Status of Women committee  Could you repeat that more slowly, please?

Status of Women committee  Our first recommendation is to provide core funding to Réseau des maisons d'hébergement pour femmes autochtones, our network of shelters for indigenous women. This would allow for training and information sharing among indigenous shelters, on a par with the Regroupement des maiso

Status of Women committee  [Witness speaks in an indigenous language] Good afternoon. I would like to thank the Creator for bringing me here safe and sound, as well as the Anishinabek nation for hosting us on its vast territory. My name is Viviane Michel, and I am the president of Québec Native Women. Q

Status of Women committee  All right. As I'm sure you can appreciate, seven minutes isn't much, but I'm used to talking fast. I'm going to comment on the two issues the committee asked us to address, beginning with current federal programs and funding in support of shelters and transition houses. In 1990

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Some people make decisions without having really talked with the women. Some people think the changes they're making to the legislation are the best changes. However, they don't see the consequences of these changes. Earlier, we talked about the contradictions. We're left with t

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Of course, we can see the contradiction. It is obvious. It's really the outcome of your laws. The expression “divide and conquer” applies, but we can't even agree amongst ourselves. I can understand the challenges of aboriginal communities: their economic survival, the lack of a

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Be among those who will be remembered as the people who helped achieve true reconciliation between our people, and not those who worked on the disappearance of cultures, languages and the first humans from this territory. On behalf of Quebec Native Women Inc., our ancestors and

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  [Witness speaks in Innu] Madam Chair, vice-chairs, members of the committee, kuei. I would like to begin by thanking the Anishinabe Nation for welcoming us on its vast unceded territory. Quebec Native Women Inc., a member organization of the Native Women's Association of Canad

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  When I spoke earlier, I said that the lack of time was a real problem. We need more time to conduct better consultations, and they cannot only last one day. The issues at stake are identity as a whole, language, culture and the general picture. I can see that this exasperates you

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. It is understood that the Indian Act is obsolete. It still practises forms of assimilation. If we wanted to replace it, I would still have some concerns, in the sense that this may be the only document that recognizes our existence somewhere. As long as we do not manage our

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  From what I hear, you want things to move forward. As I said earlier, a better consultation would be ideal. In Quebec, there are 54 communities and an urban population. How can we discuss issues you may not even have heard about? We need to take the time to examine these issues.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  [Witness speaks in Innu] Good afternoon, everyone. I thank the Creator for having brought us here, and I also wish to acknowledge the vast non-surrendered Algonquin territory we are on. Ladies and gentlemen members of Parliament, Kwe. The Quebec Native Women's association wishe

Status of Women committee  I feel that it is important to consider our way of life and our cultural differences. You want consultations. They took place; I was there as a participant from a community. In those consultations, we went quite deep, not just into family matters, but also into matters of ancest

Status of Women committee  Maybe you want to hold nice consultations in the communities, but I know that you are going to pass Bill S-2 anyway, however much we tell you we are opposed to it. Your minds are already made up. If you really want to consult, you have to do it in our language. That is very impo

Status of Women committee  As an Innu woman, I have a major concern. Love knows no borders. A number of aboriginal women are in common-law relationships with non-aboriginal partners. If this law is enforced and a verdict is reached, given all the problems facing our communities, including high rates of alc