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Results: 1 - 15 of 29
View Leah Gazan Profile
NDP (MB)
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.
Henry Wall, we know the federal government has and continues to systematically and wilfully underfund indigenous services and programs, and frankly, human rights. You spoke about the fact that many people, young kids, have to leave reserves to go to school. We know certainly through the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling, which clearly stated it, that the federal government wilfully discriminates against first nations kids living on reserve. We also know that it has resulted in many kids who become at risk, leaving communities, having to go to school in urban centres.
I was wondering if you could expand on that and how funding these kinds of basic human rights would make a difference in the lives of young people coming from reserve.
Henry Wall
View Henry Wall Profile
Henry Wall
2021-01-26 16:38
I have a really simple and basic solution that's going to make a huge difference in our region, I think, and in many other rural and remote regions. It is that we need to have access to high-speed Internet. By having that, our young people will be able to be in their community and participate in the education system virtually. That is not an option for many of our families, so that is an easy fix in my opinion, and it would go a long way in ensuring that our young people are connected.
View Leah Gazan Profile
NDP (MB)
Because I have very little time, are you saying if we had access to high-speed Internet in communities, for example, then kids would be able to stay in their homes to get their education and not have to leave their families at a young age to go to school without supports?
Henry Wall
View Henry Wall Profile
Henry Wall
2021-01-26 16:39
It would be an option. If there's anything the pandemic is currently teaching us, I think it's that we should not look at going back to the way things were pre-pandemic. I think this is something that can be acted on very quickly while the infrastructure catches up, but at least it's going to start levelling the playing field by giving access to education to our young indigenous people.
View Louise Chabot Profile
BQ (QC)
Okay. I will ask my question more quickly.
Chief Leon, thank you for your testimony about the reality of the community on your reserve.
In light of the problems you shared with us, namely the lack of affordable housing and the state of that housing, do you have access to funding specifically for indigenous communities?
That is one of the components of the national housing strategy; it is designed to provide housing for communities. There is also a component for Indigenous peoples.
Is that a program that you take advantage of and that is able to meet your needs?
Ralph Leon Jr.
View Ralph Leon Jr. Profile
Ralph Leon Jr.
2020-12-03 17:11
First of all, thank you for the question.
Like I said, in our home, our community, the membership is at about 1,200 people who are registered here on reserve, and we have 198 homes here to house. That creates a problem. More than half of them need to live off reserve to gain a home to live in.
Like Lawson-Swain and McGee said, a lot of our people from our communities end up in a situation where they have to go to them to get housed.
What we're trying to do here in Sts'ailes is to create the micro homes, which have only one or two bedrooms. It's more affordable to get them started. We utilize CMHC still to this day, and we also utilize ISC, Indian Affairs. We use the subsidy from ISC, which still creates almost a problem of affordability. The money from Indian Affairs is very minimal. It pays for maybe only a foundation and a septic field, and that's it.
Also, to get the people homes, they need a job. They need to prove themselves through their finance to gain a home themselves as individual purchases. We have many problems that overlap each other. It creates a big problem. In the leadership at home, we do want them at home, but like Mr. Lawson-Swain said, we need to build probably at least 100 homes a day for a year for them all to be at home.
Thank you for your question.
View Brad Vis Profile
CPC (BC)
Thank you so much.
My questions are for Mr. Leon, who does live in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon. The reason I invited you to committee today, Mr. Leon, is what you said earlier in your testimony, that there are 1,200 people on reserve right now but only 198 homes. That's an average of six people per home.
What I do know about Sts'ailes First Nation and what I appreciate is that you're so proactive in reaching out to the broader community. You did that with the former MP and you have done that with me. Relationships matter to you, and that's why I brought you here today, because your words mean a lot and they need to be shared.
One of the questions I have for you today is this. Do you believe that Sts'ailes First Nation has sufficient human and financial resources to develop project proposals? And generally how long does it take for ISC or CMHC to get back to you when you apply for a project?
Ralph Leon Jr.
View Ralph Leon Jr. Profile
Ralph Leon Jr.
2020-12-03 17:25
I think ISC is a little behind. They have to look after every community in the province of B.C., and we are one of the largest communities and they just can't keep up with our needs. It's almost like they don't need to be in existence. Why? Because a lot of our funds that come from Ottawa go to Victoria, go to them, and then by the time it gets to us, the percentage goes down. Here in Sts'ailes, if we lose a loved one and need to have a funeral, we have to shut down our school. Why? Because we have nowhere else to go. We need the gymnasiums. We've been communicating with ISC and the former MP for years. Words need to turn into action and that's why I reached out to you, Brad, because I hear your voice is loud for governance, as it needs to be.
It's pretty disheartening. We wrote the Prime Minister letters and the only letter we received was that he can't make time for us and he can't come to Sts'ailes. So we need—
View Brad Vis Profile
CPC (BC)
I'm sorry. I just want to get another question in, but I hear you.
You guys have a small but pretty dedicated administrative staff at Sts'ailes. How many hours in general, or how many days or weeks, does it take to apply just to get a single house built?
Ralph Leon Jr.
View Ralph Leon Jr. Profile
Ralph Leon Jr.
2020-12-03 17:27
Our housing worker, our housing director, probably puts in many hours over and above the time they get paid. Why? Because we can't put it in the budget. We can't pay them overtime because it's not in the budget. The Indian agent came here and said, “You only have this much money. You can only build this much, in this time, and that's it.”
View Brad Vis Profile
CPC (BC)
What would you say—this is a little radical for some—if we cut out all of the administrative people at ISC in Ottawa and just gave you a direct transfer that included all of the salaries of those peoples that were dedicated to allotting you money? What if we just gave you all that money and let you take care of it yourself from both an operational and administrative capacity? Do you think your people would get better outcomes if there were more direct transfers or long-term funding models?
Ralph Leon Jr.
View Ralph Leon Jr. Profile
Ralph Leon Jr.
2020-12-03 17:28
I believe so. We're in a 10-year grant funding program with the federal government through the AFN. I think we're ready to do that. We're educated enough to do that. We know how to count to 10. We know how to read English. We're getting pretty good. I think we're ready for that. That's an awesome—
View Brad Vis Profile
CPC (BC)
So you have demonstrated capacity but are still required, time and time again, to submit those long applications.
Chief Ralph Leon, Jr.: Yes.
Mr. Brad Vis: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
View Adam Vaughan Profile
Lib. (ON)
While the AFN allotment and certainly the Quebec allotment for your reserve need to be strengthened, there also needs to be a parallel program to deal with indigenous people regardless of which province they come from who now reside in Quebec. There needs to be that fourth option available to indigenous people in Quebec as well. Would you agree?
Lance Haymond
View Lance Haymond Profile
Lance Haymond
2020-11-19 17:31
The fourth option? Can you explain that again a little?
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