This is a brief summary of a conference on violence we attended in Montreal hosted by the Quebec Native Women’s Association on Nov. 15 to 17,1995. The theme of the gathering was “This is Dawn,” and the issues discussed were not new but have been passed down from generation to generation.
We learned the issues dealing with violence of any kind has no special target It affects the rich, the poor, the young and the old all over the world.
We have come to realize that the only way to get on the road to recovery is to break the silence, in the home, in the family and in the community (violence, abuse, sexual abuse, sexual assault).
Speeches were done by professional people such as doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, court workers, teachers, youth and Elders from different Native communities across Canada.
Healthy community members can achieve a healthy community.
We were fortunate to attend this conference and we believe there are others in this town who would benefit from it. In closing we can say we learned a lot in those three days and we wouldn’t mind attending future conferences for the benefit of ourselves and the people of this community.
Thank you to those people who supported us to go to this conference.
—Anonymous, Nemaska
