THUNDER BAY -- The president of the Ontario Native Women’s Association believes this year’s annual general assembly is a turning point for her group.
“This year’s conference has been absolutely historical in terms of our advancement and recognition of the needs of Aboriginal women and children,” Dawn Harvard said on Sunday during a break in the assembly at the Valhalla Inn.
For the first time in 43 years the premier visited the assembly, as Kathleen Wynne made the trip to Thunder Bay to meet with the about 100 delegates Friday night and deliver remarks at a Saturday morning breakfast.
She was joined by a pair of Cabinet ministers, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs David Zimmer and Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle.
Wynne and Zimmer also participated in a sunrise ceremony Saturday morning.
Having those highly recognized political figures present emphasizes the importance of the assembly as well as to show that the organization is in the consciousness of the government.
ONWA continues to push for a national inquiry into the number of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, a stance which is supported by the Ontario government as well as the country’s other nine premiers.
Building closer ties with the government allows the organization to work more collaboratively towards achieving solutions to complicated problems.
One of the issues before the assembly is how to halt the practice of agencies removing children from poverty stricken homes.
Harvard said the first problem lies in how these homes are viewed.
“Distinguishing it as children living in poverty is the wrong concept because we need to remember that we all live in families and for our children that would be the best situation,” she said.
“One of our biggest concerns is that when that family connection is broken and there isn’t somebody looking out for and caring for our children that’s when they become vulnerable to the predators and the traffickers.”
The theme of this year’s assembly is to honour grandmothers who laid the trail in which the current members of ONWA travel in their pursuit of advancement.
Looking back at their roots not only has cultural value but it reminds them that change is possible.
“Those grandmothers now are the ones who started this movement as young people back in the 1970s,” Harvard said.
“It’s that memory for them that’s important for our young people to have to know where we have come from and the struggles but also to know that we have made a difference and achievements.”
The assembly concludes on Sunday.
