The community of Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation is proud and happy to announce their new “Empowering Women Program” with the support of the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
This program was developed as a response from the community to provide the opportunity to empower and protect our Anishinaabe women, as well as working closely to protect, honor and celebrate our 2SLGBTQ+ community.
This program will focus on Anishinaabe teachings, cultural revitalization programming, and mindfulness to bring support and awareness to our membership, including the support to revitalize traditional roles in rebuilding the connection to Anishinaabe culture and eliminate perpetuating cycles of violence as a result from multi-generational and inter-generational trauma, including displacement.
“The goal of the program is really to make sure we enhance our Anishinaabe identities, our voices and our freedom towards Mino Bimaadiziwin (The Good Life),” said Chief Lorraine Cobiness. “Partnerships and working together is the foundation of all our successful programs, and the needs for collaboration of services is a really positive step towards reducing the risk factors that threaten individuals and their well-being”.
In order to support the goals of this program, the EWP (Empowering Women Program) will include our Elders, Traditional Healers and Knowledge Keepers when implementing strength based holistic approaches in providing supports for community members to honor and protect Anishinaabe culture, language, traditions, and practices.
The release of the final report for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry sparked the realization for how impactful this program will be in our community and for our people, and following the release the application for funding for this program took place.
In reflecting back on the report, this program will incorporate the recommendations made for example: The need for public education and greater public awareness of violence against Indigenous women and girls, The need for properly resourced initiatives and programming to address root causes of violence against Indigenous women and girls etc.
We believe by utilizing the recommendations made we will really empower our women and expand the scope of knowledge on the importance of these action steps forward.
The program will be looking to work with external resources such as Kenora Chiefs Advisory, Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe’iyewigamig, and Grand Council Treaty 3 to ensure the ability to strengthen supportive and healthy relationships utilizing bi-cultural practices and culturally appropriate programming such as the Agichi’giizhigoonsag Program (“Wise Young Warrior Suns”) for our Youth and other community-driven, culturally appropriate land-based activities.
As part of Anishinaabe healing to honoring and keeping our children safe, we are very excited to begin working with Anishinaabe families, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and most importantly, our children; to protect and uphold Anishinaabe culture for the next generations.
More Info
Amanda Gray
Empowering Women Project Coordinator
[email protected]
(807) 548-5876