Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The gaps exist in the infrastructure to provide these safe spaces, as well as capacity development, especially when we look at our first nation communities, even in urban environments. Many of the same challenges we experience in our communities exist in urban environments too. I

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We immediately need to look at implementing the call for justice 4.5, the guaranteed annual livable income. We also need to look at colonization and its impact. Many of those women are homeless as a result of the impact of colonization. We need to start supporting families from

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Many times, as indigenous women who are leaders in our communities, when we want to develop our own programs, because we know in our hearts many of us have had similar experiences to our sisters who are homeless and have found ways to heal, when we try to share those ideas and tr

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I would say it is even more pronounced. When we look at urban areas, there is access to different stores that on occasion will have PPE equipment, but when we look at remote isolated locations, it's difficult to adequately resource even essential services. When we look at provi

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I would. I think youth mental health is really critical, especially when we look at indigenous girls and our youth who are living in remote, isolated communities as well as in other first nation communities. There was a mental health crisis in many of our communities even prior

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, I would like to add that many times when we work with different government departments, they are very paternalistic and they do not respect the indigenous knowledge that we carry as indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people, and do not allow us to lead many projects. I

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I would like to answer that. Infrastructure for communication in many of our remote, isolated communities is very difficult, when we think of the Internet, cellular service and telephone lines, so it makes it extra difficult to get messaging out there. We have to be creative in

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Absolutely not. I can speak as someone who is on the front line in my role as manager of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Liaison Unit for the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, and as someone who sits as the co-chair for the Manitoba MMIWG Coalition, hearing fr

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Sure. It's very difficult when indigenous women and girls and two-spirited people experience violence when they live in a remote, isolated location, particularly when it comes to providing adequate supports and resources and a shelter. In Manitoba, we have only four shelters i

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I would say, especially from the perspective of indigenous women and girls from remote and isolated locations, it's really critical to ensure that supports that fund organizations that deal with human trafficking and sexual exploitation remain and increase. Many times when our wo

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for the opportunity to present to the standing committee. I wish to acknowledge the land and the people of Treaty 1 and Treaty 5 territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. My name is Hilda Anderson-Pyrz and I'm the co-chair of the MMIWG Manitoba Coalition. The co