Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop will co-chair the province’s newly created Indigenous Women’s Advisory Council.
Dunlop, who is the associate minister of children and women’s issues, said the council will focus on human trafficking, violence against women, family well-being and the province’s response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Indigenous women are “very highly represented in all of those areas,” Dunlop said, adding the goal of the council is to “develop policy moving forward” to address those issues.
“We’re looking at the province’s and the Canadian government’s response to the report,” she said.
There has been some criticism about Dunlop, a non-Indigenous person, being in the position of co-chair on this council.
Jeff Monague, an elder and knowledge keeper who is a former chief of Beausoleil First Nation, said he was “a little perplexed” at the appointment.
“Jill Dunlop is a voice for her community, but she’s not a voice for the Indigenous community,” he said, suggesting Dunlop step aside as co-chair and serve as an ex-officio member.
“The inquiry report was clear that genocide has taken place and here they are eliminating that voice once again," said Monague.
Dunlop said Indigenous voices will be heard. The council is seeking someone to co-chair with her, and invitations have been sent to those in First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities as well as Indigenous members of the LGBTQ2S community.
“We need to be working with Indigenous partners on the type of healing and programming that they best see fit for their communities,” she said. “I want to hear directly from the members where the gaps are.”
Dunlop stressed the goal of the council is to advise her in her role as associate minister.
“I’m co-chair as the minister. I’ll be taking ideas and I’m there to learn more. It really is about a partnership,” she said.
The council will consist of 11 members and will meet twice a year. Information gathered during those meetings will be taken back to the provincial government and could be shared with other provinces.
“I’m very excited that the government has announced this,” Dunlop said. “It’s important to me as minister in this portfolio … that we have a good working relationship.”
