FAMILY HEALING
Family violence is an issue of major concern to Aboriginal communities in Ontario.
The scale of the problem is so dramatic, and its impact so wide-ranging that virtually
no generation or community has escaped its effects.
The issue of Aboriginal family violence gained province-wide prominence in 1989
with the release of "Breaking Free", a report published by the Ontario Native Women's
Association. The report documented the alarming extent of violence within aboriginal
communities and highlighted the pressing need for the issue to be addressed.
For Aboriginal the problem of family violence is an urgent community-wide and
intergenerational issue. Furthermore, it is clear that many of the existing province
wide approaches to family violence have been ineffective in slowing the rate of violence
in Aboriginal communities. Solutions that have had positive effects in the broader
community have often been culturally unsuited in their design and delivery to successfully
address the specific problems associated with violence in the Aboriginal community.
The Aboriginal Family Healing Strategy therefore attempts to address Aboriginal
family violence in a manner that is culturally appropriate, holistic, on going and
community based.
COMMUNITY BASED
The initial task in creating the Healing Strategy was to establish an understanding
of both the context in which Aboriginal family violence takes place and of how that
violence is experienced and understood by Aboriginal individuals, families, communities
and Nations.
The direction taken by the Healing Strategy therefore emerges from the most
comprehensive community-based consultation ever undertaken with Aboriginal people
in Ontario. During the Family Healing consultations, over 6,000 Aboriginal people
across 250 communities participated. Many of the people who shared their understanding
were themselves victims of violence.
Out of these consultations the Aboriginal community identified their needs both as
individuals and communities and defined Aboriginal family violence in the following terms;
"consequent to colonization, forced assimilation and cultural genocide. (it is) the
learned, negative cumulative multi-generational actions, values, beliefs attitudes and
behavioural patterns practised by one or more people that weaken or destroy the harmony
and well-being of an Aboriginal individual, family, extended family, community or nationhood."
While Aboriginal family violence is described as a symptom of past and present social
and cultural conditions, it is also recognized by Aboriginal people as an issue that
unless addressed, will jeopardize future cultural, economic and social renewal within
Aboriginal communities.
A UNIQUE PROCESS
In order to respond effectively to the issue of Aboriginal Family Violence, a
partnership was created between the Government of Ontario and the Aboriginal community.
In June 1991, the Aboriginal Family Violence Joint Steering Committee was formed,
with representation from eleven Ontario ministries and agencies and eight Aboriginal
organizations. The committee was mandated to develop a comprehensive Strategy that
would promote healing and positive lifestyles for Aboriginal communities across Ontario.
Throughout the Strategy development, Aboriginal organizations have played a central role
in determining priorities and in identifying strategies for change.
This unique collaborative process has been vital for both understanding the specific
limitations and ineffectiveness of existing services and programs and for identifying
the changes necessary to create culturally appropriate solutions.
For both the Government of Ontario and Aboriginal communities, the Aboriginal Family
Healing Strategy marks both a new approach to policy development and a tangible
commitment to the successful realization of Aboriginal self-government. The Healing
Strategy has been developed very much with the vision of self-government in mind and is
in keeping with both the spirit and intent of the 1991Statement of Political Relationship.
AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH
The Aboriginal Family Healing Strategy was renamed in the development stage from the
Aboriginal Family Violence Strategy. This shift in emphasis to a holistic perspective
of healing and wellness was of considerable importance. The understanding of healing
embodied in the Strategy is broad, incorporating the physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual needs of individuals.
The Healing Strategy also incorporates the distinct concept that the individuals,
family and community are inseparable and that what affects one affects the others.
The focus upon understanding the individual in a family and community setting has
resulted in the Strategy placing great importance on community wide healing and
community generated approaches to violence.
The Healing Strategy is innovative not only in its emphasis on healing and wellness,
but also because it sees the empowerment of Aboriginal people as being a central component
in the healing of individuals, families, communities and Aboriginal Nations.
In this regard, the Strategy requires that Aboriginal communities be given access
to the resources and control necessary to design, implement and direct community based
solutions to a community problem. In taking this approach, the Strategy embodies a
real and tangible shift in power, control and resources away from the Province to
Aboriginal communities.
A FLEXIBLE FRAMEWORK
The Healing Strategy does not propose a model nor does it envisage a single one-time
program. The framework proposed allows for a broad and linked range of initiatives to be
developed and allows for the maximum amount of community generated responses to family
violence.
The strategies and supports created are aimed at addressing the healing needs of
individuals, families and communities. As such, the Strategy proposes various forms
and levels of support aimed at meeting the different needs and age groups within a
community.
Founded on the Aboriginal medicine wheel, the Strategy is structured around a
Healing Continuum. The Healing Continuum is the integrated continuum of care and
supports necessary for community wide healing to take place. The healing Continuum
focuses on the promotion of understanding of family violence, community prevention
measures and strategies, crisis intervention, curative and rehabilitative strategies,
the promotion of stability in communities and the training and structures required both
at the community and service provider level.
By taking this comprehensive approach, the Healing Strategy proposes to address
not simply the immediate issue of violence but also the multiple causes and impacts
that shape a community.
Recognizing that Aboriginal family violence is an inter-generational issue, the
Strategy proposes initiatives which are aimed at all stages of the life cycle.
This focus is essential in order to address the healing needs of all people affected
directly or indirectly by family violence and in order to heal for the benefit of
generations to come.
The Healing Strategy nevertheless recognizes the need for an approach which can
also offer immediate supports when crises occur, and a range of such strategies are
proposed, including; creating trained crisis intervention teams, financial aid for
those leaving violent situations, the development of safe houses and shelters and
the expansion of counselling and other services for both abusers and victims of violence.
Recognizing the differing needs, resources and stages of development of communities.
The Strategy aims to allow communities themselves to establish their own priorities with
regard to accessing the specific supports that they may require.
In keeping with the intent of the joint process, the individual strategies identified
in the report are directed variously to the aboriginal leadership and community and/or to
the Government of Ontario. Where possible, the relevant responsibilities and implications
for parties have been identified. Where legislative or policy changes may be required,
these have been identified in a preliminary form.
MUTUALLY RESPONSIBLE
The Aboriginal Family Healing Strategy is one which places responsibilities upon both
the Government of Ontario and the Aboriginal leadership and community.
For the Aboriginal leadership and community, the Strategy calls for an awareness
of the issue of family violence to be generated at all levels. It further calls on
the Aboriginal community to develop and deliver inclusive and effective strategies
at the community level. Indeed, it is the vitality and quality of these community
led initiatives which will be central to the overall success of the Strategy.
For the Government of Ontario, the Healing Strategy requires a commitment not only
to begin to devolve real authority to the Aboriginal community, but also to ensure that
sufficient long-term resources are provided to make full implementation feasible. For
the Government of Ontario, such a move will mean a shift away from the short-term,
grant-based approach to funding of initiatives towards a commitment to ongoing
comprehensive funding.
The specific responsibilities of both the Government of Ontario and the Aboriginal
community will be formally outlined in a series of joint protocols which will address
issues such as Strategy evaluation, dispute resolution and roles and responsibilities.
JUSTICE IN A HEALING CONTEXT
The justice strategies in the report are based on understanding justice as part of
the overall healing continuum. The strategies propose ways to deal with negative behaviour
so as to ensure the safety of all involved, promote accountability of the offender and focus
on healing rather than punishment. Strategies relate to the development of community based
processes and systems to address negative behaviours, increased community control over justice
programs and services and increased access to the current system. A range of approaches which
do not require legislative or constitutional changes is proposed.
IMPLICATIONS
The Healing Strategy has significant implications for the Government of Ontario in both the
long and short-term. In the short-term, the Strategy requires that a process of co-ordination
of existing Aboriginal healing programs and funding be undertaken, it further requires that
the human resources are available with the government and the aboriginal organizations are
sufficient to ensure smooth transition.
The Strategy also requires that the inconsistencies which currently exist both within and
between ministries regarding the delivery of programs and services on reserve be resolved.
A commitment from the Government of Ontario to enter into on-going dialogue with Aboriginal,
federal and municipal governments to resolve outstanding jurisdictional and funding issues is
also implied in the adoption of the Healing Strategy.
NEGOTIATION OF IMPLEMENTATION
Negotiation is the key to implementation of the Aboriginal Family Healing Strategy. The
report presents a model for the management structure, for costing and phasing, and for
transition through phasing. These should be seen as examples of approaches to implementation
of the strategy. Final decisions about the management structure, about costing, about phasing,
and about implementation will have to be negotiated following Cabinet approval of the strategy.
TRANSITION THROUGH PHASING
The Aboriginal Family Healing Strategy is a phased initiative whose long-term goal is the
devolution of control and authority for aboriginal Family Healing programs and services
to the Aboriginal community. The Strategy is being phased to allow recognition of the
differing levels of community readiness and the need form government preparedness and
available resources.
The first steps in the direction of full Aboriginal control will be achieved the
through an improved and co-ordinated approach to the delivery of existing provincial
programs and services and the joint development of new initiatives.
At each phase of the process, Management structures are proposed both to identify
and to direct the specific tasks necessary for implementation of the Strategy.
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES
Beginning with the immediate creation of a Transition Committee, the Strategy proposes
that the Government of Ontario and the Aboriginal community develop the necessary protocols
and obtain the necessary resources for the creation of a Phase 1 Joint Management Committee.
Phase 1
This Committee would begin to share control and authority over some of the Aboriginal
Family Healing programs, and would provide an immediate indication of the commitment
to addressing the healing needs of Aboriginal peoples. Programming would continue to
exist with Ministry mandates but would be guided to make them more consistent with the
Aboriginal Family Healing Strategy.
Co-ordinated Programming
In the medium terms it is proposed that the Phase 1 management committee will evolve
into a two-tiered body with wider ministry representation at the lower level.
The mandate of the proposed centralized management structure would be to oversee
the co-ordination of all existing healing programs and services. The management
structure would also oversee the implementation of new initiatives and establish
priorities for future strategy development.
The management structure would be composed of Aboriginal community representatives
and representatives of ministries involved in the Strategy. As the co-ordination of
programs evolves, and subject to agreed phasing protocols, full control of the management
committee and the resources at its disposal would be devolved to the Aboriginal community.
It is recognized that although a centralized structure is necessary for co-ordination,
that structure be so constituted as to allow for flexible relationships to be developed with
aboriginal communities. The emphasis is consistent with a recognition of the need for a
community-based approach.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The report concludes with a series of recommendations intended to enable implementation
of the Strategy framework and management structure required. At this draft stage, the
recommendations do not include detailed reference to specific legislative or policy
changes that may be required in certain areas.
