Interim Report to the Canadian Women’s Foundation
December 2013
Our first steps in developing the Teen Healthy Relationship Program within our own youth programs in Indian Brook and Membertou have been to speak to the people we know in these communities, in order to seek their feedback and support. In Indian Brook, we have met with the Lnu Sipuk Kinamoukoum principal, vice principal, and a Grade 7 teacher. The principal suggested that we can reach more youth, specifically female students, by conducting program at the school, during school hours.
We are investigating and consulting with our youth to as to whether this would work for them.
Our Indian Brook program has five youth leaders (4 male, 1 female) and we have met with our male leaders to encourage them and discuss strategies to develop spaces where our women feel comfortable and safe, to allow them to take on some of the responsibility for this initiative. The feedback we have received has been meaningful to our own team meetings, where we have discussed ideas for how we plan to encourage a positive environment for women within our programs. Some of our ideas are to incorporate some gender-separated programming, to include topics of gender and gender stereotypes, and to have Elders visit program to offer teachings in gender-separated groups.
We’ve met with our LOVE Indian Brook Volunteer Social Worker, Serena Ali, of the Cobequid Health Centre, and have assembled a series of pertinent program pieces and themes that run in accordance to the seasons. Our winter theme is “Me and the Greater World”. We will incorporate Mi’Kmaq talking circles as the primary vehicle for topics involving self-searching and reflection, specifically around the topic of understanding gender and sensitivity. We aim to use theatrical masks to cultivate the search for, and examination of, one’s self-identity, with an incorporated focus on gender identity in the context of Mi’Kmaqi.
We had a talking circle with our female youth, and we asked them what they liked and what they would like to changeabout their program. The girls shared that our content is on point, and appeals to youth, as does the food, but that they would like greater focus on the celebration of the role of women, as well as a historical account of the role and influence of women in Mi’Kmaq society. This share identified some of the immediate needs and concerns of our females.
One of our Halifax LOVE Youth Leaders, who is transgender, has expressed interest in going to the Indian Brook and Membertou programs to talk to the groups about gender and their personal story of transition.
Our LOVE Leader in Membertou has actively sought to recruit more young women to the program.On December 5, traveled to Sydney, Nova Scotia and the Cape Breton Highlands, to the Mi’Kmaq community of Membertou. We met with our Membertou LOVE youth to celebrate a community connection between Membertou, Indian Brook and Halifax. We were happy to see that much has been done in terms of female recruitment in Membertou. The evening program we attended had an even split between genders. We met with an Elder in the community who has been advising us for several years, and she is willing to come to program, recruit a male Elder, and do sessions with each gender on traditions and the importance of treating each gender with respect.
We need to continue thinking about, and do further research into, discussing topics of sexual violence within our programs. We have already had discussions in both groups around the understanding of consent. We have to consider whether it is in our capacity to address issues of sexual violence in a manner that is healthy and safe for our youth. As we experiment and develop our approach to gender-based discrimination and violence, we are already seeing effects within our programs. For example, just being attentive to our gender breakdown has increased our female attendance. We look forward to continuing to take action in the new year.
We’ve experienced an absolute pleasure in partnering with the following schools and agencies for this project:
Lnu Sipuk Kinamoukoum
Membertou Heritage Centre
Membertou Youth Centre
1.0– MonthlyProgram Attendance – LOVE Membertou
Date / Number of Youth / Male / Female / Self-IdentifiedSept 11 / 25 / 14 / 11
Sept 18 / 30 / 21 / 9
Sept 25 / 27 / 19 / 8
Oct 2 / 22 / 14 / 8
Oct 9 / 29 / 19 / 10
Oct 16 / 24 / 18 / 6
Oct 23 / 31 / 18 / 13
Nov 6 / 32 / 20 / 12
Nov19 / 17 / 13 / 4
2.0– Monthly Program Attendance – LOVE Indian Brook
Date / Number of Youth / Male / Female / Self-IdentifiedOct 8 / 15 / 11 / 4
Oct 15 / 13 / 11 / 2
Oct 22 / 16 / 12 / 4
Oct 29 / 15 / 12 / 3
Nov 5 / 14 / 9 / 5
Nov12 / 18 / 11 / 7
Nov26 / 18 / 12 / 6
3.0– Topics Covered
Stop Bullying and the Importance of revealing self, The family dynamic and Dennis Adams’ Story, Peer Pressure and Investing in Offering a Helping Hand, How We Are Similar, and How We Celebrate Our Differences, and Faster Alone Further As a Group, Consent, Dating, and Loving Self, The Importance of Me, Family, Community and Mi’Kmaqi, Priorities (Me, Family, Community, Mi’Kmaqi), Gender Stereotypes.
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