2. Women's Perspectives - Christian Aboriginal Infrastructure ...

And so Ikwe Widdjiitiwin, which means 'women helping one another', was established.
According to Darlene Hall (then executive director), the 20-bed short-term crisis shelter
for abused women and children in Winnipeg opened its doors on 22 December 1989.
Since opening, they have had more than 350 women and 1,000 children in residence.
Their philosophy can be summarized thus:
Solutions towards the end of family violence can be realized by utilizing the holistic
integrated approach of the traditional four directions of empowerment: mental, by
respect; physical, by sharing; emotional, by caring; and spiritual, by hope.
Darlene Hall
Executive Director, Ikwe Widdjiitiwin
Winnipeg, Manitoba, 23 April 1992
In Iqaluit, Northwest Territories, we heard that the Baffin Region Aggvik Society
provided safe haven for 100 families in 1987-88 and 303 families in 1991-92:
Women's voices have often not been heard because of the reluctance to share family
issues publicly. Women have always been responsible for family relationships. Family
relationships are the basis of Inuit culture. Therefore, women must have a voice in how
the culture is developed. They must be encouraged to talk about these issues, since they
are essential to a healthy culture and lifestyle.
Leetia James Aivik
Vice-Chair, Baffin Regional Women's Shelter
Iqaluit, Northwest Territories, 26 May 1992
Some estimates suggest that violence occurs in 80 per cent of Aboriginal families. 87 As
we pointed out in Choosing Life: A Special Report on Suicide Among Aboriginal People,
the statistical evidence shows that rates of suicide among Aboriginal people are
significantly higher than among Canadians generally and that the gap is greatest among
the young. Adolescents and young adults are in the category of greatest risk. Most
disturbing of all, we identified a strong possibility that if the rate remains high, the
number of suicides will rise in the next 10 to 15 years as the youth population grows. 88
Aboriginal women, as the givers of life, custodians of culture and language, and
caretakers of children, want to ensure that the violence stops. And despite obstacles
encountered in both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal society, First Nations, Inuit and
Métis women continue to demonstrate a powerful determination to change their situation
and to work co-operatively with others:
As women we do have responsibilities. We are the keepers of our culture and we are the
teachers of our children. I would just like to say that for our men that we don't want to
walk behind you. We want to walk beside you. We want to heal with you and we want to
help you make those decisions that are needing to be made for the future of our people
and that we walk together.
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