Leaders call for end to violence against women and children

Attawapiskat Chief Teresa Spence called for First Nation leaders to help protect women from abuse during the Assembly of First Nation’s Special Chiefs Assembly.
“We say we need to protect the children and women, but as we speak women and children are being abused, even the Elders, by the government,” Spence said on Dec. 6. “We’ve been saying and making statements and delivering messages to the government about the treaty. It’s been broken so many times and it is still broken. It’s being violated.”
Spence said she experienced abuse from the government over the past year.
The federal government appointed a third party manager to Attawapiskat on Nov. 30, 2011 after the James Bay community declared an emergency due to community members living in tents and shacks without proper sewage disposal. Instead of visiting, Prime Minister Stephen Harper raised an issue with the $50,000 each person in Attawapiskat received over five years in federal funding.
The New Democratic Party leader at the time, Nycole Turmel, who had visited the community on Nov. 29, questioned Harper’s comment.
“Does the Prime Minister want to talk about numbers?” Turmel asked at the time. “Outside of First Nations, social spending in Canada is about $18,000 per year per person. According to his own numbers, federal spending in Attawapiskat per person per year is about half of this amount. How is that possible? Why is he blaming the community?”
Federal Court Justice Michael L. Phelan later decided it was “unreasonable in all the circumstances” for the federal government to appoint the third-party manager, ruling on Aug. 1 that the appointment of the third party manager was contrary to law.
Spence became emotional during her speech, explaining she could feel the pain of the women and children.
“It’s time to do something about it and stop talking about it,” Spence said. “This is why there are a lot of women missing, because the system is abusing them. When are we going to do something?”
Spence said the pain is never going to stop until First Nations leaders step in as a nation.
“It has to stop — our generation suffered too much,” Spence said. “This generation deserves better. We can’t keep giving the pain to our youth.”
National Chief Shawn Atleo said that ending violence remains the constant bottom-line for First Nations people.
“We are here fighting for the rights of our peoples back home in our communities — inherent rights and human rights — for they are the ones who suffer daily to meet the basic standards of life, and this too often includes the struggle to achieve safety and security,” Atleo said during the Special Chiefs Assembly. “We cannot lose any more of our sisters, mothers or daughters to violence. We need action at every level and the leadership is prepared to empower, support and encourage this action to achieve justice and end violence.”
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler seconded an AFN resolution during the Special Chiefs Assembly on Direct Action on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Woman.
“Today we reflect on and remember all the women who have fallen victim to violence in their lives,” Fiddler said. “Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible marks of bruises and scars. Violence against women is an appalling human rights violation. But it is not inevitable. We can put a stop to this.”
Michele Audette, president of Native Women Association of Canada, and Adeline Webber, national women’s council member, discussed the issue with families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women during the Special Chiefs Assembly to support existing and new advocacy efforts for a National Commission of Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Aboriginal women.
“We are united in our calls for the federal government, provinces and territories to commit to working with us and other First Nation, Aboriginal and women’s organizations on a National Public Commission of Inquiry that will seek and find the answers to prevent and end violence against women, regardless of where we live,” Audette said.