Hay River Reserve (Mar 31/03) - Daniel Sonfrere was happy to see a workshop on elder abuse come to the Hay River Reserve.

"They're doing something good," said Sonfrere, a prominent elder on the reserve. "I'm happy to see this."

Elder Daniel Sonfrere offered his comments at a two-day workshop on elder abuse on the Hay River Reserve. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Sonfrere said he has not seen elder abuse on the reserve, but he hopes people will learn more to stop it before it starts.

"We do not know everything about elder abuse."

The three days of activities, March 24-26, were hosted by the K'atlodeeche First Nation (KFN) in partnership with the NWT Seniors' Society with funding from Health and Social Services.

"This hard work has brought us many good ideas and recommendations," said Bea Campbell, the president of the NWT Seniors' Society. "Now we have an action plan."

The local plan has three main recommendations.

The elders want local governments -- the band and the Hay River town council -- to become more involved in seniors' issues. They want to begin a lobbying effort within 30 days to get seniors' issues on the agenda for the next municipal and territorial elections.

They also recommended the KFN hire an elders co-ordinator, and they want to set the criteria for the position and do the hiring.

The elders also want a law passed to require police to lay appropriate charges in cases of elder abuse.

Barb Hood, the executive director of the NWT Seniors' Society, explained many elders' are reluctant to lay charges themselves out of concern it might break up their families.

Hood says the workshop was a new way for the society to deal with elder abuse.

"We're going to adapt to community needs," she said, noting the society was invited to the reserve by the KFN.

The workshop was also attended by representatives of the Hay River Seniors' Society and others from Fort Smith, Enterprise, Fort Simpson and Fort Resolution.

The society is willing to go to other communities if it is invited, Hood said. "That's the way we want to do it."

Another such workshop is planned for the end of April in Dettah.

Fort Smith's Sister Agnes Sutherland led the Hay River Reserve workshop, along with George Tuccaro.

Sutherland was very encouraged by the number of people attending. "We wondered how many people would come. Five?"

As it turned out, close to 50 people participated.

Sutherland explained elder abuse takes many forms and sometimes people don't even recognize it. "Financial abuse is one of the worst," she said, although she noted most elders are well taken care of.

"To be able to solve it, we've got to be able to talk about it."