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forged new relationships with the Centre, as the majority of service providers and funders participating acknowledged this was their first time visiting as well.
As the project progressed, we soon realized that by strengthening relationships among the Friendship Centre and Aboriginal organizations, community members and non-
aboriginal services, we were nurturing new growth, within a solid foundation. Had we created “new” services, supports or networks, they would have disappeared when the project ended. Instead, we facilitated growth within the existing fabric of the organization’s mandate and reach, and the benefits will continue.
Sharing circles offer powerful, traditional learning and problem-solving, with benefits filtering out to the community
Every other week, between fifive and fififteen women attend
the Sharing Circle at the North Bay Indian Friendship Centre. Representingamixtureofagesandexperience,fromaboutage 16toage70,thegroupisledbyaGrandmother.Inkeepingwith tradition, the women wear skirts, sit in a circle, and medicines go inthecentre,alongwithaboxoftissuesandthetearbasket. The tearbasketensuresthatnoneofthetearsthatwomenmayshed during the circle are wasted.
Thewomenmayalreadyknoweachotheroutsideofthegroupor theymaybenewtothecommunity,however,theygettoknow each other baentdterrelantdiorneslhatipiosnasrheipsstraernegsthtrenegdt.hened.
Womenusethegroupinanumberofways.Thegroupoffersspace andtimeforsharingproblemsandsharingwisdomonmany levels.Aboriginalworldviewsandtraditionsareofferedtohelp thewomenlearnbalancesothattheycanbegoodatwhatever itistheywaraenwttaondtion—gltiovedoth--elirvedthroearde,dlirvoeasdo,blievrelsivoebse,rtalikvesc,are otafktheeciarrmeeonftahlehiremalethn.taTlhheegarlothu.pTahlesogrooffueprsaplsroacotfifcearlspprroabclteicma-l sporolvbinlegma-nsdolavsinsgisatanndcaes. sIfisatawnocme.aInf arwriovmesainacrriisviess, tihnecgrirsoisu,pthe agtrtoeunpdsattoenhdesr.t“oEhvenr.i“fEsvoemneifosnoemisenoonteiinsanogtoiondapglaocoedwphlaecne when theyarrive,theyleavewithasmileontheirface,”saidoneofthe associateresearchers.Asseriousassomeofthediscussionsmay be,thereisalwayslaughterinthegroupaswell,echoingtheview that“laughterisresilience.”Thehelpofferedinthegroupgoeson outsideofthegroupaswell—thewomenhelpeachotherandthey volunteerforactivitiesattheFriendshipCentre.
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