Page 65 - Walking_The_Red_Road

Aboriginal culture is at the centre of best practices when it comes to Aboriginal health and wellness
Physical settings reflecting and supporting Aboriginal culture and activities invite the community in.
Settings reflecting Aboriginal culture and providing a variety of activities are welcoming and help
to put Aboriginal community members at ease. Seemingly simple things like “we have artwork on
the walls when people come in” or a highly visible calendar of events can have a positive effect. Having designated times and spaces for smudging and cultural practices, having materials available for beading and drum making workshops, and ensuring they are visible and acknowledged during workshops and counselling sessions, all help Aboriginal people see themselves reflected and increase comfort and familiarity with the setting.
Time and space promote comfort and trust.
Participants commented on the importance of space, atmosphere and time when working with Aboriginal clients. Trust is a key factor and allowing them time to witness programs but not necessarily participate in them right away was considered to be very important. One participant said: “We give people time to get comfortable, they can watch, and when they are comfortable, they can join in.”
Intake procedures are culturally informed and trauma informed.
Indirect approaches for gathering information about Aboriginal status during intake include introducing oneself by mentioning your spirit name, family, community and modelling sharing information such as “My dad is from Attawapiskat, my mom is from Dokis, I am from North Bay.” As well, asking questions that reflect Aboriginal peoples’ desire to situate self within family and community context is helpful such as “Who do you want with you on your journey?” and “What are your spiritual needs?”
Counselling and supports follow the lead of the client.
A number of approaches are recommended, all based on the client’s goals, wishes and preferences. The client may be traditional and want to work with a traditional healer: “being able to provide opportunities for smudging within the counselling session as this brings balance and calms the spirit.” A client may wish to attend workshops before speaking to a counsellor about personal matters. When they are ready, “approach to counselling is a life-story way.”
Cultural knowledge and practices are regularly shared.
Participants described organizations using regular in-service opportunities to have Aboriginal individuals and organizations share cultural knowledge and practices. Opening up these opportunities to a wide variety of mental health staff and healers in the community was recognized as an important practice. “Having elders and traditional healers to support the healing process” and others to help share knowledge, identify and address issues, communicate tradition, serve as committee members, “speaking up for our population” and “challenging organizations to hire First Nations healers” were mentioned as ways to strengthen mental health practices.
Aboriginal peoples and teachings are integrated throughout organization.
Employing students from the Aboriginal mental health program as well as Aboriginal staff are first steps. Few organizations incorporate Aboriginal approaches and peoples into the fabric of their operations. Many non-aboriginal organizations identified the importance of Aboriginal people having seats on boards, serving on working committees, and having opportunities to move up the ranks to staff in general, to ensure the programs housed in mainstream settings were reflective of the needs of the Aboriginal community using their services.
Walking the Red Road | REPORT OF THE URBAN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES THRIVE PROJECT | 65