Women, younger men hold family violence as concern

Violence against women on reserves is not an issue that can be addressed by women alone.

“For me, either (men or women on council) will work as long as we have a balance,” said Rose Laboucan, “that they want the best for their children, that they’re good parents. It’s about team work.”

Laboucan was recently elected to her fifth consecutive two-year term as chief of the Driftpile First Nation. Her council of seven consists of one woman and five younger generation men. Every time Laboucan has sought re-election she has seen at least one woman competing for a seat on council. This term, two women challenged her for chief.

Laboucan said the women in Driftpile First Nation met to discuss having more representation on council.

“They came together to address family violence and drug and alcohol abuse, to address the social ills and bring them to light,” said Laboucan.

Those issues, she said, can be just as effectively addressed through a younger generation male as it can be through a woman.

“A lot of younger men are getting on (council) and they are willing to address the social ills also,” said Laboucan.
“A lot of our younger men growing up aren’t subjugated to the violence so they have a clear mind when they go in there, they have right intentions.”

In addressing the issue of violence, the Driftpile First Nation has a counsellor on staff at the health unit to work with couples and there is access to a woman’s shelter at nearby Sucker Creek. The First Nation also held a rally to bring attention to the issue.

“I think we’ve come a long ways in making (family violence) public knowledge rather than keeping it hidden behind a closed door,” said Laboucan.

But Laboucan would still like to see more women involved in decisions that are made on the reserve. That involvement doesn’t have to come through election.

The majority of directors in Laboucan’s administration are women and even more women sit on committees.

But women are still battling the ancient mentality that they are to remain at home.

“There are job employment opportunities out there. We can be managers, we can be directors, we can make decisions. That should be accepted,” said Laboucan.

She notes a shift in education, with women becoming the majority of students who take advantage of post-secondary education on the reserve. As well, the majority of post-secondary applicants seeking funding with Driftpile are women.

Laboucan is one of four women chiefs serving in Alberta’s 46 First Nations. She doesn’t believe that in her lifetime she will see half of Alberta’s chiefs being women. Figures nationally have women leading about one-quarter of the First Nations governments.

In September 2009, Laboucan lost a hard fought race which went to three ballots to become Alberta’s Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations. When Laboucan sought the regional position, she said, “Women bring a voice of equity and fairness. We are the giver of life.”