Group 'psychologically castrating' men

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The aggressive actions of some women within the Women of the Metis Nation (WMN) are effectively "psychologically castrating" men says a delegate at the Metis Association of Alberta (MAA) assembly after a motion giving women representatives equal rights to attend all discussions at the First Ministers' Conference (FMC) in Ottawa was defeated.

In an interview after the controversial resolution was defeated, Joanne Abbot, from Local 83 in Zone 5, says she is part of the grassroots resistance to the MWN, said she "fears for the future of the Metis Nation."

"Many of these problems started with the welfare states," she said. "When our men were given welfare, the women became much more aggressive and our men were no longer able to function as real men."

"If you don't back your man he loses all confidence in himself. This is what our mothers taught us. In the old days the women were in control because they knew how to keep their men happy," said Abbot.

"Women always got what they wanted then, but without this aggression. We were in control. This kind of aggressiveness is very damaging to our society," she added.

Leader of the dissident "grassroots" group, Lorraine Sinclair says she "basically" agrees with Abbot and pointed out that not all the Metis women had been consulted on many of the issues that concern them.