Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, I think that would be an appropriate way of starting, that there's a basic way of looking at what human rights are, and that the concepts are clear to everyone, and that there's opportunity within those human rights to be able to move, making sure that the rights of the people are protected in the community.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think the people in my community would say that they want to say what those human rights are. I think they would be the right to decide how they want to go about living in the community, what the rights are when you get housing, your right to vote, your right to live in the community, the right for our people to decide what jurisdiction they want to become involved in when they talk about human rights.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Let me answer that. I believe any forum that the public, and particularly in this case the first nations people, are engaged in is a good thing. But it shouldn't be about that particular topic that you're.... It should be about human rights and what they believe human rights are, and how they could be involved in addressing them.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The question of amendments being made and enforced gradually is the thing that we're against, because we need to let the women know, and they need to let us have a dialogue with them about what this bill is actually supposed to be all about. If it's passed and they have the opportunity to come and speak about it after it's passed, it's not the same.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We've been around as long as Dawn's mother has been around. That is correct.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I totally agree that there should be appropriate consultation and that time should be given to do it; it should not just be in a rushed fashion. Our people can't provide the proper knowledge to the government about what it is we need when we're asked to rush into this process. Rush in and rush out; that is not the way we do things.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No, we haven't.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for that very important question as well. The women in northern Manitoba have always been interested in taking an active part in every opportunity we can have to look at how to end discrimination and how we can be involved in that process. These particular bills that you just mentioned, we haven't really looked at as Bill C-108, or Bill C-99, or Bill C-7, or Bill C-5, or Bill C-45.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you for your very important answer about consultation. Of course, the definition of consultation means different things to different people. I don't know if anybody's defined consultation, and what that means, in a very broad way. I think that's part of the problem when we talk about consultation, particularly with aboriginal people, because we have a different way of thinking what that means and the government has a different way of looking at it as well.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The repealing of section 67 has to be done in consultation with the people. For me, and for the first nations women, we think that where the legislation really belongs is with first nations. We have the ability to develop a human rights legislation for first nations. I think that's where we would make the most important strides, because the values of the people would be recognized in that human rights legislation of first nations people.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Good day, everybody. [Witness speaks in Cree] I'm saying greetings to all of you in my language, which is Cree. My name is Doris Young. I'm here to talk about this very important section of Bill C-67. I am a first nations woman and a member of the Women's Advisory Council of Manitoba; of the Keewatinook Ininew Okimowin, or MKO; and the Opaskwayak Cree Nation Women's Council, which is my community.