Cultural Considerations for Cultural Considerations for Supporting - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Cultural Considerations for Cultural Considerations for Supporting Aboriginal Victims Supporting Aboriginal Victims Vicky Laforge Vicky Laforge April 27, 2009 April 27, 2009 Ottawa, ON Ottawa, ON

The Laforge Family

My Story My Story ◊ April 9, 2006 ◊ April 9, 2006 ◊ At the home of Bonnie ◊ At the home of Bonnie and Romeo Laforge and Romeo Laforge ◊ Two homicides and one ◊ Two homicides and one kidnapping with a 17 kidnapping with a 17 hour stand-off hour stand-off ◊ Nipissing First Nation ◊ Nipissing First Nation population 850 - effects population 850 - effects on community on community

Considerations regarding time Considerations regarding time of tragedy of tragedy ◊ On Reserve Jurisdictional issues - APS, ◊ On Reserve Jurisdictional issues - APS, OPP - various depts, Sturgeon Falls OPP - various depts, Sturgeon Falls Police Police ◊ Everyone is related and knows one ◊ Everyone is related and knows one another - personal to everyone another - personal to everyone ◊ Trauma to the entire reserve ◊ Trauma to the entire reserve

After the Crisis - Two Paths of After the Crisis - Two Paths of Healing Healing Western/Native Traditional Court Process Western/Native Traditional Court Process Healing Healing Gave me a lot of grief • • Gave me a lot of grief • Therapists, psychiatrists, • Therapists, psychiatrists, and feelings of not and feelings of not counsellors, bereavement counsellors, bereavement being included in the being included in the counsellors, counsellors, process, no one worked process, no one worked • Grief workshops, fasting, • Grief workshops, fasting, with me and my with me and my sweat lodge ceremonies, sweat lodge ceremonies, immediate family. immediate family. weekend retreats with weekend retreats with Native healers, visits with Native healers, visits with Receiving closure March • • Receiving closure March Elders, pow wows, and Elders, pow wows, and 2008 - second degree 2008 - second degree healing circles healing circles murder - elig parole murder - elig parole after 18 years after 18 years

Court and who helps the Court and who helps the Victims? Victims? ◊ Extremely stressful part of the process ◊ Extremely stressful part of the process ◊ Crown Attorneys office ◊ Crown Attorneys office ◊ Knowing and understanding a process ◊ Knowing and understanding a process that you are unfamiliar with that you are unfamiliar with ◊ The emotional needs of the Victims ◊ The emotional needs of the Victims ◊ Impact Statements ◊ Impact Statements ◊ Community involvement ◊ Community involvement

How I got through the How I got through the suffering suffering • Every part of the process is painful, • Every part of the process is painful, nothing is easy nothing is easy • People say we are strong, when we are • People say we are strong, when we are just trying to live just trying to live • Our normal has changed • Our normal has changed

Sentencing Sentencing ◊ The Long wait ◊ The Long wait ◊ How does a victim know what their ◊ How does a victim know what their rights are? rights are? ◊ Blind throughout the process ◊ Blind throughout the process ◊ Preliminary hearing ◊ Preliminary hearing ◊ The sentencing ◊ The sentencing

Moving Forward Moving Forward ◊ Healing is a journey that is a long and ◊ Healing is a journey that is a long and winding road - good and bad days winding road - good and bad days ◊ Getting involved, speaking out ◊ Getting involved, speaking out ◊ Utilizing ceremonies and striving for ◊ Utilizing ceremonies and striving for that balance that balance

Video - http://www.kanawayhitowin.ca Video - http://www.kanawayhitowin.ca ◊ My healing involves sharing my story, ◊ My healing involves sharing my story, connecting with others affected by connecting with others affected by violent crimes, and speaking out about violent crimes, and speaking out about family violence and violence against family violence and violence against women. women.

Chi Miigwetch Chi Miigwetch Vicky Laforge Vicky Laforge Kingston, ON Kingston, ON 613-545-2641 613-545-2641 Vlaforge@gmail.com Vlaforge@gmail.com http://www.facebook/clear http://www.facebook/clear skies consulting skies consulting