In 2019, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry released their final report, along with 231 Calls for Justice. According to a report card completed by a CBC analyst in June 2023, a dismal number of these calls have been answered or even addressed. With colonialism being at the root of violence towards Indigenous women, they are three times more likely to experience sexual assault than non-Indigenous women. There is an urgent need for services that support their health and wellness. The calls for justice highlight the importance of these services being Indigenous-centered, community-based, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate. In response to these calls, an Indigenous women’s healing from sexual trauma circle was developed by, with, and for Indigenous women. Drawing on the results of an Indigenous-led program evaluation, this presentation will review the wisdom shared by the women who attended this healing circle. Included within this discussion will be their definition of cultural safety and what is needed from non-Indigenous service providers and agencies.
Gwendolyn Villebrun (she/her) is Dene/Métis, a member of K'atl'odeeche Dene First Nation, Northwest Territories. She is an Assistant Professor in the counselling psychology program in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. Gwendolyn has been a registered
psychologist since 2005, serving predominately First Nations, those impacted by the Indian
Residential Schools, and children who have experienced abuse. Her research interests are the
mental health and wellbeing of Indigenous women, particularly in the areas of infertility,
childlessness, caregiving, and sexual violence. Gwendolyn is also interested in historical/intergenerational trauma, multicultural counselling, Indigenous psychology, and
cultural/traditional approaches to wellness.
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