice system, or the lack thereof. This will just be another item that will cause the men to be taken out of Berens River, when really, as I said, the families need to be supported.

Status of Women committee  I don't know. Each case is different. I appreciate your kind words, and I assume they are real, so thank you.

Status of Women committee  Yes, I felt that. Of course, who would not agree that the women and children should have the house? That's not the issue. The issue is that women and children—it's my opinion—who are suffering from alcoholism and addiction, which is the major cause of domestic violence, want to heal and want their family strengthened.