Appendix B: Indigenous Women’s Safety Table Relationship Framework

Disclaimer: This appendix contains information from a third party (outside the Government of Canada). The documents have been posted as received. Readers wishing to rely upon this information should consult directly with the source of the information.

The Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition (OAC) Indigenous Women’s Safety Table Relationship Framework

The Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition (OAC)
Indigenous Women’s Safety Table
Relationship Framework
This work is about restoring balance in Indigenous women, in our families and in our communities.

“In many Indigenous cultures and societies we are taught to honour women, as lifegivers, as knowledge keepers, as storytellers, as medicine women, as word carriers, as community members and human beings and colonialism has impacted negatively on those values” (Romeo Sanganash).

1. Introduction

In 2019 the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls completed its report. In June of 2021, the National Action Plan was released to respond to that report and offer actions and proposed investments to keep Indigenous women safe.

During this time, the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition had been having conversations on how to we make the City of Ottawa a safer place for Indigenous women. In reviewing the different documents if was clear that ensuring Indigenous women’s safety means making structural, systemic and institutional change in multiple systems, and addressing the embedded racialized violence directed at Indigenous women in Ottawa.

2. Purpose of the Safety Table

The table will focus on specific systems that need to change in order to increase their capacity to be a safe place for Indigenous women. The first four systems that the Table will review and identify change for are:

  1. Policing in Ottawa, specifically the Ottawa Police Services
  2. Health Care in Ottawa, specifically addictions and healing support
  3. Group Homes system (Beyond child welfare) with a specific focus on Youth and Young Women.
  4. Housing and Homelessness

The tables will identify what changes need to be made to a specific system or institution that will increase the safety to Indigenous women in Ottawa.

3. Membership

The Indigenous Women’s Safety Table will be made up of members of the OAC, key partners.

  1. All Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition member organizations
    1. Gignul Housing
    2. Inuit Not For Profit Housing
    3. Inuuqatigiit
    4. Kagita Mikam
    5. Makonsag Head Start
    6. Minwaashin Lodge
    7. Odawa Native Friendship Centre
    8. Tewegan
    9. Tungasuvvingat Inuit
    10. Wabano Aborigiinal Centre for Health
  2. Ontario Native Women’s Association
  3. City of Ottawa
  4. Ottawa Police Services
  5. Ottawa Public Health

Key questions:

  1. Who else would you want to include as members?
  2. What is the role of the Ottawa non-Indigenous women’s organizations such as OCTEVA and COWI?

4. Working Structure of the Safety Table

Each priority system area will have a working group that will do the focused work of identifying the changes that need to be made to make the system safe for Indigenous women and developing the advocacy strategy for the changes being advocated.

Indigenous Women’s Safety Table
  Police Working Group Health Care Group Homes Housing and Homelessness
Co-chairs  Recommend: representative from Minwaashin Recommend: representative from Wabano and or Minwaashin Recommend: representative from Tewegan Recommend: representative from Gignul and/or Inuit not for Profit Housing and Wabano (Tina)
Membership
  • ONWA (Human Trafficking)
  • Ottawa Police Services
  • Ottawa Public Health
  • Members of the Urban Indigenous Health Alliance
  • ONWA (Human Trafficking)
  • CASO
 
  • All ACAB members
  • Three housing providers
Resource Person Shirley Cuillierrier      

5. Process and proposed timeline

The intended process for each system area is:

  1. Establish a working group for each priority area.
    1. Identify two co-chairs for each working group. One will come from an OAC member organization.
    2. Identify the membership base for the working group.
 July – end of Sept.
  1. Review the key reports and identify recommendations or actions that align with needs in Ottawa.
  
  1. Development of questions to explore with Indigenous women community members.
  
  1. Conversations in gatherings with Indigenous women about the current impact of the system and what they want to see changed.
  
  1. Analysis of the conversations with members of the community and identify key recommendations for change.
  
  1. Identification of a planned change process with one change at a time being advocated for.
  
  1. Ongoing development of a relationship with key stakeholders in the current system.
  
  1. Ongoing advocacy for change strategy and implementation.
  

6. Applying Indigenous knowledge including an Indigenous Gender Based Analysis

The systems we are striving to change are embedded in a value system and entrenched thinking that continues to do harm to Indigenous women. We will apply Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing and being to support the process and not just the results of our work.

That will start by acknowledging that Indigenous women are knowledge holders of their own lives and lived experiences.

Applying an Indigenous Gender Based Analysis (IGBA) means that we will be working with the community to collect the stories, analyze what is being said and identify what has priority for change.

7. Resources to the Table

The Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition will provide the logistical and operational support to the table including facilitation, organization of meetings, minute taking and report writing. The OAC will also actively seek funds to support the work of the table.

8. Timeline

The Table will function for one year, meeting every other month and the working groups meeting in the alternate months to move forward one action in this first year. After one year, the table will be reviewed and decide to continue, modify or close down operations.

9. Code of Conduct for the Table

Indigenous cultures are rich with many teachings that guide our day-to-day. Culture is ultimately every day good living that is rooted in the teachings. For this table we are proposing that the Toltic Teaching of The Four Agreements be our starting Code of Conduct.