2. Women's Perspectives - Christian Aboriginal Infrastructure ...

articulating visions of nationhood founded on the best of past traditions and culture.
These visions must guide the present leadership if Aboriginal nationhood within a
renewed Canadian federation is to become a living, vibrant and egalitarian reality.
Recommendation
The Commission recommends that
4.2.1
The government of Canada provide funding to Aboriginal women's organizations,
including urban-based groups, to
(a) improve their research capacity and facilitate their participation in all stages of
discussion leading to the design and development of self-government processes; and
(b) enable them to participate fully in all aspects of nation building, including developing
criteria for citizenship and related appeal processes.
4. Health and Social Services: A Priority on Healing
I find that there are so many changes that our people have undergone, so many
adaptations that we have had to make to survive. There are many deep-rooted emotional
problems that do not get addressed — the problems we see day to day in the high number
of suicides, death by misadventure, violent deaths, high jail populations, alcohol and drug
abuse and just so many throw-away people that we have.
Mavis Henry
Pauquachin Band
Esquimalt, British Columbia, 21 May 1992
Aboriginal women involved in health and social services, in both staff and volunteer
capacities, have articulated what they see going on around them and identified what is
needed. They are keenly aware of the difficulties encountered daily as Aboriginal people
try to achieve a basic standard of health and social services:
Health is a matter of people's lives and if we as Aboriginal people want selfdetermination,
we have to look at how we are going to recover from past and current
diseases and illnesses so that we can build a healthy and sound nation.
Marlene Poitras
Edmonton, Alberta
11 June 1992
Every Canadian is aware of the fact that all people carry the experiences of the past into
their present lives. For the majority, it's the basis of progress. For the Métis, the past is a
collection of bitter memories which, in many cases, results in people internalizing our
problems, losing our sense of dignity and self-esteem and sliding downhill into despair,
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