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
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Ontario reveals highest public sector salaries in sunshine list
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.