New healing space for MMIWG2S families unveiled in Selkirk
It’s shaped like a turtle shell and consists of four large murals depicting the spiritual journey of the Anishinaabe. A project known as the Sacred Spirits of Turtle Island.
The new amphitheatre space sits outside Gaynor Family Library in Selkirk, Man. and has been designed for survivors and families of missing or murdered Indigenous people.
“When I started out on my healing journey, I had to travel to Winnipeg to get supports. And sometimes that was difficult for me to do,” said Jeannie White Bird, a survivor, family member and the project’s coordinator.
It’s an art installation White Bird, whose own mother died from violence, collaborated on with several artists. White Bird wants it used as a place where community members can gather together and heal.
“We asked the question what is healing for you as a family member of the MMIWG, they repeated, ‘we need to be out on the land,’” White Bird said. “They repeated, ‘we need to go connect with Mother Nature.’”
A project White Bird started on in 2019 was unveiled Monday on MMIWG2S Awareness Day, two years after the National Inquiry issued its final report and 231 Calls for Justice.
More support for Indigenous-led prevention and healing programs—like what White Bird envisions will happen in the new space—is one of the short-term priorities identified in the National Action Plan stemming from the 231 Calls for Justice.
Implementing the priorities was the focus of a virtual panel discussion Tuesday made up of National Action Plan working group members.
During the conversation Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, co-chair of the National Families and Survivors Circle, highlighted the importance but difficulty of getting programs up and running.
“As organizations, many of us are struggling and always trying to find resources to be able to adequately provide services to create that impact on the ground,” Anderson-Pyrz said.
Ottawa has earmarked $2.2 billion for implementation of the National Action Plan.
The Sacred Spirits of Turtle Island received support from the federal department of Women and Gender Equality, a project White Bird believes will fill a need.
“I’m helping with those calls, those 231 Calls for Justice but I’m also not doing it by myself,” White Bird said. “I have so much support.”
White Bird hopes educational sessions can be held in the library, with ceremonies, gatherings and teachings taking place outside in the amphitheatre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.