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Every woman and child has the right to live a life free of abuse. Your support is invaluable in the fight against gendered violence. Thank you!
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National Indigenous History Month:
Celebrating First Nations, Métis & Inuit women
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In honor of National Indigenous Peoples Day + Indigenous History Month, our most recent Atira staff training session was in honour of and to celebrate the First Nations, Metis & Inuit women we work with and alongside.
It was a powerful and emotional day for many of us. Our morning began in a circle, while elders smudged and cleansed the staff. We practiced meditations, which helped ground and tune us all inwards. Our Keynote Speaker Gloria Nahanee from Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish Nation) – who was instrumental in the revival of the powwow in the late 80’s – shared her herstory and journey to (re)discover her Squamish roots and identity.
The panel discussion that followed was an incredible one. Our panelists – all remarkable First Nations Elders, including women who access our programs and services – spoke of the importance of exploring why and how culture matters for and to First Nations, Metis & Inuit women. Great questions and meaningful conversations were absolutely the mainstay of the day as speakers brought many teachings and spoke with resonance on their experiences. It was particularly insightful for all staff to hear directly from the women we work with - how we can best support them.
We sang. We danced. We drummed. All in honour and celebration of the strength, resilience and resistance of the women we work with and alongside.
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Singing. Dancing. Drumming.
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National Indigenous History Month may be ending, but all of us continue to live, play, and work on Indigenous lands every single day.
At Atira, the work we do to end violence against women and children occurs on stolen Musqueam (xʷmәθkʷәy̓әm), TsleilWauthuth (Sәl̓ílwәtaʔ/Selilwitulh) and Squamish (Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw) Territories. And more than 40% of our 300+ staff who support women and children fleeing violence and abuse identify as Indigenous or of Indigenous ancestry, including front-line staff, managers and directors. In celebration of the First Nations, Metis & Inuit women we work with and alongside, some of our staff have offered to share their stories and experiences with you – our readers.
We invite you to read them below:
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Dawn, Outreach Worker
Waaban Housing for First Nations, Metis & Inuit Women
My name is Dawn Morven. I am a First Nations woman from the Nisga’s Nation in New Aiyansh BC. My mother is a residential school survivor and my father was on his own by age 13. At the last [Atira] staff training there were many women who shared their stories of being residential school survivors which resonated with me deeply. To this day my mother has not opened up fully about her story. Many believe that our stories stopped after the residential schools closed in the late 90’s. However, many of our people still suffer from the effects of intergenerational trauma and learned dysfunctional ways of coping with it. It’s heartbreaking to know that many First Nations people have passed on without having been healed or learning to walk the Red Road, but there are many whom have found the path and continue on in their healing journey. Being a child of a RSS [Residential School Survivor] was difficult and I learned to be seen and not heard. I was brought up in a dysfunctional home, not traditionally or on my reserve, where there was substance abuse as well as mental, physical and emotional abuse. Nevertheless, I do know my parents loved me the best way they knew how and that it was not their fault. Growing up I was very angry, confused and hurt. Eventually, I too turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom in my addiction that I realized there was this void inside me, something missing from my life, and I was trying to fill it with alcohol. I became aware that the piece missing was understanding who I was as an individual and as a First Nations woman. It wasn’t until then that I started my healing journey. More importantly, when I had my children I knew I had to break free from the cycle of violence and addiction. With a lot of counselling and speaking with my elders and listening to their words I started discovering more about my own culture and what it meant to be a Nisga’a woman. Knowing who I was and where I came from was the answer. I stopped drinking and eventually broke the cycle in my own family from leading by example. I also give back to First Nations people the knowledge I’ve gained. It is very important to pass on our culture and to be proud as First Nations. I feel there needs to be more public education regarding the history of First Nations people and less judgment. Today I am a strong First Nations woman, I love who I am, and will continue to give back to First Nations communities to strengthen and continue on in our healing journeys.
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READ Indigenous:
Reading is knowledge. If you don't know where to begin, here's a short list - of lists - of incredible works from Indigenous authors and writers.
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Nicole, Support Worker
Sisele Housing for Women who are Older
National Indigenous People's Day: What does this mean to Aboriginal or Indigenous peoples? To many, it is another day, but to me and my peoples it is a day of recognition in what we have suffered through colonization. The elaborate dance and feasts of celebration can be felt throughout Canada. For me, I had the honor of facilitating a panel of amazing Aboriginal women to honor Aboriginal day through our all-day staff training with Atira. The experience was uplifting as we honored our elders and listen to their stories. One staff member asked me: "what do we get from this panel as far as training?". I told her, "we as Aboriginals teach through oral history." The teachings are from the history of residential school, 60's scoop, and colonization. The teachings are of how one overcame these boundaries. The teachings are what we pass on from generation to generation, so that our daughters/nieces and younger sisters may not struggle as we did. This is how we break the cycle of abuse; this is how we survive colonization. When one tells their story of residential school, the abuse, the neglect, and the separation of culture, it empowers them to move forward. The teachings also include survival, living off the land, reverting back to the old ways, and respect. I am a third generation survivor and although things have changed in my life, my children still experienced some of the abuse that i did. They too will have a story to tell. I felt our staff training shared the knowledge of many generations and how to better understand the sufferings of my people [and] also to be able to take these tools and knowledge and use them in their day to day activities working with Atira.
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WATCH Indigenous:
If you know that representation matters (which it does), pay attention to the "new wave" of Indigenous cinema that is changing the narrative of Canada. There's an incredible generation of filmmakers behind it. To get started, here's an online library of over 200 films by Indigenous directors.
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Glenda, Elder-in-Residence
National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day recognizing and celebrating the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Indigenous peoples in Canada. The day was first celebrated as National Aboriginal Day in 1996, after it was proclaimed that year by then Governor General of Canada Roméo LeBlanc, to be celebrated on 21 June annually. 21 June was chosen as the statutory holiday for many reasons - including its cultural significance as the Summer solstice, and the fact that it is a day on which many Indigenous peoples and communities traditionally celebrate their heritage.
This year Terri and Dawn (co-workers) and I put up a resource table with information regarding our Indigenous programs at Holland Park. We have done this for many years. Some years this event was a lot smaller and other years very ordinary. For me this year voiced so much more! There was much celebrating with cultural music, drumming and singing, along with dancers expressing a culture that is alive and unhidden. Fiddlers and guitars taking us back to the Old Red River settlements. Children’s voices bubbling over with Freedom.
A new and powerful statement we as Indigenous people have been using is "Education is our new buffalo." Promoting education was moving in that direction amongst all that day. We welcomed all the nations on our medicine wheel to celebrate with us to acknowledge our values and traditions that were lost and taken for many moons. Together we were recognizing and practicing community. There was a spirit that surrounded the ground that we stood on. The location was central and in a beautiful park that radiated mother earth. A sacred spirit of pride brought me to tears as I felt my heart whisper, this is who you are.
All My Relations
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LISTEN Indigenous:
Decolonize the airwaves with podcasts, music, and radio documentaries from Indigenous artists, journalists, and storytellers.
- From current affairs to science fiction to comedy, here's a curated list of podcasts hosting Indigenous perspectives.
- Traditional sounds or contemporary beats, here are several Indigenous artists expressing Indigeniety through music.
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