INDIGENOUS YOUTH - COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP - RESEARCH ALLYSHIP
LAUNCHING A NEW PROJECT!
Pathways2Equity
COMING SOON!
Newsletter
SPOTLIGHTING:
Youth-Led Work! Community Research! Partners & Resources!
NEWS ON THE YOUTH-LED MOVEMENT TO END VIOLENCE & BE FREE To celebrate the launch of Pathways2Equity, planning a brand new newsletter to share
we are
knowledge
and Indigenous-focussed work from the youth and large network of allies, community organizers, practitioners and researchers at the heart of work to address gender-based violence. Pathways2Equity (P2E) is just launching and builds on the work of More Than Words and Networks4Change in Treaty 6, the Traditional Homeland of the Métis, Saskatoon (SK), Rankin Inlet (NT) and Eskasoni (NS). Over the next years groups of boys and young men will work alongside and collaborate with groups of girls and young women, in all their diversity, to disrupt harmful gender norms, challenge inequality, end violence and BE FREE!
CONTENTS
- 3 T h e P r o je c ts - 4 -6 Y o u th G r o u p s Event - 7 h t - 8 -9 P a r tn e r S p o tl ig R e v ie w - 1 0 F il m s - 1 1 - 12 G e t In v o lv e d nders - 13 P a r tn e r s & F u
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More Than Words (MTW) is a 4-year project (2019-2023) which learns from Indigenous-
focused youth-led survivor engagement through the arts, by looking at ‘what difference’ artmaking has on the producers themselves (young people) and on their families and communities in relation to their experiences of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Driven by Indigenous youth in 3 sites; Treaty 6, The Traditional Homeland of the Métis, Saskatoon (SK), Rankin Inlet (NU) and Eskasoni in Cape Breton Island (NS). Youth groups choose their own approaches, corresponding with personal, cultural, and community values. Youth receive training in arts-based methods to develop leadership and facilitation skills and through intergenerational mentorship (auntieship) they share their knowledge of SGBV and survivor support with their peers and community. Youth-led community events focus on participatory art-making and sharing, and create spaces where survivors, families and community members can gather,
The Projects
share, and heal.
MTW
Looks at the impacts of the
INDIGENOUS YOUTH-LED
producers of art (young people) and on survivors, their families and communities in relation to
PARTICIPATORY & COLLABORATIVE
women as a basis for collaboration with boys and young men and create
Training, Leadership & and young women to support
Fosters leadership with Indigenous girls and young
their experience of SGBV. facilitation skills with girls
P2E
culturally relevant dialogues ARTS-BASED
on the root causes of GBV and solutions.
intergeneration mentorship/auntiship.
Pathways2Equity (P2E) is a 3-year initiative (2021-2024) that builds on the
work of More Than Words. The project is driven by Indigenous youth (groups of girls and young women working alongside groups of boys and young men, in all their diversity). Specific objectives for Pathways2Equity include: foster leadership with Indigenous girls and young women, engage Indigenous boys and young men in work to end GBV, create local and culturally relevant dialogue and knowledge-sharing around the root causes of gender inequality and violence, and establish a P2E Youth
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Framework based on local and national engagement to share promising practices with communities across Canada. .
YOUTH GROUPS
ESKASONI Cape Breton Island, Unama’gi district of Mi’kmaq Territory Based in Eskasoni, the largest Aboriginal community in Atlantic Canada, Break the Silence: Be the Change is a community-based youth group aimed at changing dialogue and awareness around sexual violence. Since
2016,
youth-led
work
in
Eskasoni,
has
raised
awareness of gender-based violence, confronted stigma and encouraged open dialogue. The group is supported by Eskasoni Mental Health Services
and Dalhousie
University,
Activities
tia te d nd uc te d re se ar ch an d ini Yo ut h ag ed 16 -2 2 ha ve co , re lat io ns hip s, co mm un ity on g sin cu fo ns tio sa er co nv to se x an d se xu ali ty . an d vio len ce as it re lat es ve inc lu de d: W or ks ho ps at th e sit e ha Co lla gin g Bo dy an d co mm un ity ma ps Ce llp hil ms iti es Tr ad iti on al cu ltu ra l ac tiv IW G Me mo ria l Ga rd en fo r MM He alt hy Ma sc ul ini tie s an d me ch an ism s in pla ce m cis ra ic em st sy g rin Ex plo to re po rt se xu al vio len ce
ou p wi ll bu ild on th e gr e th th wi ts ec oj pr re Fu tu tr ad iti on all y re lev an t to d an lly ra ltu cu of n tio fo un da d iss ue s of ge nd er -b as ed co nt inu e to ad dr es s br oa ec ifi c ne ed s. vio len ce an d co mm un ity sp
http://changethesilence.org/
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YOUTH GROUPS
TREATY 6 Traditional Homeland of the Métis Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Young Indigenous Women's Utopia (YIWU) are urban Indigenous different
teens,
nations
coming and
together
from
communities
to
many
combat
gender-based and colonial violence. YIWU does this work by engaging in cultural reclamation, ceremony, storytelling, arts-based activism and research.
Activities
d workshops e t s o h d n a in e at Y o u t h p a r t ic ip methods and d e s a b s t r a t n e u s in g d if fe r t o p ic s ; SGBV S e lf - lo v e C e ll p h il m in g
W r it in g e Land T e a ch in g s o n t h in g R ib o n S k ir t M a k C r e a t in g M u r a ls
MMIWG y w il l co n t in u e it n u m m co e h t F u t u r e w o r k in u t h t o r a is e o y s u o n e ig d n I to to empower s and address ic p o t t n a t r o p a w a r e n e s s o n im young men , s y o b h it w n t io S G B V . C o ll a b o r a a s w e ll a s h t u o y e iv s n a p x and gender e o k e ch e r r y h C e k li s r e n t r a co m m u n it y p . H a r m R e d u ct io n ie ir a r P d n a s S t u d io
instagram.com/yiwutopia/
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RANKIN INLET
YOUTH GROUPS
West Coast, Hudson Bay, Nunavut
The GET ART program started in 2017 as a community space where local Inuit girls, aged 8-13 years-old, could connect and express themselves through art and media making. Youth explore experiences like bullying, the housing crisis and domestic violence. Girls who participated in the initial GET ART programming are now mentors, organizing workshops for girls and boys in the community!
GET ART is supported by and the Spousal Abuse Counselling Program (SACP), Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Center and Mount Saint Vincent University,
Activities You th in Ran kin Inle t hav e par tici pat ed in cult ura l, art s-b ase d wor ksh ops incl udin g: Cre atin g Mus ic Vide os Add res sing Bul lyin g Sto ryt ellin g Cele bra ting Inu it cult ure Foo d Ins ecu rity Emp owe rme nt
Int erg ene rat iona l con nec tion s
Fut ure wor k, bui lds on the fou nda tion of cult ura lly rele van t par tici pat ory visu al met hod s, add res sing t com mu nity spe cific top ics. The re is alre ady a wai tlis for the wor ksh ops wit h boy s!
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EVENT
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PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
NURTURING WARRIORS Nurturing Warriors: Understanding
The
Mental Wellness and Health Risk
providing essential knowledge about
Behaviours
Indigenous
among
Young
Nurturing Warriors works with young Indigenous men in caregiving roles as and
mentors
in
Northern
Saskatchewan.
who are part of their support systems capacity identify
in
strengths-based,
building health
workshops and
to
well-being
priorities for themselves, their children and youth within their communities. Workshop
and
themes
are
related
to
health and wellness through hunting and wilderness survival, media and
Prince
Albert,
La
youth Ronge,
Waskahikanihk
(Cumberland
and
This
Beauval.
informing
the
Houe)
knowledge
development
is of
improve the health, well-being and social support of Indigenous men. Nurturing
Warriors
Elizabeth
Cooper,
Regina,
and
is
made
by
Dr.
University
of with
funding from Saskatchewan Health Research
Foundation
Canadian
Institutes
Research (CIHR).
to play and parenting,
out b a e r Mo er p o o C Liz r and he . work..
led
possible
technology, and positive approaches
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is
culturally grounded, tangible tools to
Young Indigenous men and people participate
child
work
development and health priorities in
Indigenous Men
parents
community-driven
https://
www.ej cooper
.com/
(SHRF) of
and
Health
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
NORTH VAN GIRLS GROUP A Girl Group to Empower youth is a Pathy Fellowship initiative, working with female and femme youth in North
Vancouver,
BC,
to
address
issues of sexual and gender-based violence in the community. Using artsbased
methods
and
r Emily Booke
youth-led
approaches, the group focuses on self-
I was so inspired by the work of MTW
love,
that I jumped at the opportunity to
empowerment
community
change.
and The
positive group
is
start
a
girl
group,
in
my
home
facilitated by Emily Booker, who has
community of North Van! The North
been a research assistant for More
Van Girl Group is a “little sister site” of
Than Words for the last 3 years!
these projects, inspired by the work happening in Treaty 6, Rankin Inlet and Eskasoni, the group is testing out promising practices related to youthled approaches, arts-based activities, leadership
and
facilitation
training
strategies and much more. Some of our highlights include visiting the "Finding Our Place: Beading and Weaving our Culture Together” art exhibition
with
the
curator
Adele
ᒪᐢᑿᓱᐏᐢᑵᐤ Arseneau and creating our first zine “Girls Talk Back”.
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REVIEW
This review takes shape as we dive into research on the topic of Indigenous masculinities. It frames some critical issues facing Indigenous boys and young men in today’s patriarchal and colonial society and explores promising research and intervention programs across Canada. We share this document in the hopes that it can be useful for others who on similar projects that engage Indigenous youth in gender-based violence prevention. We also hope to gather more feedback and resources to expand the scope of the review!
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FILMS
amazing films exploring perspectives of Indigenous masculinities! LIFE IN THE CITY OF DIRTY WATER Indigenous climate justice activist Clayton ThomasMüller embarks on an intimate storytelling journey, overcoming trauma, addiction, and incarceration to become a leader for his people and the planet.
LA LOCHE Les Stroud, eight young Dené men, and several community and school elders on a wilderness adventure, in which they canoe down a 100-mile river path that their ancestors used to traverse.
Surviving the Horror Through Skateboarding
of
Residential
Schools
Joe Buffalo is an Indigenous skateboarding legend who overcomes addiction and trauma stemming from his years in Canada’s church-run school system .
Boys of Nunavut The ‘Young Hunters’ Program in Arviat, Nunavut was created in 2012 by community leaders, elders and a network of experts in indigenous health and mental wellness - including the project lead Michael Jong.
Waseskun Director Steve Patry follows a group of incarcerated men with troubled pasts as they undergo treatment based on Indigenous philosophy at the Waseskun Healing Center.
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.
GET INVOLVED
YOUTH WORK YOUTH VOICE E! U S S I N DIT A E T S E GU s and e m e h t Plan the an e t i r W ! format map d n a n o i t introduc ive t a e r c out the ! content
CONT ENT C REAT ION! Subm it a si te rep Share ort. activi ties a event nd s from your youth group !
Youth have the full support of the team at McGill and will be compensated for their work! Got ideas? Questions? Get in touch with us HERE!
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PARTNERS & FUNDERS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
CONTACT US Claudia Mitchell, Project Director claudia.mitchell@mcgill.ca Leann Brown, Project Coordinator leann.brown@mcgill.ca
mcgill.ca/morethanwords
@mtw_p2e
@MTWP2E @MTW_P2E
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