Family Violence Initiative

COMPENDIUM OF PROMISING PRACTICES TO REDUCE VIOLENCE AND INCREASE SAFETY OF ABORIGINAL WOMEN IN CANADA

INTERACTIONS WITHIN COMMUNITIES

Raising Awareness in the Broader Community

Program Name:

Community Wellness Program

Organization/Community:

Equay-wuk Women's Group

Location:

Sioux Lookout, Ontario

Website:

www.equaywuk.ca

Goals and Objectives:

To provide culturally appropriate support services, resources, information and workshops with regard to the problem of family violence, to Aboriginal men, women, youth and families.

Target Group Description:

Aboriginal Men, Women, Youth, and Families in North-western Ontario First Nations communities.

Program Description:

The program seeks to promote wellness to aid in overcoming the challenge of family violence in the community. This is a workshop based program that has a strong cultural component. Elders provide cultural teachings and direct traditional activities such as sweat lodges, medicine picking and drumming. The program also strives to provide educational materials to clients and helps to establish culturally appropriate support services in the community to assist everyone.

Program Successes/Impact:

Successfully continuing operations without core funding. Women have become leaders and role models as a result of the program.

Key Lessons/Challenges:

Obtaining funding. As a charitable organization engaged in this nature of work, there is no time to fundraise. Difficulty in providing traditional cultural teachings in a non-traditional community.

Program in operation since:

1994.

Program:

Ongoing.