SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 64 - May/4/22

The Deputy Chair

May/4/22 10:22:13 p.m.
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I am sorry. The hon. member for Manicouagan is rising on a point of order.

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The Deputy Chair

May/4/22 10:22:28 p.m.
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Is it working now? The hon. parliamentary secretary.

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The Deputy Chair

May/4/22 10:22:28 p.m.
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There seems to be an issue with the interpretation.

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Mr. Jaime Battiste

May/4/22 10:22:28 p.m.
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Madam Chair, to begin, I would like to talk about a project that takes place in the Atlantic region: the Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance. 2SLGBTQ+ people have been ignored and erased by traditional colonial data collection and analysis. The Wabanaki Two Spirit Alliance will aim to lay the groundwork for improved methodologies and new approaches to produce better data around the safety of 2SLGBTQ+ people that are inclusive of indigenous world views and perspectives. I would like to thank John R. Sylliboy and the team for their advocacy and hard work in our Mi'kmaq communities, including the Mi'kmaq community I reside in of Eskasoni. Another example is the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society that operates in the Kaska homelands in Yukon and northern British Columbia. They are supporting families and survivors in efforts to commemorate their loved ones and celebrate their lives. This is done through potlatch, a traditional feast and ceremony. The potlatch is held to bring a sense of balance to those who have been affected by losing someone close to them. Another project is run by a group named All Nations Hope Network in Regina, Saskatchewan. The group is organizing individual counselling sessions and group sessions targeted toward the 2SLGBTQ community. That work will be coordinated by a two-spirited person. All the projects that have received funding focus on supporting communities and giving compassionate, culturally sensitive care. These groups are conducting invaluable work, and I am honoured to witness this work. Make no mistake: There is more work to be done, as healing and reconciliation do not come easily. They require difficult conversations and for Canada to take accountability and continue to support survivors, families and communities. Our relationships with indigenous people are strengthened when we collectively pursue truth, address injustice and combat prejudice, as painful as that can be. I call on opposition parties to join us, along with indigenous voices across the country, as we work to promote healing and an end to violence. Thank you. Merci. Nakurmiik.

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Mrs. Marilène Gill

May/4/22 10:22:28 p.m.
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Madam Chair, we have not been hearing the interpretation for nearly a minute now.

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Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)

May/4/22 10:24:58 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, indigenous women and girls have gone missing and have been murdered amid all these so-called investments. None of these so-called investments are reducing the impacts on the crisis that remains today. What will the member do to ensure that he and his party are being accountable and ensure sustainable and targeted funding to end the genocide against first nations, Métis and Inuit people?

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Mr. Jaime Battiste

May/4/22 10:25:28 p.m.
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Madam Chair, qujannamiik. It is important that we look at the budgets that we have been moving forward on over the past two years. Last year's budget put $2.2 billion into missing and murdered indigenous women over five years. We have also put $1 billion into indigenous policing to make sure things are moving safely. In this year's investment, we looked at an agreement in principle that has brought a historic $40 billion in funding. Also, in indigenous housing, there were $4 billion. These investments are helping and making sure that indigenous women are taken care of and remain safe, but the biggest thing we have to understand is that as a federal government, we have indigenous partners that we have to talk to also. As much as I would like to go as fast as we can as a federal government, as an indigenous person and as a first nations person, it is important that we have the dialogues with those stakeholders. It is important that they get their say, and if it takes one year, two years or three years, it is important that we get it right.

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Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)

May/4/22 10:26:32 p.m.
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Madam Chair, one of the points that has come up tonight, mentioned by a number of other members, is the colonial nature of the Indian Act. I would be curious to hear the member's reflections on whether we should be working to repeal and replace the Indian Act, and what he sees as an alternative system that could be in place.

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Mr. Jaime Battiste

May/4/22 10:26:51 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the member's question gives me the chance to talk about Bill C-15, UNDRIP, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which will turn the page on the colonial legacies within the Indian Act by giving indigenous people the ability to implement that which they fought for at the United Nations for 30 years, that which the Conservative Party voted against. Our plan and our way of moving forward is to make sure we implement what indigenous nations all across the world have been calling for over the past 30 years. Our government did that historically last year, on June 21, 2021, when it received royal assent, and I am proud to stand with this government, which made sure that was a priority.

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Ms. Sylvie Bérubé (Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, BQ)

May/4/22 10:27:39 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for his speech. Any conversation about missing and murdered indigenous women and girls is always a conversation about money. The government has done nothing to bring about reconciliation or take action since the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls three years ago. Can my colleague help me understand why the government is so slow to take action?

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Mr. Jaime Battiste

May/4/22 10:28:00 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I would say that our government has not been slow. We are moving at the pace of a federal government, but I want to talk about some of the things our government has done when we are talking about reconciliation. We have ensured that we have the first-ever indigenous language commissioner. We are ensuring that we have UNDRIP passed. We made sure that we have the first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. With the calls for justice that have come, we are making sure that we are making those investments. We are making sure that we are talking to people and the stakeholders. The $2.2 billion over five years is not a small amount, but it is an amount that we must ensure that we talk to indigenous stakeholders across Canada about, the first nations, the Métis, the Inuit, to make sure that we get this right.

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Mr. Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, NDP)

May/4/22 10:28:46 p.m.
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Madam Chair, we have heard the laundry list of investments, and by my calculation, there should be $33 million going out to every province and territory. I am going to give the hon. member the opportunity to stand today and talk with specificity. Within the $33-million envelope that should be going to Nova Scotia, what is being invested in missing and murdered indigenous women?

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Mr. Jaime Battiste

May/4/22 10:29:10 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I thank the member for his passion and friendship over the years. The $2.2 billion over five years is an important amount, but what we need to also do is look at the entirety of the budget we just talked about. We are talking about close to $28 billion. In my time being an MP, I have seen it go from $18 billion for indigenous issues and indigenous investments to $28 billion. Those are historic investments. I am proud of the indigenous caucus and all of the indigenous members who have helped make sure that we have gotten there.

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Mrs. Laila Goodridge (Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, CPC)

May/4/22 10:29:50 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I will be sharing my time with the member for Louis-Saint‑Laurent. I am humbled to rise in this place to participate in this take-note debate on murdered and missing indigenous women and girls and two-spirit people, especially given that tomorrow, May 5, is Red Dress Day. Red Dress Day is not only a day of honouring missing and murdered indigenous people, but a day that we stand, in the spirit of reconciliation, to raise awareness and educate about the tragic violence that indigenous women and girls have experienced, which amounts to genocide. As the member of Parliament fort Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, which is situated on the traditional lands of Treaty 6 and Treaty 8, the territory of the Cree and the Dene and the homelands of the Métis people, I acknowledge that the people of the territory have been deeply impacted by the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. I honour and acknowledge the mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunties and friends who are no longer with us. My heart also goes out to the many family, friends and indigenous leaders who have come together to share their stories and demand action from our civil institutions. What started as a grassroots movement of an art installation called “The REDress Project” has sparked an irrepressible movement to highlight this national tragedy and call for justice. It has been said that red is a sacred colour that transcends the physical realm and calls the spirit of the missing and murdered back to their loved ones. Each dress, pin or ribbon is a visual representation of the stolen sisters and has a deep spiritual meaning. The release of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls three years ago was a key step as Canada confronts the historical and ongoing victimization of indigenous women and girls and LGBTQ2S+ people. In the years that have followed, there has been a renewed interest by all levels of government to set forth concrete actions to reconcile relationships with indigenous peoples and address systemic, cultural and institutional challenges that have maintained the status quo of violence, marginalization and intergenerational trauma. To that end, I was proud beyond measure to have played a small part in the Alberta Joint Working Group on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, along with one of my former colleagues, the MLA for West Yellowhead, Martin Long, and Minister Whitney Issik. It was an honour to be a part of this group for a short period of time. I want to take a moment to thank elders Jackie Bromley and Dr. Francis Whiskeyjack, who always opened our meetings with ceremony, sharing their wisdom and knowledge while keeping our group grounded. To them I say hiy hiy. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the amazing work that was done by the strong indigenous women on the joint working group: Lisa Higgerty and Rachelle Venne, our co-chairs; Josie Nepinak; and Suzanne Life-Yeomans. I was so grateful for these indigenous women. They shared their stories, experiences, perspectives and hearts. They really opened my eyes, and I thank them. In order to address this issue, we must openly and honestly acknowledge the root causes that place indigenous females at such a high risk: harsh realities such as poverty, racism and inadequate housing. It is our collective responsibility to turn the tide on this serious and long-standing reality. We must move past seeing indigenous women and girls as simply statistics and move toward recognizing that there are contributing factors that place indigenous women and girls in vulnerable and dangerous situations. Systemic barriers exist regarding access to adequate housing, culturally appropriate medical care, community supports, coping, intergenerational trauma and so much more. We cannot change history, but together we can forge a path toward a brighter future while forever remembering the lives lost and supporting survivors. It is incumbent on all of us to move from talking to true action that will stop this from ever happening again. We must all be committed to walking shoulder to shoulder in the spirit of reconciliation to build a more inclusive society. Since 2004, nine indigenous women from Nistawoyou have been reported missing or murdered. I would like to take an opportunity to speak their names into the record: Elaine Alook, Shirley Waquan, Amber Tuccaro, Janice Desjarlais, Shelly Dene, Betty Ann Deltess, Ellie Herman, Audrey Bignose and Sherri Lynn Flett. It is time for justice in memory of all of these women. They have not been and will not be forgotten.

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Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

May/4/22 10:35:09 p.m.
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Madam Chair, in my riding of North Island—Powell River, a couple of indigenous women have gathered many indigenous women together to bead red dress earrings and pins. What they do is fundraise so they can support families that have lost indigenous women and girls. They fundraise so they can put up billboards of missing indigenous women and girls so that people know the faces of those who are lost from their families forever. Can the member speak about how important it is that we not ask people to be charitable in this, but ask government to be responsible for the actions it takes in making sure that we find these women and girls?

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Mrs. Laila Goodridge

May/4/22 10:35:57 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I want to thank the member for that incredibly important question. It really highlights the fact that it should not be incumbent on the communities to raise awareness. Government has to take a big step in this. In my own community, just a kilometre from my house we had a tragic situation. It was the community that had to rally. I was so grateful that leaders from all levels of government did come together to help, but that needs to be larger. The federal government needs to have investments in place. One thing I would love to see is a “red dress alert” to try to help get the information out quicker. We know that when women are found faster, they are more likely to be found alive.

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Ms. Andréanne Larouche (Shefford, BQ)

May/4/22 10:36:58 p.m.
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Madam Chair, my colleague mentioned various solutions, such as housing. For indigenous women to escape the cycle of violence, they must have the means to regain power over their own lives. However, some communities have truly appalling housing, others do not even have water and some do not even have electricity. How can we give these women a safe and adequate environment so that they have what they need to break the cycle of violence and thereby prevent the disappearance of more women?

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Mrs. Laila Goodridge

May/4/22 10:37:46 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I think my colleague raised an issue that is a real problem in rural and isolated communities. I have housing problems in my riding and I believe many rural MPs have the same problem. I think the government really has to act on the recommendations from the inquiry because they were very clear, but the government has not done so.

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Mr. Gary Vidal (Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, CPC)

May/4/22 10:38:45 p.m.
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Madam Chair, we have heard tonight about many different organizations and many campaigns in Canada that are used to raise awareness and honour indigenous women and girls who have either been murdered or gone missing. In addition to participating in many of these events and becoming part of them, does she have any suggestions for all of our colleagues on Parliament Hill on how we can engage even better on this very important issue?

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Mrs. Laila Goodridge

May/4/22 10:39:18 p.m.
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Madam Chair, one truly important thing that we can all do is engage with indigenous communities and listen. We need to hear what they have to say and approach the solution understanding that they have the answers in their communities. It is incumbent on each and every one of us to have those conversations, carry that message forward and allow indigenous-led organizations to really shine through, especially on days like tomorrow.

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