NEEDS ASSESSMENT 105-1555 St. James Street p. (204) 946-1869 [email protected] Winnipeg, Manitoba f. (204) 946-1871 www.scoinc.mb.ca R3H1B5 2 Table of Contents Southern Chiefs’ Organization Mandate and Member First Nations………………………….3 Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………5 Background………………………………………………………………………………………………6 Needs Assessment Goal and Objectives…………………………………………………………..7 A Socio-Ecological Approach to Violence Prevention………………………………………….8 A Brief Socio-Ecological Analysis of Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls…..11 Literature Review………………………………………………………………………………………13 Methods…………………………………………………………………………………………………18 Results…………………………………………………………………………………………………....22 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………………….…43 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………..…….46 References………………………………………..…………………………………………………….47 Appendix A: Data Collection Tools……………………………………………...…………………51 Appendix B: Partners………………………………………………………...………………………..67 Authors: Tessa Jourdain, Master of Public Health (Health Promotion) Candidate, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto Shauna Fontaine, Violence Prevention and Safety Coordinator, Southern Chiefs’ Organization 3 Southern Chiefs’ Organization Mandate Established in 1998, the Mandate of the Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) is to protect, preserve, promote and enhance First Nation peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process Southern Chiefs’ Organization Member First Nations Berens River First Nation Keeseekoowenin Ojibway Nation Pine Creek Anishinabe Nation Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation Birdtail Sioux First Nation (Jackhead) Poplar River First Nation Black River First Nation Lake Manitoba First Nation Rolling River Anishinabe Nation Bloodvein First Nation Lake St. Martin First Nation Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation Brokenhead Ojibway Nation Little Grand Rapids First Nation Sagkeeng First Nation Canupawakpa Little Saskatchewan First Nation Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation Dakota Tipi First Nation Long Plain First Nation Skownan First Nation (Waterhen) Dauphin River First Nation O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation Swan Lake First Nation Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve Ebb And Flow First Nation Pauingassi First Nation (Valley River) Gamblers First Nation Peguis First Nation Waywayseecappo First Nation Hollow Water First Nation Pinaymootang First Nation (Fairford) 4 Summary Violence against Indigenous women and girls is a major issue that the Southern Chiefs’ Organization is committed to ending. Through our previous project funded under Status of Women Canada and other community engagement, we recognized a need for a safety plan and toolkit for women and girls traveling or relocating to Winnipeg as well as transitioning out of incarceration. Protecting Our Women is a project funded under Status of Women Canada and responds to the later community identified need. The project involves creating a Protecting Our Women Safety Plan and Toolkit to enhance the safety of Indigenous women and girls in Winnipeg. The goal of this needs assessment is to better understand how SCO can enhance the safety of all Indigenous women in Winnipeg through the development and implementation of a Protecting Our Women Safety Plan and Toolkit and by developing and strengthening relationships with First Nations communities and Winnipeg inner-city service providers. We reviewed academic and grey literature as well as conducted in depth consultation with First Nations communities, the Winnipeg inner-city Indigenous community and inner-city service providers. All parties agreed that a Safety Plan and Toolkit is needed and many Frist Nations communities and service providers have partnered with us to develop and implement the Safety Plan and Toolkit. Our key findings include: 1) the importance of safety education and awareness of inner-city services and resources before women or youth travel or relocate to Winnipeg; 2) the importance of accessing support systems when relocating to Winnipeg; 3) the need to cater to the specific needs of different groups of Indigenous women and girls as well as partnering service providers; 4) the existing networks of information sharing and service provision and; 5) the complexity of violence against Indigenous women and girls as a deeply rooted systemic issue of which the Protecting Our Women Safety Plan and Toolkit is only a part of the solution. We will honour the voices and experiences of those who shared with us and who continue to share with us as we develop and implement the Protecting Our Women Safety Plan and Toolkit and also in our future work. 5 Acknowledgements Several Groups and Individuals have been instrumental in the development of the Protecting Our Women Project. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the contributions of: Agape House Elizabeth Fry Society of Manitoba Evident IT The following First Nations: Birdtail Sioux First Nation Bloodvein First Nation Brokenhead Ojibway Nation Dakota Tipi First Nation Ebb & Flow First Nation Hollow Water First Nation Long Plain First Nation O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation Peguis First Nation Rolling River First Nation Roseau River First Nation Sandy Bay Ojibway Nation Skownan First Nation Little Black River First Nation Swan Lake First Nation First Nation Justice Strategy Ikwe Safe Ride Jordan Stranger Ka Ni Kani Chichk’s Restoring the Sacred Program Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre Manitoba Moon Voices Inc. Native Women’s Transition Centre Protecting Our Women Oversight Committee SCO’s Health Research and Engagement Program SCO’s Health Services Integration Fund Program SCO’s Non-Insured Health Benefits Navigator Program Southeast Collegiate Southeast Resource Development Council Status of Women Canada Tessa Jourdain, Masters of Public Health (Health Promotion) Candidate, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto University of Winnipeg Aboriginal Student Services Centre West Central Women’s Resource Centre Winnipeg Police Services Indigenous Partnership Section Women’s Correctional Centre of Manitoba 6 Background Indigenous women and girls in Canada are extremely vulnerable to violence. From 1980 to 2014, Statistics Canada reported that 1,073 Indigenous women were murdered and that from 2001 to 2014, Indigenous women were six times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women (Statistics Canada, 2015). However, these numbers are likely much higher and have been criticised by Amnesty International as they do not include missing persons, do not include unresolved suspicious deaths and because Aboriginal identity has been inadequately recorded (Amnesty International, 2015). The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) has conducted their own research to more adequately and appropriately represent the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) in Canada in which Manitoba has the third highest number of cases where 64% of known cases occurred in urban areas, particularly in Winnipeg (NWAC, 2010). Through a previous project funded under Status of Women Canada called, the Family Violence and Resource Project, Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) has become increasingly aware of the vulnerability to violence that Indigenous women and girls experience who reside in Winnipeg or who travel or relocate to Winnipeg as well as those transitioning out of incarceration into city living. We have consistently heard throughout our work involving, community safety planning for eight First Nation communities, communication with urban stakeholders and involvement with family members of MMIWG as well as through our participation at the National Roundtable on MMIWG held in February, 2015, that there is an immediate need to develop and implement a safety plan and toolkit for Indigenous women and girls to support their safety in Winnipeg. This safety plan and toolkit would increase Indigenous women and girls’ knowledge of how to stay safe in Winnipeg and would also include the services and resources in Winnipeg that support the safety and well being of Indigenous women and girls. SCO’s mission is to protect, preserve, promote, and enhance First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process. In that, SCO is committed to ending violence against women and has responded to the above community need through the Protecting Our Women initiative. Protecting Our Women is a three year project funded under Status of Women Canada. The project involves working in partnership with member First Nations and community stakeholders to develop a community based safety plan and tool kit for Indigenous women and girls moving to or residing in Winnipeg as well as transitioning out of incarceration. Over the last year, we have engaged with member First Nations, the Winnipeg inner-city community and Winnipeg inner-city service providers to better understand how the tool should be developed and implemented to best meet the needs of Indigenous women and girls. The following needs assessment report outlines and discusses our findings. 7 Needs Assessment Goal & Objectives Goal To better understand how SCO can enhance the safety of all Indigenous women in Winnipeg through the development and implementation of a Protecting Our Women Safety Plan and Toolkit and by developing and strengthening