Evidence of meeting #117 for Veterans Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was services.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
How does the Vimy Foundation support Black, Métis and indigenous veterans?
Executive Director, The Vimy Foundation
We focus on education. We're not a service for veterans, we're an educational service.
We believe that Canadians, as well as indigenous and Black veterans who want to be recognized for their service, benefit from knowing about these events. It's part of our national knowledge. If people don't know about it, they're not going to take the next steps to get support and learn more about the various experiences of indigenous and Black veterans.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Okay.
Do you encounter any difficulties in this quest to pass on our veterans' knowledge?
Executive Director, The Vimy Foundation
Sure. Your colleague already mentioned research. The facts are not well known, especially when it comes to the First World War, because they were somewhat set aside.
Research is the foundation of everything we do. However, doing research takes time and it costs money. At the end of the day, it's really a matter of having the human resources, time and money, among other things, to discover these facts and bring them to light.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Okay.
Still on the topic of Black, Métis and indigenous veterans, what main partners inform your research on these aspects of history?
Executive Director, The Vimy Foundation
It really comes from the groups themselves. These are facts conveyed by family members, and often they are oral versions. We work a lot with communities to discuss these facts, express them and find a way to pass them on to the community.
We're not here to take ownership of the facts, make them known and then forget about the community. It really is a partnership, and it takes time to build relationships.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you very much, Ms. Bailey.
To close this meeting, I now give the floor to Rachel Blaney, who is joining us by video conference. You have four minutes.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you to our witnesses for being here.
Ms. Bailey, you were already asked everything I wanted to ask you. I've met you a couple of times. I really appreciate the work you're doing in terms of educating so many people about Canada's sacrifice and about the nuances experienced by the communities.
Mr. Shead, I was really moved by your presentation, and I've read a bit about you. You have done a lot of really amazing things, and I appreciate that.
We heard from the testimony of the last witnesses about the culturally appropriate and spiritual supports that are often required by indigenous people, when they return from service.
Could you talk about your knowledge about that? Could you also talk about your organization, and if you provide any of those services?
Board of Directors Chairperson, Neeginan Centre
When you're in a local situation like Neeginan Centre, it's relatively easy to provide cultural services because your focus is narrower. However, if you're in an organization like the Canadian Forces, or some group that does national service, it becomes very difficult to be culturally sensitive across the country. There are so many differences in languages and in our traditions and cultures. It is a challenge.
My only suggestion is that, if you make an honest effort to do something, even if it's as simple as smudging or asking somebody to offer a prayer to open a session of a meeting, whatever the case may be, that, to me, would be welcomed by anybody, because it's seen as an honest effort.
I know that 70 years ago—gosh, it's been that long—it was very difficult for a group of us to come together with a single idea of how to show a group of English people how we could be identified singly as an Indian, for example. We were from different groups from across the country. The only thing that we could decide on was that perhaps all we could do was be the John Wayne Indian and join them in a little bit of a laugh, but that's not appropriate anymore. You can't do that.
You have to make an effort to be sensitive to the spirituality and the cultures, generally. It all comes back to being respectful. Just be respectful to an individual. Treat the individual like an individual and try to extend a true hand of friendship. From that, I think you can start to get an understanding of how the individual has been affected by what has happened, and maybe you can then buy him a beer, if that's the case. I don't know.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
That's an excellent answer. I really appreciate it. Thank you for sharing that. I really appreciate the nuance of the local reality versus a national reality, and how to make those two work together. The chair is giving me a time out.
Thank you so much for answering my questions.
Board of Directors Chairperson, Neeginan Centre
I think he's going to drop the guillotine on many of us.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you, Ms. Blaney.
While we have to stop here, on behalf of members of the committee, I'd like to thank you for your contributions.
Colleagues, we have heard from William Shead, board of directors chairperson at Neeginan Centre, and Caitlin Bailey, executive director of the Vimy Foundation.
Thank you again for your participation.
The meeting is adjourned.