The apology of the Oblates are not enough according to the president of Quebec Native Women

News 29 March, 2018
  • Photo Stevens LeBlanc
    Viviane Michel, president of Quebec Native Women and co-chair of the forum.

    Martin Lavoie

    Thursday, 29 march 2018 17:44

    UPDATE
    Thursday, 29 march 2018 17:48

    Look at this article

    In the margin of an important forum, which ended in Quebec city Thursday, the president of Quebec Native Women (FAQ) estimates that it will take more than money to compensate for the pain caused by father Alexis Joveneau.

    • READ ALSO : The Innu continue the missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
    • READ ALSO : It agressait sexually the Innu in the name of God

    The Journal has recently published the testimony of several Innu, who are victims of abuse by the father Joveneau which has raged for nearly 40 years in communities of the Basse-Côte-Nord. “It seems that it is the result of what happened in the residential schools. By projecting the image of a good person, he has exercised forms of unacceptable violence, kills people”, said Viviane Michel.

    “The apology of the Oblates not be able to repair all the evil that has made this person. There is talk of financial compensation, but there must be something concrete for the victims. They are in need of services of psychological support. It is states of emergency that are live after the denunciations. There are crises that happen to live within these communities, tensions with people hypercatholiques. If you want to repair, give the support, not just the sign of money,” she added.

    The action plan

    Under the theme Are cured together, the Forum of the First Nations against sexual assault is articulated around four objectives; accessibility to services of prevention and intervention, advocacy, collaboration with other partners and the consolidation.

    “It is sometimes difficult for the people in the communities to access services. It plays constantly between the courts and provincial and federal, and there are grey areas,” said Marjolaine Sioui, executive director of the Commission of health and social services of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador and co-chair of the forum.

    “With the issue of sexual assault, people have also told us that you need a certain degree of confidentiality. Sometimes, they may not feel comfortable in their community and must have access to external services”, she added.

    “We heard of the denunciations. People have told us it is enough. This is the beginning of a long and beautiful journey to a healing collective”, launched Ms. Michel. She added that their solution also includes the perpetrator in the healing process, unlike the judicial system “only punitive”.

    “The future belongs to us”, said Ghislain Picard, chief of the Assembly of First Nations chiefs, who intends to present the findings at the next meeting with its counterparts.

    More flexibility

    Invited for the conclusion of the forum, the quebec minister for the status of women Hélène David announced a consultation on the domestic violence to which Aboriginal people would be invited. Ms. Michel has candidly admitted that she had learned during the announcement.

    Moreover, Ms. David and her college Geoffrey Kelley, minister for aboriginal Affairs, have said that they would “find the necessary flexibility” in the government programs and their application vis-à-vis the culture and the needs of First Nations.