P2E Launch - February 2022

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

8

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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