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"Creating a Framework for the Wisdom of the Community:" Review of Victim Services in Nunavut, Northwest and Yukon Territories
Previous Page | Table of Content | Next Page 3.4 Summary of Needs and Recommendations3.4.1 Summary of NeedsIt is clear that the Northwest Territories is faced with some disturbing and challenging problems. Respondents described this situation in their interviews, and the statistics speak for themselves. In summary, the social conditions in the NWT are as follows:[102]
The NWT Health Status Report says these statistics are an indication of:
Respondents elaborated on these social conditions and the problems they experienced in service delivery to victimized people in the NWT as follows:
3.4.2 Summary of Recommendations from Service ProvidersWhile respondents clearly highlighted needs for victim services in NWT, throughout the interview process, as discussed above, they also provided recommendations to address those needs. These are summarized below. Victim Assistance Programs
Public Education and Community Building
Training and Healing for Service Providers
Community-Based Programs
Legislation
Judicial Process
Leadership
3.4.3 Additional Recommendations and Closing CommentsThe social situation in the Northwest Territories in terms of chronic, widespread victimization, and the attendant high levels of personal dysfunction and social collapse, demands immediate focus by both First Nation and public governments. The very high levels of suicide, mental disorders, FAS, family violence, crime, sexual assault and teen pregnancy (among other discouraging statistics) point to an ongoing and pervasive crisis within the NWT population. NWT service providers have produced, over the last 20 years, extensive lists of recommendations to deal with these problems. A wide variety of public forums, conferences, research studies and public awareness campaigns document that effort.[103] Service providers have been consistent in their descriptions of both the problems, and the actions, that would begin to turn the situation around. The findings in this study reflects and consolidates what northern service providers and researchers have been saying for years. Unfortunately, very few of their recommendations have been undertaken. Whatever the explanation for this confusion and inaction, the Northwest Territories is not alone in this dilemma. Nunavut, Labrador and northern Quebec (not to mention other remote Aboriginal jurisdictions in Canada) face similar social problems and experience the same lack of resources. The Yukon is distinct from these other regions in that it has begun to understand its social problems, and taken impressive steps to address them. But there are differences between the have-not regions too. Nunavut, Labrador and northern Quebec, unlike NWT, all have relatively homogenous Aboriginal populations who form the vast majority of the population. They also have a more pervasive living memory of their traditional lifestyle, wisdom and identity, alongside a relatively streamlined, albeit emerging, governance system.[104] The problem for the NWT is the combination of complex array of governance structures, a non-homogenous population (each Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal sector having its own culture, expectations and needs) and a longer period of colonization than Nunavut, and Labrador and northern Quebec. The destructive impact of 150 years of NWT colonial history are being played out in the current generations, and according to the NWT government itself, these effects will only intensify in the coming years. When complicated, inexperienced governance structures are combined with these high levels of traumatization and the very long period of colonial domination and assimilation, not to mention the ‘boom and bust’ economic cycles around resource extraction in the NWT, the results resemble conditions in many developing countries. A major recommendation of this paper is therefore that an intense effort be made to make this situation more apparent to those in a position to address it. This effort should include the governments and residents of the Northwest Territories, as well as the national government and Canadian citizens. Given the social situation as described throughout this paper, and the apparent resistance to dealing with it, some real thought and strategizing need to go into a government and public awareness campaign. Considerations in this type of educational effort should include the following:
The other immediate priority is the provision of appropriate support to the existing service providers as listed in Appendix B and in more detail in Victim Services in the Territories: A Compilation of Contacts and Resources. The vast majority of these service providers are not working in agencies, or government departments and programs, whose mandate is service to victimized individuals. However, the overwhelming presence of this dynamic in NWT society means it has become the defining feature of their work. People working with highly traumatized individuals and populations, whether it’s their mandated service or not, need the following supports:
There is another simple, and largely undervalued, way to at least partially address both of the priority recommendations made above, which are the lack of understanding about territorial social problems in public and First Nations governments and the lack of support to existing service providers. Some redress for both of these major shortfalls is the formation and maintenance of community-based inter-agency committees and territory-wide social coalitions. This has started in the last five years with, as described earlier, the formation of the NWT Family Violence Coalition, the Sedna Association of Family Violence Prevention Workers, the NWT Association of Social Workers, the Social Agenda Working Group, the NWT Social Planning Coalition, and the NWT Association of Psychologists. In addition, inter-agency committees are already functioning, with varying degrees of consistency, in some communities. These coalitions and inter-agency committees can provide the perspective, direction and energy needed to move towards recovery at both the community and territorial level. They have the added advantage of providing much needed support to their member service providers, both on a personal and on an agency basis. They have the additional advantage of not reflecting the interests of any one government, agency or sector of society. And in general, their memberships are open to all community-based and territory-wide groups and individuals who wish to address social problems. Inter-agency committees and territory-wide coalitions are in a position to undertake independent research, provide comprehensive training to their members, provide opportunities for supervision, sanity and debriefing to their members, understand territorial social norms and conditions, plan programs that fit the community and territory,[108] lobby governments for programming and legislation, and be a validating voice of hope for that segment of the population that is marginalized and disenfranchised. In addition, each of the member service providers in the inter-agency committee or territory-wide coalition can contribute their own resources to solving the problems and providing the programming identified by the committees and coalitions. At this time, a useful starting point in empowering NWT inter-agency committees and coalitions would be an exploration of their mandates and answers to the questions of where they exist, how they function, who belongs to them, what problems they have identified and what solutions they are putting into action.[109] However, in the long run, if the goal is to strengthen these committees and coalitions, some form of organized and funded support will have to be provided to them, even if it comes from outside government. In addition to the recommendations listed above and those noted earlier by service providers, a final recommendation is that public governments, First Nations governments, inter-agency committees, coalitions and all NWT service providers consider the recovery approach being employed by the Anishinaabe First Nation of Hollow Water, Manitoba, in their Community Holistic Circle.[110] The following lengthy description of that approach to community healing and recovery is taken from the Social Agenda Conference Report:[111] “It begins with women. We all know that women are the backbone of our nation. Women are the carriers of life, they represent Mother Earth … love, nurturing, love of mother are essence of human life, but men also have an important role. Problems in our communities stem from misunderstandings of sexuality and spirituality in our lives, in our relationships and communities. Seeing, hearing and doing are the ways of learning. Elders have taught us that we must listen and wait … be patient. The Holistic Circle Healing program is a way of taking back responsibility. It is a way of taking ownership of problems and solutions to them. It systematically takes traditional knowledge and incorporates it into solutions to correct dysfunction in the community. It is based on traditional philosophies of the Anishinaabe. The principles behind Holistic Circle Healing are universal … we all came from one creator, we are all part of the land … people are part of the ecosystem … this isn’t unique to the Anishinaabe. The Anishinaabe principles come from the creator and are based on an understanding of the ecosystem and the interdependence of all elements of the ecosystem. Plants are as the lowest point on the food chain and people are the highest level. The seven principles provide the instruction for living with the rest of creation and the ecosystem and living in balance and harmony. Underlying each principle is love. The principles are: respect; humility; truth; wisdom; kindness; courage; and honesty. The seven principles guide the Community Holistic Circle Healing (CHCH). Elders taught these principles before people reached puberty so that when children had reached puberty and are able to create life, that they know something about life. These teachings have been with Anishinaabe people for 15,000 to 20,000 years. Traditional knowledge of this kind is the model for education. It is not new. It has been around that length of time and sustained the Anishinaabe. The elders have said that if there is no harmony, the result is destruction, chaos and death. Lack of harmony within the ecosystem is evidenced today in industrial and government practices on the environment and among our people. The Indian Act had a significant impact. Its main impact was to change the laws of the land and the people. The Government found that day schools were not working fast enough to change people so they instituted residential schools, to work faster. The residential schools broke down the principles and laws. Colonial forces took hold and stayed with the people. CHCH started in late 1970s and early 1980s. Community Holistic Circle Healing is often called “de-colonization therapy.” CHCH operates in four spheres … physical, emotional, spiritual and mental. Colonization attacked the emotional and spiritual spheres, leaving people prone to addictions and dysfunction. Gossip, gambling, abuses, addictions are all happening in our communities, otherwise known as chaos, death and destruction. First Nations people are over represented in mental and penal institutions because they are not practicing the principles of life. It is necessary to restore the balance in life to help individuals, families and communities to grow in the four spheres of life and practice the good principles of life. Most people only operate as physical and mental beings. Healing means restoring the balance in all four spheres. Our elders put helpers in each of the four directions to help us maintain balance and give us guidance. These helpers are called our grandfathers and they look after the four elements we need to live … fire, air, water, and earth. Our grandfathers in the south look after women. Our grandfathers in the north look after our elders. Our grandfathers in the east look after children and our grandfathers in the west look after men. In our pipe ceremonies, we ask our grandfathers from each direction for guidance. Any time we have people together in a circle we can ask for help. The sweat lodge, which is part of the CHCH, incorporates all these basic elements. The CHCH uses traditional teachers and professionals to help people return to a balanced life, to grow and be whole, to grow as a child again and be strong. CHCH finds ways to work with outside systems. Everything is set up to meet people’s needs but we recognize and address the fact that institutional and system needs have overcome the needs of people. The CHCH process tries to turn this around. We ask people to share information. Sharing information is a way to learn, give feedback and it is a way to hold ourselves and others accountable. Women play an important role in keeping CHCH on track. The principles of a justice system should encourage people to live in a good way with each other and with the environment. It is necessary to make systems work for you. Power and control are problematic. We need to understand what the elders say, ‘the more power and control you let go of the more power and control you have.’ In our communities everyone and everything is interconnected, so it is easy to recognize and validate the truth. There is no confidentiality in our communities and this is the reality. Everyone knows when family abuse or violence takes place and who is behind it. Silence accentuates the problem. We need to bring out and talk about these issues but not through gossip or other malicious means. CHCH does interventions and assessments when there is a disclosure of violence and abuse. Sometimes people are referred to us by the courts and other communities. We do what we can to get at the truth and validate the information. The information is brought forth to a circle. The sentencing circle and preparatory time with the victim and perpetrator, which can be as much as 2 years to prepare people for sentencing, are opportunities to educate people about abuse and work toward creating and restoring harmony. This is the approach rather than punishment. People in the community who want to punish are asked to express these wishes and reasons to the offender. In Manitoba, there are First Nations lawyers and police who understand the way of doing things in our communities. In our work, we include the crown, judge, cops when making decisions on how to proceed. The accused ultimately makes the decision within 5 days as to whether to go the court or take the community healing route. Most offenders are glad to be found out because it enables them to take responsibility. They get help from other offenders who have gone through the process. CHCH puts supports in place, for example treatment plans, personal contracts and sharing circles, which can involve the whole community if they want. Offenders referred to the program are put on probation while they participate in the 13-step healing process. This process can take many years and involves family and community members, victims and other recovering offenders. Most commonly this program deals with disclosures of child sexual abuse … this is the common factor the Anishinaabe have found underlying most social problems and dysfunctional behaviour. Men most often are the offenders, but some women are too, although they hide it better. Ask family members who are healing to talk to the man because this is the least intrusive way. It is hard for people to deny things when someone knows you. It is important to know the real leaders and to get support from them. It is a slow process to educate people about their behaviours and to talk about it. Many people are used to talking about these things only when they are drunk, then talking turns to rage and anger. When people can’t cope with the pain through alcohol, they turn to suicide. We need to communicate the message ‘don’t fight children and women to relieve yourself of pain.’ CHCH has a week-long gathering in the bush every year. They get together as a community and socialize. But people want to do more than have games, they want to learn who they are, how to live the Anishinaabe philosophy and incorporate principles today. It is encouraging as it is paying off. They are now doing the 2nd intake of teachers doing community-based therapy training. Women are really growing, but sometimes it feels like they are only touching the tip of the iceberg … but that is the cycle. ‘We need to understand the colonialism process and recognize that we survived it. All pain can become a strength and we can work together. We can learn to help ourselves, and each other.’ It takes a lot of work to convince women that it is their role and responsibility and that traditionally they made the tough decisions. Peer support for women helps them to accept their role in the community. Are there healthier leaders, workers, healthier people and families, less people going to jail, less incidences of FAS, of people going to jail? These changes are starting to happen, but we still have a long way to go. The honour of any success belongs to our ancestors.” This approach, based on traditional Aboriginal principles and beliefs, holds a great deal of hope for regions such as the NWT where traumatic reactions and violent behaviour have become social norms, and where the majority of the population is Aboriginal. It may be that the impetus for advancing this effective community- and culture-based approach comes from the emerging inter-agency committees and coalitions. Or it might come from territorial women. However, whatever the source of energy, this type of approach is a goal that can be worked towards. [102] See section 3.1 of this paper for the references which furnished the statistics in this summary. [103] See NWT Recommendations on Social Issues, 1988 – 2002 produced by the Social Agenda Working Group in 2002. [104] Nunavut, Labrador and northern Quebec Inuit people have experienced only 50 years or less of acculturation under the dominant Canadian culture. [105] Recovery from trauma goes through several distinct stages including what psychiatry calls “counter-dependence,” which is the stage that appears to characterize many regions of the north. Interventions have to match the nature of the trauma and the culture, as well as the stage of recovery. See chapter 5 of this paper, “Conclusion,” for more details about the recovery process. [106] See the Nunavut and Yukon chapters of this paper. [107] For a description of a community development approach to intervention, see the Nunavut chapter of this paper. [108] An interesting example of the flexibility and sensitivity of inter-agency committees can be seen in the Fort Providence Inter-Agency Committee which combined Family Violence Awareness Week, itself the program of the NWT Family Violence Coalition, with their local volunteer food bank drive. [109] At this time, there is no territorial directory that includes a listing of any of these committees and coalitions. They are not in the phone book. The only way to know where they exist is to have personal contact with service providers in each community and within each coalition. [110] See Native Counselling Services of Alberta, A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Hollow Water’s Community Healing Circle Healing Process. [111] Presentation made June 2001 at Social Agenda Conference on Hay River Reserve by Marcel Hardisty, North Standing Man, of Anishinaabe First Nation, Hollow Water, Manitoba. See Honesty Takes Courage, Social Agenda Conference Report. |
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