Phase 1 - The Issues

We will not give you statistics. We will not say how many of us are students, retired, single mothers, living alone or living with a spouse, working or on government assistance. We will say that we have all those covered. We will not give our ages, since age is irrelevant to who we are.

Because we want you to read all our stories, we will provide no references to indicate from which stories the quotations were taken. Each story is quoted at least once.

This report details the issues that feature dominantly in our stories. Our second report, Phase 2 – The Recommendations, contains our suggestions for preventing and remedying those issues.

Our report has three major divisions: i) Predictors are conditions which have tended to forecast our future poverty; we have identified two broad long-term and one short-term or immediate predictors. ii) Primary effects are caused by the immediate or primary conditions of poverty; iii) Secondary conditions are causing secondary effects. The latter are sometimes increases in the magnitude of the primary effects or are new effects. The diagram on the following page illustrates the relations among predictors, primary and secondary conditions and primary and secondary effects.

Phase 2 - The Recommendations

This document is companion to our report Phase 1 – The Issues, which details the themes that featured dominantly in our  stories. We urge everyone who has not read the Phase 1 report to do so before reading this document. The two reports were written as complements to one another and knowledge of the contents of the first is assumed.

As done with the stories and the Phase 1 report, the following is written in the first person plural and the writer is one of the storytellers. All quotations are taken directly from the women’s recommendations.

This is the last of the 21 stories.

At the beginning of the project, each of the women chose a random number to represent them. This was both to protect their identities and to make the stories themselves the central focus.

When it came time to put the book together, I didn’t want to refer to the women by their numbers. That would have been awkward and certainly impersonal. So I ordered the stories by the women’s numbers, from lowest to highest, and then assigned a pseudonym to each, from ‘a’ through ‘w’.

In other words, while the alphabetical arrangement would suggest otherwise, the stories in the book were randomly sorted. This was to ensure no bias crept in, in terms of story placement.

How fitting, then, that the random sortation would result in a native woman, Waneta, getting the last word.

When I was 5 years old, [my mother] committed suicide in a motel room. My younger brother and I were present and were the ones who actually found her. We remember that night like it was yesterday. We found her in the bathroom. There were no adults around. We remember playing with her rope….

I was about 13 when my biological sister reunited with me. She visited us off and on for about a year. She took her life when she was 18. She also hung herself in Victoria….

One of the uncles that lived in the home started sexually abusing me. I didn’t know that it was wrong. We would go fishing and then he would get on top of me and stuff. He’d make me lay there. I didn’t know. All of us slept in the same room as my grandfather and his partner. Seeing him on her, I thought it was something that you did. My uncle was doing that to me at the creek, when I was nine, and I thought it was what you had to do. I’ve never told any of the family members. He told me not to tell anybody, of course. I had all these secrets. All these adults in my life were telling me, ‘Don’t tell, Don’t tell’.

Vanessa’s background is one of wealth, with an emphasis on conservatism, religion and traditional “family values” and roles.

Likely not surprising, Vanessa’s independent spirit and high intelligence almost immediately placed her at loggerheads with her family’s expectations and the norms of much of society still.

When I thought about my future, one thing was clear: I didn’t want to grow up and serve some man. I didn’t want to get married… There was no freakin’ way in hell I was staying home ’til 5 o’clock and making sure someone’s dinner was warm. I didn’t want to be a servant. I worried and fretted about this. I did not want to be a wife; that’s what it boiled down to. I could accept the notion of fatherhood, but not husband…

Then, when I did grow up, that’s what I became. For years. That’s the biggest thing that bothers me about society: It beats your spirit out of you.

One of several native women who participated in the project, Tatum has proven herself to be a fierce fighter against injustice: of that done to her as a child, woman and Indian, and to others in similar circumstances. As with two other of the storytellers, Tatum took her abuser to court. Also like them, she paid harshly for doing the right thing.

Beyond what has become the dishearteningly common tale of childhood sexual abuse, there are the abuses against native culture and identity.

I lived in Vancouver when I was 19, 20, 21…. My whole life, I think that’s what’s a live and so burning anger. We lost our language and every other culture is out there yakking their language – on public buses and on public streets. Oooh, that used to burn me in Vancouver when I was young! I used to be so angry when I heard another nationality’s voice in their own language. I think I still am. Then I have to be a Canadian citizen and you’re telling me I have to know French?!?!

Discrimination also remains alive and thriving in our community.

[As someone who doesn’t look like the stereotypical Indian,] I never felt discrimination until I had this ex in my life…. Renting in Victoria … there was so much discrimination. They would give the place to me when he was working… Then I’d bring my Indian husband. BAM! We don’t have a place anymore. Two hours ago I had it! No problem, no question. Then they see this Indian… He was in work clothes and everything!

I’ve always hated the way I looked. I was fair-skinned; I had light hair. I wasn’t Status. I was considered Caucasian by the Native community and by the government, but the white people would look at me: “You’re Native.” I was hated and ridiculed by my family and my peers: I was nothing; I was nobody; I would never amount to anything, no matter how I tried, where I tried or who I tried with; I was adopted; I was found in the ditch; I was found in the garbage. That was what they told me. I was beat up physically everyday. By the time I turned 5, I was made into a sexual object.

I read that over to myself after copying and pasting it, and don’t know what else to add. It sickens me what Sheree and so many of these women have gone through.

All these stories were heart-wrenching to collect, assemble and hold secret until I released the first project report. Now to read them again, out loud, for these podcasts - well, that has proven difficult. In that respect, Sheree’s story is no exception. It’s like I’m in her skin.

Nor is Sheree an exception in protecting and nurturing an incredible inner strength to overcome what so many others wouldn’t:

I’m hiding right now in this little place. I’m trying to gather my energy to go out in the world and say: “OK, here I am again! Let’s try it again. One more time. Let’s get it right people!”

I think I’m so stupid sometimes, seriously, because I go out there and try again. I really, honestly think that I’m going to find someone who’s going to help. It won’t go away. I just believe.

These women are amazing and literally take my breath away. It’s been a profound privilege to know them.

I was pretty outgoing as a really young child. If I thought something was crap, I would say so. The first time my mom took out her stuff on me, I sat her down the next day and said, “You got a little out of control.” Just had this rational discussion! I was 7…

We moved to different neighbourhoods and I wound up at a really tough school; I got beaten up at school everyday for a couple of years. It was ironic. I got beaten by a gang of girls on the same bridge that [14-year-old] Reena Virk died under. Of course, I was supposed to come home with A’s and B’s. It just wasn’t happening. So I’d get beaten up at home as well.

Rayna has struggled with depression and anxiety most of her life. Now on disability benefits, she is trying to maintain a part-time job, more for the sake of her self-esteem than for any bit of extra money she might earn. In fact, Rayna faces strong disincentives to work, including employment expenses which are not included in Ministry calculations.

Rayna also faces other barriers: finding housing which allows pets, her pets having been her lifeline; and earning enough money in any given week to keep up with the interest charged on an original $180 payday loan.

Like several of the stories in the book, Paige’s story weaves together a number of common themes: being raised in a family where substance abuse is constant, sexual abuse, the adoption of the family pattern, the stresses on a marriage when a victim takes her abuser to court, experiences with the punitive welfare system, the lack of choice due to economic vulnerability.

I was going for a crisis grant because I didn’t have enough food for the kids. Welfare asked me to sign a Family Maintenance form, because my husband and I are doing our separation privately. I signed it so they could go after him for Spousal Maintenance. I don’t really want them to. I didn’t want to sign the thing, but I had to. Now they refuse to give me crisis grants. They want me to ask him for money for food. I can’t do it. He’s hostile about giving me money.

Paige is brutally honest about her background, her own behaviour and mistakes, and the consequences of these. She has lived this life and remains determined to change its direction. It’s a heartbreaking story, and one that needs to be heard.

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

Olivia was one of several children in her family. Raised on a 60-acre farm, she attended a one-room schoolhouse until Grade four.

Those wide spaces in which to roam and learn, in a home which was generally loving and supportive, shaped Olivia’s common sense view of life and her appreciation of diversity. Unfortunately, it didn’t protect her from experiencing one abusive relationship after another.

My future? I know what’s to come, so it doesn’t bother me… Death is the least of my fears. There are worse things, like living on Social Services. Death is a natural process of life. On the other hand, death by Social Services is an unnatural death.

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

I have always belonged to a church and emotionally it’s important to me… It is so sad that now they are even taking Christmas out of the schools. In time of need, the church did and has stood behind me. They helped with the children with food in time of need. They helped me get my Driver’s Licence, in order that I had transportation. They gave enough money to me as a Christmas gift to get my licence and a friend gave me the car.

Nancy is a senior in her 70s who, having been widowed twice, now lives with her third husband. They have their own home, with the mortgage paid off, and a van for getting around town and taking road trips. While having lived a life of hard work and pinched purse strings, Nancy has been fortunate in having the support of family, friends, church and community.

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

I have sat in the privilege of judgement. I invested in the myths that people on Welfare are losers, drunks, and lazy or useless parents that abandon their children. I did that right up until I stood with them. There I was frightened, hungry, tired, and incredibly lost.

The method for this story began as Interview, but as the process continued to unfold Manon felt compelled to put pen to paper. Writing beautifully, she manages to convey what it feels like, emotionally and psychologically, to be a lone parent in poverty. As the quote above makes clear, Manon knows the challenge for people not in poverty to understand and not stigmatize those who are. She too, like many of us, judged in ignorance.

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

Lucy’s is a very powerful story told with a frankness which is refreshing. As with Glenna’s story, you’ll find yourself cheering, crying and guffawing all within a space of a few sentences.

All these Ministries have their code word du jour, so now they have this dual diagnosis: depression + diabetes. Dual diagnosis is a crock of shit. It’s one thing. Poverty. Welfare puts you on such a diet you can’t afford fresh fruits or vegetables, you can’t afford any high protein. You’re stuck eating Welfare Diet… That many carbohydrates turn you into a blimp. Well eventually, as a blimp, you get diabetes and in the process of losing everything that you are, were, could have been, should have been, used to be, could have had, should have had, would have had… you lose yourself.

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

Kaelyn is a recovering addict who, over the course of telling her story, was trying to get away from her ex-boyfriend, became homeless and was struggling with extreme fatigue which in turn was impeding her ability to retain employment. The connections among poor nutrition, tenancy legislation which favours owners, the focus by society and governments on the young and the old, and punitive welfare policies which both diminish attempts to be independent and effectively discourage clients from finding work and staying employed are all drawn together in this story.

There are many bits I could quote, but these four short sentences at the very end of Kaelyn’s story resonate with me the most:

I’m very proud of my home when I have a home. I make it into a nice place to be. I need to make my home beautiful. I need a home to make beautiful.

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

Jade lived an upper middle-class existence most of her life. However, family discord and her mother’s suicide when Jade was 15 years old, caused Jade to experience persistent, chronic depression. Her mother’s death was the greatest single contributing factor for all that followed, including the life-threatening illness which Jade ultimately acquired.

A special note is included at the end of this podcast.

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

Your culture gives you a sense of belonging and home. It’s something we all need. But far too many Métis, and native or First Nations people have been deprived of - more often, torn from - their land, their family and their ancestral roots.

I’m still searching spiritually. My spiritual faith right now is with the Baha’i but I’m also attending the Anglican Church. A lot of times they conflict. It bothers me. I need my sweats, I need my smudges, I need that close association with cultural roots… I’m being pulled apart. I want to be with First Nations people.

India is Métis.

In addition to the struggle to reconnect with her native roots, India faces barriers which include a background of abuse, poverty and addiction, which began with her placement into foster care at the age of five.

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

Halona’s is one of five stories by Métis, and native or First Nations women.

Raised off reserve, Halona was born into a quite wealthy family.

Until the family’s breakup when Halona was eight years old, life had been good. Halona adored her father and he encouraged and supported her aspirations. After the breakup, it was arranged for the children to stay with their mother. At that point, Halona’s life began to fall apart.

Halona’s story is one of abuse, poverty and addiction. It’s also a story of one woman’s immense determination to make a better life for herself and her daughter.

Everything I am striving for right now is good role modeling for my daughter, my community and my family. My message to others is that it is possible. Don’t give up. Fight back!

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

[I confess to having favourites. This is one of them. Within the space of a few sentences, Glenna manages to move readers to tears, laughter, fury, and cheer - truly, one feels like slapping a high-five and yelling Go Girl! to the rooftops.]

In her mid-fifties at the time of this telling, Glenna has worked since the age of 14. Born into poverty, her tale challenges the common perception that a life in poverty means a life without riches or meaning. Glenna has faced multiple, endless barriers, but these have had less to do with her upbringing, which was warm and supportive, than with how society treats i) people without money, ii) women - especially those without money, and iii) people, particularly of categories i and ii, who speak out against the discrimination.

Be prepared: have tissues handy, allow room for pacing, and drink your tea in sips - guffaws can be messy.

After listening to this episode, PLEASE RATE and comment. (To do this, you must have the episode window open and scripting must be enabled. If you are reading this from the channel’s homepage, click on the episode title to open the new window.) You’ll see a comment form at the bottom of the page. To rate, pass your mouse over the stars and click the star representing your choice. Podcast channels with the highest ranking and number of ratings attract more listeners!

Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

Fallon, who comes from an upper middle-class background, found herself applying for BC social assistance after the breakup of her second marriage. Not only did she struggle with her own preconceptions about people on welfare - lazy, unwilling to work, shiftless -, she found her condition, including her health, worsening as one intervention after another were denied her by the system.

Fallon eventually became a passionate and effective client advocate, having learned about BC social assistance from both sides of the desk.

After listening to this episode, PLEASE RATE and comment. (To do this, you must have the episode window open and scripting must be enabled. If you are reading this from the channel’s homepage, click on the episode title to open the new window.) You’ll see a comment form at the bottom of the page. To rate, pass your mouse over the stars and click the star representing your choice. Podcast channels with the highest ranking and number of ratings attract more listeners!

Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

Often quoted by dietitians, Elysia’s story makes a strong statement regarding the distinctions among leading a healthy lifestyle, knowing what a healthy lifestyle is, and having the choice to lead a healthy lifestyle.

A single mother of four children, one of whom is autistic, Elysia struggles each day to find the energy for tomorrow. It’s not raising her children which she finds challenging. It’s dealing with the counter-productive, inconsistent rules governing British Columbia’s social assistance programs.

They’re willing to pay $200 a month on a drug. I would far sooner see that $200 in my cupboard and my fridge. It would go a lot further. Consequently, if we weren’t so poor, I wouldn’t be so stressed. If I wasn’t so stressed and had better nutrition, I wouldn’t have this rash to begin with.

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

Dana was raised in a family whose income was most often government assistance or welfare. Her family history is one of disruptive and abusive relationships, a pattern which Dana, knowing it best, repeated. Now, having divested herself of harmful relationships, Dana is raising a child who has Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy.

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Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.

Poverty sucks. I am not depressed; I am deprived. I am in despair and I am frustrated. Before, the poverty hurt so bad that I wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.

In Brooke, who has a middle-class background and is mid-fifties at the time of this telling, we meet a seemingly fragile woman. Certainly, the stresses of her life are evident in both the content of her story and how the story unfolds. However, beneath Brooke’s apparent fragility we hear hints of a stubborn optimism. As she puts it, “I find treasures in the darkness.” Through hunger, loss of income and loss of home, Brooke refuses to let go hope.

After listening to this episode, PLEASE RATE and comment. (To do this, you must have the episode window open and scripting must be enabled. If you are reading this from the channel’s homepage, click on the episode title to open the new window.) You’ll see a comment form at the bottom of the page. To rate, pass your mouse over the stars and click the star representing your choice. Podcast channels with the highest ranking and number of ratings attract more listeners!

Regarding comments, I’d be delighted to participate in discussions on the stories, whether on this podcast site or as part of an academic course.