Volume 8, August 2012: Indigenous Social Work Practices and Theories

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://laurentian.scholaris.ca/handle/10219/1978

There are an increasing number of articles written by Indigenous and First Nations authors about their worldviews, cultures, research and ways of being and knowing in relation to Indigenous theories and pedagogies. As a result, their experiences, philosophies and approaches emphasize the increasing borders for understanding the importance, value and rightful place of Indigenous theories and pedagogies in research, teaching and practice. Additionally, non-Indigenous authors are also writing messages of encouragement and support for Indigenous theories and pedagogies and highlight ways for non-Indigenous practitioners/teachers to reframe a worldview that incorporates Indigenous worldviews in a “good and respectful way”.

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    Aambe Maajaadaa! Community organizing in Indigenous Communities and Leanne Simpson's Dancing on our Turtle's Back: Stories of Nishnaabeg Re-Creation, Resurgence, and a New Emergence
    (2012-12-03) Williamson, Tara
    When I was asked to develop a community organizing course for the Aboriginal Emphasis Initiative in the social service worker program at Fleming College, I began running through the list of great books, articles, and other resources I’ve used or seen in the last few years on this topic. Although I do have a background in social work, I have also had the opportunity to study and work in the fields of law and Indigenous governance; and so, I look to all of these areas when considering the most current and relevant information on any topic. In the process, I quickly realized the kinds of divisions that still happen between disciplines that tend to limit the dialogue in any field before the conversation has even started. In response, I’d like to open the horizon a little and offer a book review of a new work that would normally be classified as “Native Studies” but which I have found to be an incredible contribution to the field of community development and organizing in its focus on Indigenous ways of thinking, knowing and how that relates to organizing and mobilizing in Indigenous communities.
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    Building leadership capacity amongst young Anishinaabe-Kwe through culturally-based activities and creative arts
    (2012-12-03) Cote-Meek, Sheila; Dokis-Ranney, Kathy; Lavallee, Lissa; Wemigwans, Dawn
    A pilot program was designed to begin to fill a gap by contributing to building leadership capacity of young Nishnaabe Kwe. While this was a small pilot program, the results show promise in building the capacity of young Aboriginal women by engaging them in a culturally based program aimed at building self-esteem as well as knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal identity, culture, and tradition. The literature also supports that many Canadian girls which included Aboriginal girls face gender-specific challenges that may include poor body image, low self-esteem, eating disorders, violence in their lives, poverty, sexism, racism and homophobia (Hein & Holland, 2005).
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    Cultural competency - Working with Aboriginal Peoples: A non-Native perspective
    (2012-12-03) Vinkle, Erin
    Throughout the course of my education in the Social Work field, I have come to learn about the importance of cultural competency as it pertains to the helping profession and working with Aboriginal peoples. There are many disheartening issues that First Nations communities face in our country today. I have gained some insight of the rules and regulations that the Federal government has placed upon Aboriginal people. Government legislation has created impossible boundaries that prevent Aboriginal populations the right to exercise equality in Canada. Unfortunately those most affected are the lives of many innocent Native women, children and families who struggle with poverty, violence and racism on a daily basis. Racism towards Aboriginal peoples continues to happen generation after generation. It is necessary within the social work profession to raise awareness about how our society lacks the knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture. If social work practice recognizes the need to be culturally competent when working with Aboriginal peoples then we should examine how our actions will lead us to that goal.
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    Failing to protect and provide in the "best place on earth": Can Indigenous children in Canada be safe if their mothers aren't?
    (2012-12-03) Johnson, Shelly
    This article privileges Indigenous voices, experiences and stories as one way to challenge the Canadian child welfare concept and worldview that is imbedded in “failure to protect” policies and practices”. The “failure to protect” concept is one in which assaulted mothers are held accountable by child protective authorities because their children are unintended victims or witnesses to their mother’s experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). It is a relatively recent issue in the child welfare literature, despite the fact that research concludes that “failure to protect” is the largest and most often substantiated (78% of cases) child maltreatment category in Canada (Trocmé, Knoke, Fallon &MacLaurin: 2009). Typically, child protection responses to IPV concerns, where the child is in the home, are directed at the assaulted women, who are viewed as having failed to protect their children from witnessing IPV, while the typically male perpetrators of violence are essentially ignored (Strega, 2006). This article identifies Indigenous child welfare stories that subject a disproportionate number of Indigenous women to Canada’s “failure to protect” policies and practices as a result of their own IPV victimization, and contributes to the over-representation of Indigenous children in Canadian child protection systems.
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    Indigenous Social Work Field Education: "Melq'ilwiye" Coming together towards reconciliation
    (2012-12-03) Clark, Natalie; Reid, Michelle; Drolet, Julie; Walton, Patrick; Peirce, Joanna; Charles, Grant; Vedan, Richard; Samuel, Miriam; Mathews, Nadine; Burke, Susan; Arnouse, Mike
    This article describes a participatory action research project currently unfolding across five university/community sites from British Columbia to South India that is working to reveal, review and reconcile Indigenous social work and human service field education. Subsequent to a research development project identifying culturally safe practices in Aboriginal social work field education (Clark, Drolet, Arnouse, Mathew, Michaud, Walton, Tamburro, Derrick, & Armstrong, 2009) our intersectional research team set out to expand and center this Indigenous knowledge in five diverse university/community sites and begin a reconciliation process between mainstream dominant social work and human service theories, policies or practices that may be harmful for Indigenous students who are doing their field placements. The article considers how field education, and working by example, the researchers and the research project, can create fissures in the dominant normativity of this social work domain. The authors argue for an Indigenous intersectionality framework as an important component of reconciliation within social work field education. One of the goals of this research project is to center indigenous and local knowledges and to begin a reconciliation process within the social work and human service field education programs while maintaining strong commitments to social justice and activism.
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    The Master of Aboriginal Social Work Program: Elders and culture camp as the foundation
    (2012-12-03) Sanderson, Joan
    This reflection paper, written by a faculty member who is also an alumni, recognizes the School of Indian Social Work (SISW) as one of the early programs of Indigenous social work in Canada (1974). In 2001 the SISW had its first intake into the Master of Aboriginal Social Work (MASW) and this paper primarily focuses on important Indigenous practices within this post graduate program. The MASW begins its program in August with Culture Camp, ASW 800, which is held on a Saskatchewan First Nation community. The teachers for this experiential course are two traditional First Nations Elders, a female and a male. In the fall semester the Elders continue to teach Traditional Counselling, ASW 822, so their essential role is maintained. These Elders are available outside of class time to support the students in their growth and healing. The Elders and Culture Camp provide the foundation for the MASW.
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    Relationship building: A best practice model for Aboriginal Women's Health Research
    (2012-12-03) Manitowabi, Susan; Gauthier-Frohlick, Denise
    This article explores the partnership between Aboriginal women researchers (associated with the AKRN) and Aboriginal women healers versed in holistic and culturally appropriate healing techniques. The development of this partnership will be highlighted to demonstrate a respectful research process that utilizes best practice such as identified within the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) – Guidelines for Research with Aboriginal Peoples. The primary goal of the AKRN is to provide up to date and relevant research that focuses on Aboriginal women’s health as well as to build research capacity and knowledge transfer.
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    Volume 8 Indigenous Social Work Practices and Theories
    (2012-11-27) School of Native Human Services
    There are an increasing number of articles written by Indigenous and First Nations authors about their worldviews, cultures, research and ways of being and knowing in relation to Indigenous theories and pedagogies. As a result, their experiences, philosophies and approaches emphasize the increasing borders for understanding the importance, value and rightful place of Indigenous theories and pedagogies in research, teaching and practice. Additionally, non-Indigenous authors are also writing messages of encouragement and support for Indigenous theories and pedagogies and highlight ways for non-Indigenous practitioners/teachers to reframe a worldview that incorporates Indigenous worldviews in a “good and respectful way”.
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    "Wise Practices": Integrating traditional teachins with mainstream treatment approaches
    (2012-12-03) Nabigon, Herbert; Wenger-Nabigon, Annie
    This article addresses the integration of traditional wisdom with “mainstream” (medical model) approaches to healing in First Nations communities, and with Aboriginal peoples in offreserve settings. The “wise practices” concept that emerged from the Canadian Aboriginal Aids Network (Thomas, 2007 as cited in Wesley-Esquimaux & Snowball, 2010, pp. 390-391) is a “best practices” model for integration of approaches. A wise practices approach facilitates good clinical judgement in complex cases (O’Sullivan, 2005). The Seven Grandfather Teachings and the Cree Medicine Wheel are presented in brief, not as the main focus, but as examples of traditional teachings which can be integrated into some contemporary mainstream theoretical approaches. Cognitive Behaviour Theory and General Systems Theory are used as examples.