Family Violence Initiative

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

HISTORICAL LEGACY

Residential School Healing

Program Name:

Together For Justice On Language, Violence and Responsibility

Organization/Community:

Liard Aboriginal Women's Society

Location:

Watson Lake, Yukon and surrounding area

Website:

www.liardaboriginalwomen.ca

Goals and Objectives:

To restore the collective and personal dignity of Kaska people and to educate service providers on recognizing the resistance, courage and strength of trauma survivors, including survivors of violence and abuse.

Target Group Description:

All service providers, agencies and police working in areas of family violence.

Program Description:

The program offers workshops to service providers to assist them in building trust relationships with survivors of the residential school system and those experiencing the intergenerational effects. The program teaches how to interview and elicit accounts of violence, develop sound methods of working with offenders, and develop cross cultural learning between Aboriginal women and the RCMP, First Nations and service agencies. The program also offers access to traditional spiritual ceremonies and practices.

Program Successes/Impact:

Introduction of a "response based" practice in the area. The development of a 10 year healing program.

Key Lessons/Challenges:

Obtaining funding

Program in operation since:

2011.

Program:

Ongoing.