Nov 22, 2023
A northern Manitoba Chief says incidents of elder abuse have become rampant in her community and continue to plague First Nations communities, but while elders fall victim to physical, mental and financial abuse, she said they often do so in silence because it’s something people don’t want to talk about.
“It’s a very serious issue, but it’s one that people don’t want to discuss, so while people stay quiet, elders continue to be abused and mistreated often in their own homes,” Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN) Chief Angela Levasseur said.
“The conversation about elder abuse needs to be brought out into the open.”
Last month, Levasseur introduced a resolution at an Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) general assembly asking for the development and enforcement of elder protection codes in Manitoba First Nations.
She said the reason the problem has become so prevalent is because in First Nations elders often live in the same homes as their children and grandchildren, and frequently it is those relatives that are abusing them in those homes, and behind closed doors.
And while she said she hears less reports of actual physical abuse, she consistently hears about cases of mental, emotional and financial abuse, and of cases where elders are being forced to hand over their money.