Rideau Hall, Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Thank you, David, for your thoughtful words. And let me add my own welcome to all of you.

As you can see, David shares my passion for the well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis families. In fact, supporting families and children is one of the three pillars he has chosen for his mandate as governor general, and the one that is closest to my own heart.

The history of Aboriginal peoples in Canada—including the disruption of families and the loss of cultural practices—is no path for a smart and caring nation.

I come by my desire to champion Aboriginal families quite honestly. Let me quote from a personal essay that was published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in 1995. I quote: I remember dark mornings when my mother left our house with two provincial policemen escorting her through the snow and blistering cold. It took some convincing she wasn’t being hauled off to jail. I often accompanied my mother who was a nurse and welfare officer, on her rounds-particularly when she went to nearby reservations. I learned at an early age from these “home visits” what misery men and women can inflict on each other and their children. These social ills are no longer being hidden but are being publically addressed. I believe my mother was a precursor to this movement.

Fifty years have passed since then, but David and Icare now more than ever about the health of Aboriginal families. Since coming to Rideau Hall, we have travelled to every province and territory, and seen many successful initiatives in Aboriginal communities. This fills us with hope and optimism for the future.  

But no amount of optimism will resolve the problems of Aboriginal families without education, one of the cornerstones of sustainable well-being. I recently had the chance to visit an Aboriginal Head Start program in Calgary, which helps young children get on an equal footing when they start school.

But even with the success of this program, and others like it across Canada, the number of Aboriginal youths completing high school is not where it should be. A 2006 Statistics Canada survey found that two-thirds of Aboriginal adults had completed high school. But this is still below the 87 per cent high school completion rate among non-Aboriginals. What, then, can be done?

Last year, David and I visited Southeast Collegiate, a school that serves Aboriginal youth from six reservations near Winnipeg. We left there with a greater understanding of the trials facing Aboriginal youths today. We were deeply affected.

Seated in a circle with the students and teachers, we asked: “What are your plans for the summer holiday?” The response was a few mumblings followed by silence.

Smiling, friendly faces, but no words.

Finally, the assistant principal asked the youths to tell us honestly what they had been through, almost as if they had been through a war.

It was then that the dam broke, the tears came, and we saw just how much these young people depended on each other for support and courage. One young man completely overcome dropped his head onto the lap of the girl beside him, pointed to her and said: “She saved me.”

We heard that their homes were places of disruption and violence, a lot of it related to alcohol. But each student, almost expecting trouble to hit, had a safety plan—who to call, where to run.

Their experiences led these students to create a program which in Cree is called Mino Bimaadiziwin, which included a drinking and drug cessation component.

Mino Bimaadiwizin means to reach for the sky or to live a better life.

Despite the difficulties, and in spite of the social challenges they face, almost every one of these student were going on to post secondary schooling. Hearing the testimony of these young people who took control of their lives was deeply moving. David and I left there feeling that these were the greatest, the bravest of young people.

This is but one of the examples I have seen of hope for the improved well-being of Aboriginal children and families.

It gives me great pleasure to host this round table, which will focus primarily on three parameters of Aboriginal health.

1. Societal needs, such as housing, education and jobs.
2. Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and alcohol abuse.
3. Physical and spiritual well-being of children and families.
   
   

Let me end by once again asking, what can be done? Rallying our experiences, our stories, our skills and our talents, I hope we can answer this question today.