44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 7, 2022 02:00PM
- Dec/7/22 2:05:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, reflecting on the year as it draws to a close, we cannot ignore the challenges that many members of our communities across the country are facing. We also know that kindness, generosity and empathy are the lights that shine the brightest at this time of year. We all have stories that come to mind of goodwill and compassion, the radiant moments when people are connected by our shared humanity.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate the people who give and bring our communities closer together: the members of the carpenters' union, local 1386, who donated 104 turkeys to the Oromocto area food bank; the thousands of families who have opened their hearts and homes to Ukrainians fleeing war; and the people who volunteer their time to contribute to the important mission of Meals on Wheels by delivering food while breaking isolation with a moment of connection. To everyone who digs deep to give what they can, I give my thanks.
I am reminded of a quote by Scott Adams: “there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” I am filled with hope at the prospect of watching ripples of kindness illuminate our homes in the year to come.
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- Dec/7/22 7:00:26 p.m.
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Madam Chair, in my hon. colleague's speech on this very important topic, she mentioned the responsibility we have as lawmakers and as parliamentarians.
Could she speak to the other responsibility that we have as women in this House? What more could we be doing collectively and in a non-partisan approach to address this issue and make sure these voices are honoured?
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- Dec/7/22 7:21:06 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her speech.
One thing that is often missing from the discussion is the ongoing problem of anti-indigenous racism. Can the member tell us what we can do to address this problem?
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- Dec/7/22 7:21:49 p.m.
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Madam Chair, something that is often missing from the discussion is the specific and ongoing issue of anti-indigenous racism. I am wondering if the member could comment on what more we could be doing in society, perhaps in education, to confront this disease.
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- Dec/7/22 8:23:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague mentioned using our voice as government members. I certainly want to assure her that I do that every single opportunity I have. I also know that I cannot wait for the government to act. In my home community, I meet with police regularly. I meet with the RCMP. I meet with health authorities. I meet with education boards. I meet with families. I attend vigils and marches. I demand action.
I am just wondering if she could speak to some of the things she is doing in her own home community to also demand action.
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- Dec/7/22 9:10:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin and Anishinabe people.
Land acknowledgements are not intended to simply check a box or even state a fact. They are meant to set the tone with pre-colonial respect and recognition. I wish to pay homage to matrilineal societies that thrived in Wabanaki territory, like where I am from, where women decided who the chiefs were, who the speakers were, held them accountable and could remove them, and democracy was by consensus. Women were revered as life givers and two-spirited peoples were held in high regard for their strength and gender fluidity.
Tonight I am grateful for this essential take-note debate to further bring awareness to the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and two-spirited peoples. However, I am devastated that as time passes, we continue to lose mothers, sisters, aunties, daughters, cousins and friends. It feels as though we cannot move beyond this point of awareness to action.
Through you, Mr. Speaker, to this House, to our government and to people watching at home, I say, no more. When will this stop?
Reconciliation is indeed a process. It is a journey, but the time it takes to heal wounds and to build bridges cannot mean more bright lights will be snuffed out as we iron out the details. It cannot mean that we will continue to stand idly by while families go without answers. It cannot mean that we refuse to do all we can to bring these women home.
Our discussion this evening was spurred by the latest loss of life of four important sacred women with value, with purpose, whose deaths must not be in vain: Rebecca Contois, 24 years old; Marcedes Myran, 26 years old; Morgan Beatrice Harris, 39 years old; and Buffalo Woman. Our goal tonight is to honour them by demanding action and accountability.
I want to acknowledge the strength and the incredible courage it took for Cambria Harris of Long Plain First Nation in Treaty 1 territory, the daughter of Morgan Harris, for her powerful speech delivered just outside these doors. She spoke truth to power and rightfully called out our collective inaction and indifference. Her plea to bring her mother home must be honoured. We must commit to deliver justice for those whose lives have been cut short.
I have mentioned many times in this House that I was an educator before coming here. I worked with indigenous students whose leadership and activism inspired me to fight for a better future where these discussions will no longer be needed. I remember clearly a time in 2010 when awareness in MMIWG had just started to grow. A viral campaign occurred and my students participated by taking photos with signs that said, “Am I next?” I love those students like they are my own children and it was gut-wrenching to think that we could lose them. Unfortunately, many of them know someone who has been murdered or who has gone missing. Imagine having to carry the weight of that reality around.
We know the statistics. Indigenous women make up 16% of all female homicide victims, 11% of missing women, even though indigenous peoples make up 4.3% of the population of Canada. According to the inquiry's report, they are 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered. They are not numbers. They are human beings.
It is important to note that the current public data on MMIWG oversimplifies and under-represents the scale of the issue. It still demonstrates a complex and pervasive pattern of violence against indigenous women and girls who are often targeted because of their gender and indigenous identity. Violence against indigenous women and girls is systemic and a national crisis that requires urgent, informed and collaborative action.
The Sisters in Spirit initiative highlighted various systemic issues, including the impunity of many of the perpetrators. Their study found that nearly half of the cases involving indigenous women and girls remain unsolved and no charges were laid in about 40% of the cases.
It is now recognized that the high risk of violence experienced by indigenous women and girls stems in large part from a failure of police and others in the criminal justice system to adequately respond to or provide for the needs of indigenous women and girls and we see history repeating itself.
More than 2,380 people participated in the national inquiry. Expert witnesses, elders and knowledge keepers, frontline workers and officials provided testimony. The truths shared tell the story or, more accurately, thousands of stories of acts of genocide against first nations, Inuit and Métis women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Generally speaking, genocide does not necessarily mean the immediate destruction of a nation. It is intended, rather, to signify a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of life, of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves.
As stated in the executive summary of the inquiry's final report:
The objectives of a plan of genocide would include actions aimed at the “disintegration of the political and social institutions, of culture, language, national feelings, religion, and the economic existence of national groups, and the destruction of the personal security, liberty, health, dignity, and even the lives of the individuals belonging to such groups.”
Sadly, we have met that threshold.
As the inquiry's final report explains, “the steps to end and redress this genocide must be no less monumental than the combination of systems and actions that has worked to maintain colonial violence for generations.”
The calls for justice are based on a solid foundation of evidence and law. A human rights based approach is critical in efforts to bring about the paradigm shift required in Canada's relationship with indigenous peoples, particularly indigenous women and girls.
Exposure to violence must be seen as a systemic violation of the rights to gender equality and non-discrimination, requiring broad structural changes, such as policing practices or judicial restructuring, instead of as a symptom of service gaps requiring temporary solutions.
Families and survivors consistently refer to four general ways their experiences were rooted in colonialism across first nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives, as well as from the perspective of 2SLGBTQIA people. These four pathways that maintain colonial violence are historical, multi-generational and intergenerational trauma; social and economic marginalization; the maintaining of the status quo and institutional lack of will; and the ignoring of the agency and expertise of indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people.
Justice for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls is justice for all women, and this work is critical for any hope of reconciliation. Women are the ones leading the collective healing required to move forward. We need to tackle the disease that is poisoning our society, namely misogyny, racism, white supremacy and colonialism.
We all have a responsibility to do better, to end this cycle of suffering and to heal. Until the root cause of hate is truly addressed, the tree of reconciliation will never grow.
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- Dec/7/22 9:18:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on a personal note, I certainly support the very practical and reasonable demands of the family. I think we should treat this as we would treat our own family members. We would want to leave no stone unturned. I particularly am interested in supporting the red dress alert. I think it is incredibly impactful that, as other members have stated, the earlier we act, the more likely it is we can bring members home to their families.
We should also absolutely put a moratorium on the landfill until more can be done and until there can be an assessment of how best to address this issue. I understand there are logistical concerns, but certainly we must have technology. There has got to be something we can do. I think what the family really wants to see from us is that we are really looking at all options, and I know colleagues have had this conversation and that we are certainly committed to doing that. I will always add my voice to ensure that we do everything we can.
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- Dec/7/22 9:20:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I know my colleague is a staunch advocate and fights so hard for her community and all communities across the country around housing in particular.
We had a discussion today with our colleagues about how important it is to support not only urban communities, but also rural, remote and northern communities. There have been commitments made by our government. We see initiatives and investments made in housing, and we continue to push for more.
I do not think there is a number that is really going to hit the level of crisis we are seeing, particularly in the north, but I just want to remind my hon. colleague as well that it is even in small towns. We have a member missing in the Fredericton region as well. We certainly know that if there was low-barrier access to shelters, so many more people would be safe and secure, rather than find themselves in very dangerous and precarious positions, and perhaps we could save lives.
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- Dec/7/22 9:22:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am extremely passionate about education. It is the key to unlocking so much of this. Some of the issues I mentioned were misogyny and racism. These are big issues. It is going to take so much to really get to the root causes of these societal and systemic problems. I think back to my wonderful times in education and working with students.
If one empowers their voices, if one teaches the truth about their history, about colonialism and, again, listens to their lived experience and provides that springboard for action, it is incredible to see the heights these students will reach. So many of my students are pursuing now their master's in social work or law. They will be the leaders who will replace us in the House. Those voices and that representation will matter in such a big way that it will start to break down some of these barriers that continue to oppress in society. Absolutely, education is the key. It will always be my passion, and I bring that into the House any chance I get.
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- Dec/7/22 9:24:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I very much respect my colleague. Actually, earlier this evening, during a question she asked another member, I wrote that down to say this is something I want to push for and advocate for, that very tangible number. Of course, indigenous-led and for indigenous, by indigenous is so critical. I am happy to add my voice in asking for that to be included in our 2023 budget.
Again, to highlight some of the work that has been done in my own riding, we did see $18.6 million given for a friendship centre that also has housing options and also deals with intimate partner violence. It is going to have social enterprise for women. It is going to provide those opportunities. Those individual projects are going to have ripple effects in each individual community. I hope to see that across the country. I think it could also lead to some solutions.
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- Dec/7/22 9:35:43 p.m.
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Madam Chair, my colleague mentioned some of the failures of the police and some of the mistrust that exists. I wonder if she can speak to some specific reforms that need to happen within communities to address the policing issue, and the role of the police in this problem as well.
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