Spoken-word poet Mark Gonzales once said that he understands how so many women "have a story that's been told to a maximum of one soul -- maybe less."

I agree with his sentiment entirely.

We are at a time of irony in the legacy of our People, in our history linking to our future, and within our First Nation communities.

In this time of irony (and what I can only describe as an era where too many of our indigenous men have become walking contradictions to the very cultural affinities that we claim to respect, protect, and place pride within), a step backward with open eyes would suggest to the very contrary as one examines the experiences and realities that too many of our Indigenous and First Nation women wake to on a daily basis.

Media Release | Oct. 11, 2011

Even after women have separated from an abusive partner, the violence still costs Canadians an estimated $6.9 billion a year, according to research at the University of British Columbia.

Led by UBC Nursing Prof. Colleen Varcoe, the study -- published in a recent issue of Canadian Public Policy -- is the first in Canada to comprehensively identify the spectrum of economic costs for services used by women who leave a violent partner.

Overall, the annual bill for violence rings in at a total of $13,162 per woman across health and non-health sectors, and within public and private domains. This estimate represents the use of health, legal and social services.