THE STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
EVIDENCE
OTTAWA, Wednesday, October 30, 2024
The Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples met with videoconference this day at 11:30 a.m. [ET] to examine the federal government’s constitutional, treaty, political and legal responsibilities to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and any other subject concerning Indigenous Peoples.
[Editor’s note: Please note that this transcript may contain strong language and addresses sensitive matters that may be difficult to read.]
Senator Brian Francis (Chair) in the chair.
[English]
The Chair: Before we begin, I would like to ask all senators and other in-person participants to consult the cards on the table for guidelines to prevent audio feedback incidents. Please make sure to keep your earpiece away from all microphones at all times. When you are not using your earpiece, place it face down on the sticker placed on the table for this purpose. Thank you all for your cooperation.
I would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Anishinaabeg Algonquin Nation and is now home to many other First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples from across Turtle Island.
I am Mi’kmaw Senator Brian Francis from Epekwitk, also known as Prince Edward Island, and I am Chair of the Committee on Indigenous Peoples.
I will now ask committee members in attendance to introduce themselves by stating their names and province or territory.
Senator Hartling: Good morning. I’m Senator Nancy Hartling from New Brunswick on the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people.
Senator McPhedran: Good morning. I’m Senator Marilou McPhedran from Treaty 1 territory in Manitoba, also the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation.
Senator Prosper: Good morning. Paul Prosper, Nova Scotia, Mi’kma’ki territory.
Senator Sorensen: Karen Sorensen, Banff, Alberta, Treaty 7 territory.
Senator White: Judy White, Ktaqmkuk, better known as Newfoundland and Labrador.
[Translation]
Senator Audette: [Senator Audette spoke in Innu-Aimun] Michèle Audette from Nitassinan, also known as Quebec.
[English]
Senator Bernard: Wanda Thomas Bernard, senator from a Mi’kmaq territory, Nova Scotia.
The Chair: Thank you, colleagues. Today we are pleased to welcome a number of Indigenous youth from across the country as part of the 2024 edition of the Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders.
This annual event aims to amplify the perspectives and experiences of young Indigenous leaders between the ages of 18 to 35 who are driving meaningful change in their communities and beyond. The testimony shared today will help inform the ongoing work of the committee.
We will invite each of our four participants to provide opening remarks of approximately five minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session with committee members.
Just a reminder today, unfortunately, we have only 30 minutes and a hard stop at noon; keep that in mind.
Our first witness at the table is Breane Mahlitz. Ms. Mahlitz is Métis from Alberta and currently works as a health policy adviser at the Métis National Council. I now invite Ms. Mahlitz to give her opening remarks.
Breane Mahlitz, as an individual: Tansi. First, marsee to the elders and knowledge keepers for opening this up in a good way this morning.
My name is Breane Mahlitz. I am a proud Métis woman. My life’s work passion is a reflection of the deep gratitude I hold for my community.
My community has given me life, identity and purpose. As the daughter of proud Métis parents, I am committed to preserving and strengthening the bonds that tie us to our heritage, ensuring our traditions thrive for future generations and that our voices remain strong and united.
Guided by the principle of working for the best interests of Métis families and future generations, I am committed to reducing barriers for Indigenous youth and fostering leadership that honours our traditions and paves the way for a strong, self‑determined future. In fact, this past February, I was honoured by my nation, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, to receive the Outstanding Youth Award for my ongoing commitment to my community. Additionally, I was fortunate to represent the United Nations Association of Canada as a youth delegate at the sixty‑eighth Commission on the Status of Women, or CSW68, in New York City and United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, or UNDRIP, conversations.
This dedication has led me to represent Métis interests on various platforms, including my work as a Métis policy adviser for the Métis National Council, where I focus on advocating for Métis-led health care systems that go beyond addressing gaps in existing structure to creating systems that reflect our Métis values. My people deserve to be healthy and happy with our culture and our language.
That desire to see my people flourish led me to my current pursuit of the graduate certificate in Indigenous Public Health Program at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Canada’s only Indigenous public health professional development program.
Throughout this, I remain committed to amplifying Métis voices, particularly those of youth. After all, Louis Riel was 25 when he began the Red River Resistance, actually younger than I am sitting here today.
My vision for fostering youth leadership is inspired by the Plains Cree word “Otipemisiwak,” meaning “those who rule themselves.” Our people have always held the inherent right to self-determination, a legacy passed down from our ancestors who fought for the recognition of our Métis rights.
Health is central to this vision of self-determination. It’s holistic, encompassing physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social well-being. Family, kinship and community strength are the backbone of Métis health, deeply connected to the land and cultural continuity. These relationships make Métis health unique and must be preserved for future generations. Health care invested in Métis youth leadership means health care with opportunities for education, mentorship and community engagement, rooted in our culture. As my late elder Auntie Doris Fox, always said, “Knowledge is to be shared.”
When Métis culture is celebrated and youth are empowered, our communities thrive.
Thus, distinctions-based Métis health legislation must be more than a statement of intent; it must be a priority. A priority that drives genuine action. Our people have unique health needs, histories and priorities that must be honoured, not in words alone, but in tangible, impactful policy.
Métis are section 35 rights holders. While we carry a legacy of resilience, strength and survival in the face of relentless adversity, we continue to not have equitable access to health care benefits and the support we deserve as Indigenous peoples in Canada. Métis and our communities should not be left to struggle within a system that fails to recognize our needs and our inherent rights.
We are done with listening to empty promises. We need action, not words.
True partnership, reconciliation and equity demand that Métis health no longer be sidelined or treated as an afterthought. We need decisive actions, sustained support and distinctions-based legislation that reflects our right to health as section 35 rights holders.
Now is the time for Canada to deliver on its promises. Our communities, families and future generations depend on it.
It’s time for change, and it’s long overdue. Extended health benefits are not just a consideration of policy — they are a necessity for life.
The continued lack of access to health benefits directly affects the lives of my community, friends, family and the person you see sitting here today.
Our people deserve better. We are calling on Canada to uphold its responsibility, to finally recognize and act on the rights of Métis people.
Let this be the moment.
The Chair: Thank you, Ms. Mahlitz.
We will now open the floor to senators. Before we do, though, I want to acknowledge Elder McGregor from Kitigan Zibi for joining us today along with his wife. Welcome.
Senator White: In that we have a hard stop at 12, I’m wondering if we could hear from all the speakers and then ask questions of the panel, just in case we run out of time. Just a suggestion.
The Chair: Hard stop for the witness at 12.
Senator White: Oh, sorry. Okay, perfect.
The Chair: Thirty minutes per witness, so we’re clear. Okay.
I’ll start by asking the first question. As an Indigenous youth leader, what are some of the key policy or legislative priorities for you and your peers?
Ms. Mahlitz: Like I mentioned, I think that distinctions-based Métis health legislation is going to be at the forefront if we really want to benefit my people. This needs to be done in a co‑developed way. Currently there isn’t a great understanding of co‑development, but the co-development of health legislation has to address our holistic and distinct cultural needs, acknowledging the experience of Métis people and closing health status gaps between Métis and other Canadians. That’s going to include meaningful, nation-to-nation co-development of health legislation and that’s fundamental. I want to highlight the document I have with me today.
This is the Métis Vision for Health, and it was created in development with community members across the homeland. It puts forward a vision for Métis health and well-being to guide the development of Métis‑specific health legislation, and it has three principles if I could quickly outline them.
The first one is establishing key principles, health priorities and recommendations that will serve as a foundation for Métis-specific health legislation, which is currently being developed right now with the federal government. It is finally now being distinctions-based; originally it wasn’t, which is an issue of its own.
The second objective is to establish a common ground to provide a path forward for meaningful, co-developed, distinctions-based health legislation.
Finally, to advance the nation-to-nation relationship between the Métis nation governments and the Government of Canada and provincial governments as it relates to health and well-being, as we are a self-determined people like I said. [Indigenous language spoken.]
The Chair: Thank you for that.
Senator Sorensen: Thank you all for being here. As Senator Arnot said this morning, this is definitely a highlight for us in this committee.
I’m very curious to hear a little bit more about your Indigenous public health studies. Maybe talk a little bit about what that curriculum looks like. Does it address how people with this certificate can advocate for what you’re all trying to accomplish? Even the document you just showed us, are documents like that incorporated somehow into the curriculum so it becomes the focus?
Ms. Mahlitz: The program I’m in right now is at the University of British Columbia, and it’s held through the Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health. At the forefront of that are two Indigenous professors, and essentially, each semester they invite people in from the community, and we sit in circle with our fellow classmates and have real-life discussions. We start in ceremony every morning, and we end in ceremony usually it’s every night because there is a lot to chat about. They’re really intimate conversations.
I learn from dental hygienists in the nation. I learn from cardiologists. I learn from policy health advisers. We’re really on a face-to-face, even level with all of our professors, and they learn just as much from us as we do from them.
This past semester, we had Stephen Thomson from Métis Nation British Columbia come, and he was able to highlight what my work does with the Métis Vision for Health, so that was really cool. Even more than that, I get the opportunity to learn about First Nations and Inuit health priorities as well.
Senator Sorensen: How many are in the program?
Ms. Mahlitz: I believe around 30 individuals.
Senator Sorensen: From across Canada or mostly Western Canada?
Ms. Mahlitz: No, across Canada. I think I’m one of a few from Alberta. Of course, it’s in British Columbia, so there are a heavy number of students who are from British Columbia.
Senator Sorensen: Wow. Super interesting.
Senator White: Thank you so much for your presentation today. From our perspective here at the committee, we have had several discussions about government consultation with Indigenous people, and more importantly, lack thereof. I guess a couple of things.
First, do you believe it’s important for consultations to occur specifically with Indigenous youth? And if you do — and I’m assuming you do — what do you think that could look like or should look like? It would be great for us to have that advice.
Ms. Mahlitz: I think that decision is going to, at the forefront, come from the community. The community knows best. The community knows which youth to engage, and they know how to engage with the youth. So I really think a big part of government consultation is going to be handing that responsibility over to the community and having the community do that consultation.
Also, making sure that the community is well equipped financially to do those things. That’s a really big barrier that I see a lot in my work is that people, even beyond youth but especially youth, aren’t acknowledged or valued for their cultural knowledge, and that really needs to be compensated just as much as a PhD, a master’s or whatever else. That’s something that we really need to make sure is at the forefront.
I think youth absolutely need to be involved. I think our communities are very aware of that, they know that and they should have the power to able to determine how to go about doing that in a good way.
Senator Hartling: Thank you, Ms. Mahlitz. Beautiful presentation. Well done. I learned a lot of new things.
I wanted to ask you, you’re taking a course of theory and then you’re going back to the community and putting what you learn into practice. Just to kind of interrelate, some of the issues that you’re experiencing in the community and what you’re learning, what would be some of the key health or wellness concerns in your community that you’re learning in theory and putting into practice? How can we in this Senate committee enlighten those issues in our work?
Ms. Mahlitz: I think the biggest thing — and this is heartbreaking to me — Métis people time and time again think that they have poor health outcomes because they’re Métis. That absolutely breaks my heart because poor health outcomes are a result of decades of oppression and the oppressive policies that effectively sought to erase or assimilate Métis people. I feel like the main thing with that too is the longer Métis people go without meaningful or full integration of a Métis social determinant of health approach in the health care system, the greater the risk is that it’s going to be perpetuated intergenerationally.
The main thing that I hear personally from community is going to be that piece on non-insured health benefits. Currently, Métis don’t receive non-insured health benefits or any other federal health service that is available to other Indigenous peoples, nor have they ever. That’s something that I definitely see affecting me, my own family and my community a great deal.
Actually, the Métis National Council is currently doing a docuseries where we’re going into communities across the homeland and meeting with individuals on a face-to-face level, and we’re asking them to share their stories about how these things impact them.
Senator Hartling: Thank you.
Senator Prosper: Thank you so much for your testimony. This is such a learning opportunity for so many people, including myself.
You speak with quite a bit of compassion and conviction with respect to the notion or the concept of self-determination. You referenced — I believe it was a Plains Cree phrase that talked about those who rule themselves. I think on more than one occasion, you spoke about a nation-to-nation relationship.
Can you describe to me how Métis youth view that notion of self-determination and those who rule themselves on a nation-to-nation basis? What are some of the hallmarks of that concept?
Ms. Mahlitz: Hallmarks of self-determination, I think that will really differ among each Métis person. It’s something that’s going to change with time.
I think about my own. I always try to keep a sash with me. I try to think of my roots always. I think of self-determination as so much more than me, which is funny because “self” is in the word, but I really just think back to community and culture. That’s my perspective, but there are a lot of Métis out there who maybe don’t have a current connection to Métis culture, and that’s perfectly okay too. That’s also part of the story. I think those people should be uplifted, and they should have a voice in self-determination just as much.
But yes, I think that’s a difficult question to answer because it’s going to change so much from Métis youth to Métis youth. For me, self-determination is really making sure that I’m giving back to the community that does so much for me, and I know how to do that best myself. We all know how to engage with our communities best ourselves. That’s where that nation-to-nation piece comes in.
Senator Prosper: Thank you.
Senator Coyle: Thank you so much, Ms. Mahlitz. Very interesting presentation. We would love to hear when you’ve graduated from the program. All the best with your studies.
I have a couple of questions. You work for the Métis National Council, and the Métis National Council works with other Métis Nations. Some Métis Nations are under the Métis National Council and some are not. When you have this strategy, how does that relate to those Métis Nations that are not part of the national council? Is there coordination with those other entities?
Ms. Mahlitz: At this point in time, there is some coordination. It’s difficult.
When it comes to Métis citizenship, it’s tied to where you live. I’m a citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta. Both of my parents are citizens of the Métis Nation of Alberta, and we have strong roots in Lac Ste. Anne. I am very tied to my identity at the Métis Nation of Alberta, but if I moved to Manitoba, I would have to let go of my Métis Nation of Alberta citizenship. If I wanted any sort of benefits from my nation, I would have to become a Manitoba Métis Federation, or MMF, citizen. MMF, the Métis National Council and the Métis Nation of Alberta are all separate, so it’s a very difficult process. I think from a citizen’s perspective, it’s way above us. We really don’t know what goes on at a lot of those levels.
Senator Coyle: I just wondered if you had counterparts in the other entities that you coordinate with.
Ms. Mahlitz: Professionally? Attempting. As a person, I’m really trying to drive that. For example, with this docuseries, that was something that, with my team, we placed above us. We sent something above us, it was sent above us again and it was sent above us again, and now it’s at the top to see if anything happens from this policy.
It’s going to affect not just us at the Métis National Council. Very likely, if it’s Métis health legislation, it’s going to affect all Métis, and it’s our responsibility to advocate for all Métis, even if they’re not included within the national council.
For example, with that docuseries, that’s something I’m really trying to advocate for is to include those voices as much as we can because I don’t think citizens should be involved in those politics, especially when it’s life-sustaining, right?
Senator Coyle: That’s helpful.
We just passed pharmacare legislation, and one of the things that people have spoken about — including myself — is the access to pharmacare for Métis individuals across Canada. Is that something that you’ve been looking at?
Ms. Mahlitz: Yes, Non-Insured Health Benefits as a whole. We’re looking at pharmacare. We’re looking at counselling. We’re looking at all sorts of things that are not included in Non‑Insured Health Benefits. Medical accommodations and medical transportation, especially for our remote and isolated communities, those are really big barriers. It’s not just access to those things, but it’s going to be access in a culturally safe way.
The Métis Nation has experienced a lot. We have a large history of residential schools and the Sixties Scoop, and we see a lot of those impacts today still. It’s not just access to pharmacare. It’s going to be access to culturally safe pharmacare.
I want to mention the gentleman from Saskatchewan who just recently had surgery, and his braid was cut off. It was hip surgery, and his braid was cut off. These are things that we are seeing right here, right now to Métis citizens. So it’s not just access to care. It’s culturally safe access to care, and it’s culturally safe in a way that we define and the citizens define.
Senator Coyle: Thank you.
Senator McPhedran: Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be back with the Indigenous Peoples Committee.
Your presentation was excellent, Ms. Mahlitz, and we really appreciated the time and effort you put into it.
I quickly reviewed the report you showed to us, and I was very pleased to see that the very last reference, in talking about the principles of Métis health legislation, is actually a statement that Métis-first intersectional gender-based analysis applied to the co‑development of the legislation, so my question is framed around that.
There are, actually, two parts to the question: One, for you, as a young Métis woman leader, what does that look like? What steps would need to be taken for that gender-based analysis to inform the development of the legislation?
The second part of my question is: I don’t see anywhere else in the document — and I read it very quickly — specific reference to the differences between the health of women and the health of men, the male and female bodies. We’ve been very slow in this country to get to the point of actually conducting research that was directly related to the reality of having a woman’s body, and I’m hopeful that this is already something that is under consideration. I wonder if you speak to that.
Ms. Mahlitz: Yes. I think that gender-based analysis is very important. Professionally, I can’t speak about it; however, I am a woman. I know my experiences are going to be very different as a Métis woman than a Métis man’s experiences. A Métis man and a Métis woman are going to have very different experiences than non-Métis men and non-Métis women.
I love that you brought that up because current data systems really aren’t able to identify Métis people, period. Though we would love gender-based Métis data, Métis data in itself is very hard for us to gain access to and for us to get funding to make sure that we get that data in a safe way.
Data limitations really stop a lot of the work that we’re doing, especially when we’re in a colonial framework and we’re trying to speak to people like the federal government or the provincial government. They don’t view stories that we’re bringing to them as deeply as we do.
They want the numbers, and especially when it comes to funding, they want those numbers. Unfortunately, because we don’t have a lot that I can speak to about gender-based analysis, it’s because of this loop of you need the data to be able to get the data, and you need some sort of research to be able to do more research.
I really just want to wrap that up into another concrete issue that data limitations are undermining a lot of the work that the Métis Nation needs to be done.
Senator McPhedran: Thank you.
Senator Bernard: Thank you so much for your testimony and your wonderful responses to my colleagues’ questions.
I noticed that you used the term “culturally safe health care” a few times, and for years, people were promoting this notion of cultural competency. I’d like you to share with us how you see those as very different — “cultural competency” and “cultural safety.”
Ms. Mahlitz: That’s a tricky question. Even “culturally safe,” to me, is kind of a buzz word. What is culturally safe? What culture are we talking about? I think we need to dig a little deeper into what cultural safety is and what cultural competence is.
A lot of the time you see a lot pan-Indigenous approaches, and that, in itself, is a whole other issue, too. We have a lot of First Nations advocates in the hospitals, and that’s a great example of cultural competency and cultural safety in health care; however, there is a major lack of Métis and Inuit advocates within health care systems. We need to make sure that we are taking distinctions-based approaches as much as possible and trying to move away from pan-Indigenous approaches.
When it comes to Métis specific, I would love to see each governing member — including the Métis Nation of Alberta, the Métis Nation British Columbia, the Northwest Territory Métis Nation, the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, the Métis Nation of Ontario and the Manitoba Métis Federation — because I think they would all maybe have different ideas of how to incorporate that, and I think it would also probably change between urban and rural.
Honestly, I really hate the overlying brush stroke of cultural competence and cultural safety. I don’t know if that answers your question, but that’s my perspective on those two words.
Senator Bernard: I think you’ve just opened up a whole area that needs further investigation. Thank you.
The Chair: The time for this panel is now complete. Thank you, Ms. Mahlitz, for your perspective and the experiences you’ve shared with us today. We really appreciate you taking the time to join us.
The next witness is Bradley Bacon and his daughter, Elaya. Welcome. Mr. Bacon works as an Innu translator and interpreter in his community of Unamen-Shipu in Quebec and is the owner of a consulting company that provides different services to members of his family.
Mr. Bacon will provide opening remarks of approximately five minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session with committee members.
I now invite Mr. Bacon to give his remarks.
Bradley Bacon, as an individual: [Indigenous language spoken.]
[Translation]
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Bradley Bacon. I come from the Innu Nation of Quebec, from the community of Unamen-Shipu, commonly known as La Romaine.
I come from a family where education matters a great deal. My father was a band chief for 30 years. I remember that, when I was young, we often went with my father to Parliament in Ottawa, in part to try to convey our different opinions on the bills introduced.
I’m here with my daughter, Elaya. I’m doing the same thing that my father did with me when I was young. He often took me along to set an example for the children and for my children too. This is where it comes from. It comes from my father.
I’m here to talk about the values that were taught to me and that my community has instilled in everything that I do now. I come from a family that, as I said, is deeply involved in the community. My mother is a teacher and my father was a band chief.
When I was young, I told myself that I had to do something too. When I grew up, I had to advocate on behalf of my community. I didn’t just mean my community, but the entire Innu Nation of Quebec.
I’ve come to share my ideas. We’re a people of orators, so we aren’t writers. I really like this approach, which involves learning from examples and looking at things. I’m currently noticing a radical shift in values in the Quebec communities. I’m always keen to remind the young people of my community and the young people of Quebec that the key values of the Innu Nation are respect, mutual support, sharing and collaboration. I always focus on these four values in all my endeavours.
I’m a language adviser to the chief of my community. I’m heavily involved in Innu language matters. When I speak to the chief of my community, he talks to me as if I were an expert. Even though I’m young and not yet an expert in this field, he thinks that I’m an expert. Our perspective, as Innu, isn’t written down in texts. We must live it on a daily basis to see this reality and its values.
I love talking about values. We’re starting to see a radical shift with the individualism coming into our communities. I’m afraid for the next generation. They won’t know what I knew or what I was taught. My job is to revive these values.
[English]
The Chair: Thank you, Mr. Bacon.
We will now open the floor to questions from senators. We will start with Senator Coyle.
Senator Coyle: Thank you, Mr. Bacon. Welcome to you and your adorable daughter. It is wonderful to see you are continuing the tradition of your parents in bringing your daughter here. It is a good plan.
You have mentioned language and values. I am interested to know, within your community, was the Innu language reduced or lost in any way over the years or is it still strong? What’s the status of it?
Second, you mentioned your fears about the values shifting to more individualism. In terms of values, could you tell us what the key values were that you learned growing up? How do you think you can address the issues of the shift in values for the next generation?
[Translation]
Mr. Bacon: The language situation in my community isn’t as precarious as the situation in other communities. We’re lucky. We’re an isolated community, so we don’t have roads. When I need to leave my community, I must take a plane or a boat. I feel happy and proud that we’re isolated. Our language is still thriving as a result of this situation and our isolation.
A value that I hold dear is respect, which means respect for others. The word “respect” doesn’t exist in the Innu language as such. When I say “respect” in the Innu language, it can mean a number of things. It can refer to respecting women, respecting men, respecting the chief, respecting a teacher, respecting people in positions of authority.
In my community, I’m currently seeing a decline in this type of respect. When I was young, I remember my father saying: “You must respect this woman.” He brought many things to the community, but that aspect has disappeared.
Every time that I talk about this, it gets to me. The respect is gone. Elders must be respected. However, everything has changed now.
I always say that we must respect our elders because they hold the knowledge of our ancestors, especially when it comes to respect. That’s why I always respected the elders in my community. I had an easy manner with the elders in my community. When I talk about this, it gets to me. My values lie here. My foundations lie here. Every time I talk about this, it affects me indirectly. I may be a man, but it also affects me as a man of the community. Respect matters to me. Respect should be the key value. Respect means many things to us in the Innu language.
[English]
The Chair: Mr. Bacon, do you need a moment before we continue?
[Translation]
Mr. Bacon: No. That’s fine.
[English]
Senator White: Thank you very much, Mr. Bacon. Thank you for sharing space, and thank you for your sharing your daughter with us today. That’s a privilege and an honour. I value that, and I want you to know that.
Being from Newfoundland and Labrador, I have had the privilege to work with your sister nation Natuashish and Sheshatshiu, so I have been very privileged to know a number of elders and to learn from. I wanted to share that with you.
As a Mi’kmaw, a lot of our culture and traditional knowledge are tied to the language — how we say things. There is no word for “justice” in the Mi’kmaw language. I was taken by the point you made that we are becoming focused more on individuality as opposed to communality. I would like to hear more about how you think we arrived here, and certainly I see a danger in being individual as opposed to communal. Do you have any thoughts or advice on how we can help shape that? You are certainly setting the example by having your daughter here with us. Wela’lin for that. Thank you.
[Translation]
Mr. Bacon: As I said, I’ve noticed more and more individualism in our communities. When I was young and I visited other communities, we used to see communitarianism. When a person arrived in the community, everyone hurried over. However, that’s no longer the case. Things have changed.
That’s why I’m expressing my sadness about this new type of change. I’m often told that it’s an innovation, but I don’t call it an innovation. It represents a loss for the next generation. That’s why I say that I’m not an individualist. I was brought up to be a communitarian. When a person came into my community, I had to go over and take their hand, but not any more. It isn’t like that anymore.
That’s why, when I talk about this, it affects me indirectly. I’ve seen some situations. For example, in February 2022, something happened in my family. My uncle was found frozen outside in the community. He was outside for three hours. That’s why I’m getting upset. Individualism is taking over our values and our ways of doing things. I think that, if I had been 14 or 15 years old, we wouldn’t have had this issue. The neighbours would have called. They would have come to my place to say: “Your boy’s outside.” It isn’t like that anymore. I’m sad about that.
I often wonder how we got here and why. Each individual must do something. We must find our values in sharing and in helping each other. I’m sad. I cry every time that I talk about this, because it will affect future generations. As I understand it, my daughter, when someone sees her, if she’s dying, they’re just going to look at her. I don’t want that to happen. I want my daughter to realize that this is a serious matter and that it isn’t our way as Innu. Something must be done. I want to bring this back to our communities and institutions, to young people and to my community. I want this to come back.
I remember my great-grandmother telling us that this individualism would come and that we would need to stand firm. However, I didn’t realize that this would be happening today, in the 21st century. I must teach this to the Indigenous youth of Quebec. I care deeply about values. As I said, every time that I talk about these values, I speak from the heart. However, when I talk about other things, I don’t cry. This comes from the heart. It comes from my ancestors, my great-grandmother, everything that I’ve been taught. It comes from there.
[English]
The Chair: Thank you, Mr. Bacon.
Senator Prosper: Thank you so much, Mr. Bacon, for sharing a part of you, a part of your life and a part of your heart. It triggers certain things, having myself grown up in a small Mi’kmaq community, having experienced certain things. You made a reference to individualism, people losing that connection to what makes us essentially the Mi’kmaw people. In our language we say l’nu, which is representative of all Indigenous people, including the Mi’kmaw.
One of the areas that I often try to go back to, which reminds me, is knowing our place within our family, our community, our nation, with kisu’lk, the great spirit, or wsitkamu, our earth mother. That, in a way, humbles us and has a way of creating that balance between individualism and collectivism — those responsibilities. It is similar to this petroglyph, balancing the invisible with the visible world, and it seems that we try to maintain that balance. I find elders provide an excellent way of helping us in that regard.
Can you share, because you are certainly connected to your community, your nation and your people, and when you speak to the elders — you mentioned earlier you speak to many in your community, including elders — what are some of the stories that they are telling you about what is coming, this individualism that the youth are facing?
[Translation]
Mr. Bacon: I come from a community where Catholicism has a strong presence. We have a parish priest who has brought the Innu culture into Catholicism. For example, when we’re out hunting, we pray for a good hunt and ask the Creator to accompany us. This whole aspect makes us believe in the existence of a Creator. The parish priest considers us a Catholic people, with typical Innu principles and values.
I would often go to church to meet with elders who gathered there and who prayed for the community to flourish. When I was young, I often went with my mother, who taught the Innu language. This sometimes happened in the church itself. Some elders were experts in the Innu language. That’s when I started taking an interest. The elders made me feel valued. They told me that I had something to offer and contribute. That’s when I understood my true role in my community. This role was to educate young people and set an example for them.
That’s what the elders told me. However, over the years, many of our elders have passed away. My job of educating young people and the entire community has grown. The elders who provided safety and warmth are no longer here. I’ve had to find my feet.
Respect had to be the focus. The elders often talked to me about this value of respect, which always came up. It’s like a mandate that they gave me.
I then worked in the Innu language, translating for the parish priest in my community and for the elders so that they would understand. I noticed a great deal of respect in all this. I can see my elders right now. We’re in a church and they’re talking only about respect, but in the Innu language. For us, respect means many things. When we talk about it in our language, we use many words. Respect is really the focus.
I also developed public education programs for my community, in particular to try to help us learn the Innu language by hearing it, not by what we’ve been taught. In short, for us, the main value is respect.
Senator Audette: Thank you, Bradley. Colleagues, you have seen how the Innu help each other. The clerk asked me to act as the protective grandmother during the presentation. Our guest had to be a young senator in the same circle as us.
In a nutshell, Bradley, senators sometimes have the ability and determination to influence federal government policy through studies or bills. Your comments show that there are multiple reasons for the highly individualistic tendencies and the inability to reconnect as a community.
What would you recommend to the government, when the time comes to remember the importance of the nation, the significance of its relationship with its people and the need to live side by side with non-Innu people? What would you recommend?
Mr. Bacon: Sometimes, the young people in my community sit down and watch the parliamentarians on television. They say that we’re far away in Quebec and that we’ve been forgotten. I often tell young people that we aren’t forgotten and that Indigenous senators and members of Parliament give us a voice in Ottawa.
I would recommend that each region be treated equally. I come from a community where we were treated as equals. Yes, we had a chief, but he sat at the same table as we did. He wasn’t above us. I would recommend this way of doing things and seeing things, and treating everyone as equals.
Senator Audette: Thank you.
[English]
The Chair: Thank you.
The time for this panel is now complete, and I wish to thank you, Mr. Bacon and Elaya, for joining us today and for sharing your powerful insights.
I would now like to introduce our next witness, Faithe McGuire. She is a documentary filmmaker from Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement in Alberta who creates films about her people and what it means to identify as Métis.
Ms. McGuire will provide opening remarks of approximately five minutes to be followed by a question-and-answer session with committee members.
I now invite Ms. McGuire to give her opening remarks.
Faithe McGuire, as an individual: Tansi. My name is Faithe McGuire. My parents are Sandra Parenteau and Brad Villeneuve. I am from Paddle Prairie, which is one of eight Métis settlements in Alberta on Treaty 8 territory.
In 1938, upon the recommendations of the Ewing Commission, the Alberta government passed the Métis Population Betterment Act. This law prompted the Metis to begin organization and formation of the settlement associations. In 1990, the Alberta government passed four pieces of legislation, creating a governance framework for the eight settlements. A total of 1.25 million acres of land were transferred to the Métis Settlements General Council, or MSGC, resulting in the only protected Métis land base in Canada.
Because of that, I believe the settlement members have a unique identity within the Métis collective. I believe this land base has protected and preserved our Métis identity, as we are the people of the land. To have this land base to return to has given me a place in the world. The opportunities we have here on the settlement are determined by our willingness to participate and take action.
I am a photographer, filmmaker and storyteller. I’m passionate about my work. Steeped in tradition, my passion for storytelling comes from my father. He would take to us museums, junkyards and graveyards. I would watch him walk around, inspecting the inscriptions and piecing together the stories that those landmarks told. I had a deep admiration for the patience and earnest interest he showed in the past. That imprinted upon me. He gave me the curiosity to begin my own journey of storytelling.
In 2021, I had the opportunity to participate in two programs. The Empowered Filmmaker Masterclass helped me expand my opportunities to carry on the traditional art of storytelling. Marie Jo Badger and I created a film together called Askiy. We, along with an elder, share contemplative perspectives on the effects of colonialism. The film was to represent the journey back home, back to the land. We won the Visionary Storytelling Award, and for the first time, it made me believe my dreams could be achieved, even in small steps.
I also had the honour to participate in the Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak Reach for the Sky leadership training. I learned so much about my history through the University of Alberta’s and the Athabasca University’s Indigenous studies courses. The knowledge empowered me to understand the feelings of shame and insignificance that I have felt were things that could be overcome, just as Maria Campbell and Jesse Thistle have done.
The story of redemption of our Métis people has inspired me to be very proud to be Métis.
In 2003, the Métis Settlements General Council supported the launch of my film and photography business through an entrepreneur and development course. Through my business, I had the honour of capturing the story behind the creation of Heidi Houle’s mukluks for Scotiabank’s Truth and Reconciliation Action Plan. I’ve also filmed and produced a documentary I was hired to create for our settlement. The name of the film is Mahti Achimo, which translates loosely to “Please Tell Me a Story.” In the film, I interview four members of our settlement and discuss topics of consideration. There were common themes discussed, and although many see our community as divided, at the heart of it, I see a community that cares and is trying to take action in their own ways.
In my lifetime, I hope to see a collective revival of the knowledge of our people. I would like to initiate, through my films and photography, an urgency for all Métis and Indigenous people to take part in the documentation of these historical times. There are stories from our people that are still waiting to be heard.
I’d like to thank you all for taking the time to hear my story.
The Chair: Thank you very much, Ms. McGuire, for your opening remarks. We will open the floor to questions from senators.
Senator White: Thank you, Ms. McGuire, for sharing and for your emotion. I can relate to that. I cry for everything, and I feel like it moves me and cleanses me, so please don’t ever feel like you need to apologize for tears because they are who we are.
I was really impressed with how you use art and art loosely, because, in our communities, we have never called our storytelling, our ways of living and our ways of knowing “art,” but now, in this day and age, it’s art. I think it’s fabulous, and the work you’ve done so far is fabulous in the various media, filmmaking, et cetera, that you utilize.
How can we harness what you’ve done and what I’ve seen a number of other community members do — particularly young people because I guess they understand the social media and the different platforms — what advice would you have for young people or for all of us about how we can mobilize the mediums that you’re using to promote advocacy and tell our stories the way they should be told? From our perspective, not someone standing up and saying, “Oh, this is how they are.”
Ms. McGuire: Thank you for your question. I’m happy that you asked that because I think that’s an important part of my journey through this, too. I honestly just started, and I don’t want to have our people held back by worrying about being perfect with something. I think just that action, no matter how messy it is — right now, being here and doing this, it’s really an honour. We have to be reminded that everybody has a place in the world, and everybody has opportunities that we need to take whether we think we’re ready for them or not.
Senator Hartling: Thank you, Ms. McGuire, well done. I appreciate hearing your story. As Senator White said, emotions are important. We get to say how we really feel and what is deep in our heart. I’d like to hear more about what you did with the group, the University of Alberta and the voices of women. It’s so important that women can have a chance to find their voice.
Tell me more about how that worked and what you did in that program?
Ms. McGuire: The program was offered through the Métis Nation of Alberta asking women to participate in this program. In it, we learned a lot about our history — a history that is very lost. It really represented the importance of women’s role in our Indigenous systems. Historically, our societies were matriarchal societies, so we valued the women there. I think the most important teaching I learned from that was the Cree word for “woman.” I’m not sure what it is, I couldn’t tell you right now but it is based on the word for fire. The way that I was taught was that women were the centre and warmth, and they were vital to the survival of the communities.
This program was brought about to reinvigorate that role for women in our Métis spaces. So, yes, it was very interesting.
Senator Hartling: So it helped you grow, develop and move forward. Do you think it’s important for women to have mentors? Do you have one or some that help you?
Ms. McGuire: Yes, I think it’s important, just because from my personal experience, I thrive off genuine connection. So having those support systems — my aunt accompanied to this — and just that reminder of community, I think that’s vital in our survival.
Senator Hartling: I appreciate that. It’s happy birthday to your auntie too today.
Senator Prosper: Thank you, Ms. McGuire, for being so genuine and open with us. Through all this testimony, it reminds me of my own path that I have taken. More specifically, when you mentioned that knowledge empowered you and helped you replace those feelings of shame and insignificance, I can certainly relate to that.
One of the mediums which you use is storytelling, and storytelling is an incredible way for Indigenous people to share, learn and grow.
I’m curious about how you view storytelling in terms of the various mediums you use and operate through and how you see that translating for the benefit of the Métis Nation generally and your community?
Ms. McGuire: That’s a very good question —
Senator Prosper: Storytelling is a powerful medium, and you utilize that, I would imagine, in a number of mediums you operate in — photography and filmmaking, things of that nature. How do you see storytelling translate to, as you were saying and for me too, overcoming certain feelings of shame or insignificance to provide a foundation or mechanism for youth or people within the Métis nation to take their rightful place within their nation?
Ms. McGuire: I think it’s interesting to take storytelling through the medium of photography, and I’ll focus on photography right now because it is still photographs. I think it makes it interesting because it can be interpreted in different ways. I think we all connect with different things. A photograph that I might take of the mukluks that Heidi had made could open up a door to somebody’s own vision for what they have of what that represents to them. Maybe the mukluks represent their grandmother who made mukluks or maybe it represents their history of needing to reconnect and maybe build the mukluks with a spirit, a person. So it’s interesting in that way.
Through film, I do interviews with people. It’s interesting because I get to sit down one-on-one with people and hear their stories and connect with them.
I think storytelling is vital to all Indigenous cultures because that’s how we pass it all on. For trying to transition into our future and our youth, film and photography are very creative, and they’re very interpretive in their own sense. I think it’s an interesting medium for storytelling. It opens up a lot of doors.
Senator Prosper: Thank you.
Senator Sorensen: Again, Ms. McGuire, great job. I don’t know you. You strike me as a quiet person, and from somebody who is not, I tend to recognize that. I have a lot of respect for that quiet wisdom. I think that I had to learn in my life that people listen more when you’re not yelling at them.
I’m just totally impressed with how you have figured out how to speak out not necessarily with your own voice but using photography, as you said, and then with filmmaking where you sit down with other people. That’s a creative way to tell your story through what I’m hearing are other voices.
I loved the piece, and I think you said it was a project that you were hired to take over. What was the film called, the “Tell Me A Story”?
Ms. McGuire: Mahti Achimo.
Senator Sorensen: I just love that. First of all, that should be a children’s book.
Ms. McGuire: It’s a song.
Senator Sorensen: It was fantastic. I think you said you interviewed four people. In that instance, did the people who wanted you make the film present those people to you?
What I am asking is how do you decide who you want to sit down and speak with, depending on the subject matter?
Ms. McGuire: The film was organized and created by me. It was a project done by me. I had to give a call out to our settlement members. I did that through word of mouth. When chatting with people at community events, I would ask them, “Would you be interested in telling your story?”
Many people are similar to me and have a hard time speaking in front of people. It’s important for people who I am interviewing to sit down with me. They’ve told me they enjoy my company because I have that quiet reserve and a genuine interest in listening to them.
Senator Sorensen: I agree with that. I am totally impressed. I think you are beginning to realize through some of the awards, et cetera, how important what you are doing is, with your quiet demeanour and unassuming way. You’re having a huge impact.
Ms. McGuire: It’s definitely something I’m still working on and trying to overcome. Showing up here today is really hard.
Senator Sorensen: You did well.
Ms. McGuire: That’s what I mean, not letting that fear hold you back.
Senator Sorensen: Good for you.
Senator Bernard: From one quiet, reserved person to another, I know how much courage it takes to speak up and speak out.
Trust me when I say that your testimony here today, your presence and voice are very significant. The next time you feel that voice of insignificance trying to bubble its way up to the top, remember this moment. I look forward to seeing your film.
You’ve mentioned the settlement and land ownership. Can you can tell us more about that significance in terms of the collective sense of empowerment?
Ms. McGuire: I would love to expand on that. I feel thankful for my land. I feel my land has given me, like I said, a place in the world. It’s cool because I live in one of the only settlements in Canada. There are eight settlements, and they only exist in Alberta. Those settlements are significant for me because it has given me a place to be raised. I am now raising my kids there too.
There is so much you learn from the land. I can sit here all day telling you how it made me who I am today. It’s a really important topic because Alberta is the only province that has given the Métis a land base. I think about what it would be like to not be in Alberta, be a Métis and not have that land base to return to.
Because of the struggles our people have faced over the years, you see a lot of homelessness now. With the way the world is going, everything is so expensive. Being able to be there gives me a home.
Senator Bernard: Maybe there is another story being developed. Thank you.
The Chair: Thank you, Senator Bernard.
To conclude, Ms. McGuire, I wish to ask you, what is a key message you want senators to take away from your presentation to help us inform our future work?
Ms. McGuire: Definitely the land base. I want to express that the land base I have connects me to my history and my family as well.
I didn’t meet my grandfather on my dad’s side; he passed away before I was born. The stories my dad tells me of him on the land makes me feel like I’ve met him.
Yes. The most important thing is us people on the settlement, we have such an opportunity; I want to bring awareness to that, and encourage our governments to consider the fact that our Métis and Indigenous people have been pushed along and to the side for so long. Having that land base is really what builds me.
The Chair: Thank you for that, Ms. McGuire.
On that note, the time for this panel is complete. I wish to thank you again, Ms. McGuire, for your valuable testimony.
I would like to introduce our last witness for this morning. Reanna Merasty is a Nîhithaw artist, writer and advocate from Barren Lands First Nation in Manitoba, as well as an architectural intern with Number TEN Architectural Group. She will provide an opening statement of five minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session with senators. I now invite Ms. Merasty to give her opening remarks.
Reanna Merasty, as an individual: Thank you.
[Indigenous language spoken.]
My name is Reanna Merasty McKay, I am Woodland Cree from Barren Lands First Nation, a small remote community in northern Manitoba. My territory is where I retained a deep reverence for our stories and how to walk this Earth with kindness and heart work. These values set the groundwork for my current role as an architectural intern and Indigenous design lead based in Winnipeg and as a writer, educator, advocate and artist.
Ekosani. Thank you for this opportunity to address you today. My presentation will address an area that stems from my lived experience and advocacy journey: the importance of representation that is authentic and Indigenous-led.
Representation first became prevalent for me in my education. As a young Indigenous person, navigating post-secondary institutions, specifically in the field of architecture, I felt predominately isolated and lacked a sense of belonging. This experience was derived from racism from my peers, misinformation from the educators and little Indigenous curricula, all of which was vocalized and at times disregarded.
What I was craving was to be heard, supported and accurately represented in what I was learning and who I was learning from. With this craving, I wanted to create a space where the Indigenous students that come after me wouldn’t have to go through the same experience. That was when I co-founded the Indigenous Design and Planning Student Association at the University of Manitoba, the first and largest Indigenous student group in a school of architecture in all of Canada.
The organization was put in place to advocate for Indigenous design principles, Indigenous initiatives and programs and, of course, representation. Representation is crucial in our education systems and would allow Indigenous young people in their respective fields to feel and be truly supported. Indigenous representation is also critical in the spaces we occupy.
The lack of belonging I felt also stemmed from not seeing our stories, knowledge or practices represented in the built environment or within architecture. I continuously reflect on how much more confidence I would have gained in my identity as an Indigenous young person if I had seen myself and my community celebrated in the buildings I entered and if my community was fully engaged in the process. This is referred to as Indigenous architecture. This has to do with community engagement and involvement, relationship building and focusing on authentic representation of the territory or community upon which the building is built. These are items that I continuously advocate for within my profession and as the Manitoba regional director on the board of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada.
Concrete methods that we can use to move forward are projects that prioritize Indigenous voices and that require Indigenous architects, designers or advisers to be not just a checkmark but to be included in the entirety of the process. Another is the implementation of regulations requiring federally funded projects, government institutions and public buildings to reserve a percentage of the budget for Indigenous architecture and representation.
There is precedent in Norway’s percent-for-art program that requires that between 0.5% and 1.5% of the budget of every government building project be set aside for art projects, and many utilize Sami artists. But what I hope for is regulation that is beyond this and rooted in the principles of Indigenous architecture, as all public buildings, regardless of Indigenous ownership should require some form of Indigenous representation of the territory and community they reside upon.
Further to representation in our built environment is giving our Indigenous languages and stories priority in our place names. I am currently the co-chair of Welcoming Winnipeg’s Committee of Community Members, which investigates creating new, adding to, removing or renaming historical markers and place names to resolve the absence of Indigenous perspectives and experiences. Since my involvement, we’ve commemorated significant Indigenous figures, events and stories in our community and even renamed those that caused harm, such as the renaming of Bishop Grandin Boulevard to Abinojii Mikanah or “Children’s Road” in Anishinaabemowin to honour the children that did not make it home from the residential schools.
The Welcoming Winnipeg process was established without precedent and must be implemented across this nation to bring light to and prioritize representation of Indigenous languages, stories and experiences. There must be renaming processes that analyze names that bring harm to the Indigenous community and one that requires Indigenous input through an Indigenous naming circle.
In summary, Indigenous representation needs to prioritize Indigenous voices, be authentic and Indigenous-led. It can take the form of support and curricula in education for Indigenous young people, regulation that prioritizes Indigenous representation of the territory or community the building resides upon or through place names that honour Indigenous languages and stories, all of which would create that sense of belonging for those like me.
Kinanâskomitin. Many thanks for this opportunity.
The Chair: Thank you. We’ll now open the floor to questions from senators.
Senator Sorensen: Thank you. Welcome. That was a really interesting presentation. I learn so much in this committee. I have to say this is the first time I have heard “Indigenous” and “architecture” in the same sentence or put together.
I’m interested to hear at what point in your life, especially growing up where you did, very remote, did you think, “Hey, I want to be an architect?” I find that interesting. You also make reference to Indigenous design, principles, initiatives and representations, could you maybe just elaborate more on what some of those are? I appreciate the examples you gave. Then, it struck me how those principles, in the bigger world, advance things like sustainability and social responsibility in architecture. I’m totally fascinated with what you are doing.
Ms. Merasty: I’ll start with the first one. I became interested in architecture at an early age. I grew up in northern Manitoba. My community is right next to Reindeer Lake, so there are islands that our families occupy. On those islands, it is completely remote, there’s no electricity or running water, and so the land was my playground. That’s where I built little forts and little houses that I could play in.
But it was also where I was exposed to my grandfather. My grandfather has lived in the North his entire life, and also his father before him and his father before him, and he builds log cabins without any knowledge of carpentry. He’s never been to school or anything. It is all knowledge he gained from his family, so when I was young, I witnessed all of those processes of carpentry, building and construction from my grandfather himself. I would even help him. From there, I was interested in carpentry, of course, and woodworking, but then also architecture because it seemed like something that was even larger. It was something with more impact that I could give to my people.
In regard to the second question, which was referencing some of those initiatives of Indigenous architecture, the things that we have implemented through that student association was the foundation of, first of all, cultural awareness for our peers and how we bring up future architects within this field to have an understanding of not only the histories but also the land because every building that you build within Canada is on Indigenous land. Architects should have an understanding of not only the nation but also the languages, the practices and the principles that are retained within that community.
Another thing is that I never had any resources that I could quickly refer to in terms of Indigenous architecture, so I published a book in my master’s program. It was called Voices of the Land: Indigenous Design and Planning from the Prairies. That was another thing because we wanted to see our stories represented in the projects that we were working on.
Another one is an Indigenous curriculum advisory committee, which has since been established because what I wanted to leave was a legacy and calls to action, and that’s what I did. The faculty in the school has since been implementing those incrementally throughout the years.
I have been out of school now for about four years. Since then, they have hired an Indigenous elder in residence, specifically dedicated to the schools of architecture, as well as provided funding for an Indigenous artist or artist in residence as part of each of the four departments within the faculty to have that representation and guidance from those people.
Senator Sorensen: Is this happening anywhere else in Canada? You referenced Norway. Is there anywhere else in the world that you are aware of with reference to Indigenous people?
Ms. Merasty: As a result of the student organization, I had a friend at University of British Columbia who established their own student organization inspired by the one I created. However, there is no other type of organization in a university within architecture that is like this one. We have been in conversations with folks at Yale, Harvard and Arizona State University, but I have also had conversations with the Sami people out of Norway, Finland and Sweden where I was in a program with the Canadian Centre for Architecture where we connected with other Indigenous youth within that area and had a whole workshop and dialogue, which was very interesting. We also have conversations with New Zealand and Australia. Since there are currently so few of us within this field, we lean on each other in different areas throughout the world.
Senator Sorensen: That’s very impressive. Thank you.
Senator White: Wow, Ms. Merasty. The fact that you are going to do your provincial exam on Monday as well is very impressive.
I actually have a couple of questions. I would like to pick your brain on a couple of things. Thank you for your presentation; it was very interesting. One of the first things I would like to hear about is the things that we don’t hear about — your experiences in the North and your involvement in the community. I know your community is relatively small. What are the particular issues that we don’t hear about as it relates to youth and youth development? As a First Nation person myself, I know that it is sometimes difficult to hear what is happening. That’s one question: I would like you to tell us a bit more about issues that affect the youth in the North.
The second question is this: I’m looking for your advice. In your testimony, you talked about setting up this group. You have Indigenous principles as it relates to architecture. As you know, in this world today, we have what we call the “pretend Indians.” I don’t like that term. I want to be very clear. “Pretend Indian” conjures up a child playing, and it is fraud. Let’s call it what it is. I will get to a question. That’s my perspective on that.
How do you open space for Indigenous architects, yet protect who we are because there is so much fraud — so much infiltration — particularly in universities? It is difficult because we’re being erased by being replaced by these frauds. I would love to hear your advice on that.
Ms. Merasty: I’ll address the second question first. This is actually something about which we have a conversation not only within the university, but also within the profession as a whole. That’s because there are so few Indigenous architects in all of Canada; I think there are just under 30 registered ones. There is a very tight-knit group that we always refer to. The way we support each other is firstly by giving those opportunities to each other. Within the process of Indigenous identity fraud — that’s a whole other conversation — there have been folks that I have interacted with, but it’s always about folks who are reconnecting. You have to take it very lightly in terms of interacting with folks like that.
It is not something that has simply been addressed because architecture is not currently a large conversation, and it’s on the rise. That’s a hard question to ask.
I can address the first one, which is about the realities of the North and the things that we have struggled with. I’ll reference a lot of my own lived experience.
The first one is how many of the education systems require you to depart your reserve to receive anything greater than an eighth-grade education. What my family did — I’m very fortunate — was that they moved us to Brandon, which was two hours west of Winnipeg, to receive a better education. This was because many of the folks in the North don’t graduate from high school because they are dislocated from their community. That’s one of the realities.
Another reality is mental health, which is also something that I wanted to address today, but I thought there was a lot to talk about. This came from my own experience, in which I was put in a predominantly White neighbourhood and school. I dealt with racism within my high school education, and at times it felt very isolating, polarizing or alienating because of the environment that I was put in. With that comes the result of shame and guilt within your own Indigenous identity. I also thought, “Why is there nobody that looks like me within the environment that I am surrounded with?”
That’s also something that many of our youth struggle with today — a perception of ourselves and how we view ourselves. Some of us aren’t proud because of the polarizing things that we experience from a very young age. That’s also something that I continuously advocate for: mental health programs and resources for youth in our communities because some of them don’t think there is hope for themselves. That’s something my own family had to instill in me from a very young age, and I had to pursue that elsewhere. We need to focus on the ones that are currently on the reserve who are really struggling.
Senator White: Thank you very much.
Senator Prosper: I’ll try to be quite brief. Thank you so much for sharing your story, your journey and for being a leader in an incredible field. We just don’t get testimony like that. It is wonderful.
You stressed Indigenous representation and highlighted being authentic and Indigenous-led. I don’t want to enter into identity fraud, “pretendians” or anything like that. It’s for a different discussion. With regard to your reference to authenticity within Indigenous representation, can you expand upon that just a bit more?
Ms. Merasty: What I mean about authenticity is that the idea of pan-Indigeneity was mentioned in a previous address. According to that idea, all First Nations are seen as the same. All First Nations practise the same thing. In reality, however, it is very specific to the location of that community. What I mean by authenticity is that the land in which that community is located leads to certain practices, place names and language that they adopt within that area. Those are the authentic stories that I want to have implemented, where it is very community specific, territory specific and land specific. Those are the stories that I want to have implemented.
There are so many other projects that I have dealt with, within Indigenous architecture, where people want to slap on a medicine wheel and call it a day — it’s so true — or a feather or something. It is very frustrating because it is about taking the time to build that relationship and to understand what a community wants. I always reference this story: I have a very close friend, whose name is Destiny Seymour, and she talks about how she was working with a community and all the buildings being built in the community were all blue. Once she actually had a conversation with the people within the community, they said, “We hate blue. We don’t want blue anymore.”
It is all about those conversations that I really want folks within this field to really understand because one thing may work for a community but another thing may work for another community. I presented this within my own office about this importance, but I think it needs to be a more national and greater conversation that we need to have.
Senator Prosper: Thank you.
Senator Hartling: Thank you, Ms. Merasty. You have given me a whole lot of energy. I wanted to say congratulations on all you have done so far. The question is: In the percentage of those architects, how many women are in that field approximately?
Ms. Merasty: Probably about a third of those are women.
Senator Hartling: You are going to be a shining example for those young women and girls. Thank you for that. I really appreciate that.
Ms. Merasty: Thank you. I actually had some really nice interactions recently where I first heard from individuals that were applying to architecture, and I heard from a professor saying that they actually wrote in their application letter the reasoning why they wanted to be within the school was because of the student organization. Then I had a conversation with a youth that is applying be in the Faculty of Architecture, and she said, “I look up to you.” Just the idea that there are people watching you and you need to set an example for them is very nice to hear within this work.
Senator Hartling: Well done. Thank you.
Ms. Merasty: Keeps me going. Thanks.
Senator Bernard: This has been truly amazing, honestly. I don’t think you have any idea of the significance of your presence, your voice, all that you have accomplished. We didn’t ask your age, and I won’t, not publicly. I’ll do it privately. But you have such a future ahead of you. It is amazing.
I do have a question. Several of the panellists who have spoken today have talked about multi-generational teaching and learning in some way. We hear a lot about multi-generational trauma. We don’t hear enough about the multi-generational teaching. Just hearing you talk about your grandfather and how that led you into this field where there has not been representation, I wonder if you could talk about multi-generational teaching and learning and the significance of that for you in your journey.
Ms. Merasty: It is something that I really hold very close to me. I talk about my grandfather very often but I also talk about my grandmother, my kookum, who also pretty much raised me from when I was a young age. Those two have been really instrumental in setting the foundation for where I am today.
This multi-generational learning or understanding is extremely important in terms of architecture because it is setting that foundation or that root within a community. And it is also telling those stories of those folks there.
I always think about my grandparents and the way that they have been brought up, but also something that really needs to be put in a safe space. Those types of knowledge and stories continue to be lost, and so how do we transfer that knowledge or those teachings on to the next generation? I think that is a huge conversation that needs to happen.
When you were talking about multi-generational trauma or multi-generational learning, I also think about Indigenous celebration. Oftentimes, we always hear about the negative, but what’s the positive that’s out there? And that’s also something that we always need to go back to. I don’t know if I answered your question.
Senator Bernard: Perfectly. Thank you.
The Chair: Thank you. The time for this panel is now complete. I wish to thank Ms. Merasty for sharing her testimony with us today.
Dear guests and colleagues, that brings us to the end of our meeting time. I want to thank all our witnesses for sharing their perspectives, powerful experiences and stories with us today. Your voices embodied the strength and resilience of your communities. As young leaders, you are not just representing your peers, but also future generations and paving the way for meaningful change. Thank you all.
On that note, we look forward to hearing from the other four participants of Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders this evening at 6:45.
(The committee adjourned.)