Friendship centre and Sudbury police partner to prevent Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

By Laura E. Young

SUDBURY – A community planning session was held for The Looking Ahead to Build the Spirit of our Women Learning to Live Free from Violence Project, on Monday, June 13, to consult with the community members to provide feedback on the vision of the project.

The partnership between N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre and Greater Sudbury Police Services (GSPS) was launched earlier this year in March as a two-year joint initiative to develop a proactive, preventative strategy to counteract violence against Aboriginal women and to build a better future for young girls and women living in fear of violence.

Lisa Osawamick, Aboriginal Women Violence Prevention Coordinator, operates in a shared position with the GSPS and the N’Swakamok Friendship Centre where she can partner with the friendship centre’s extensive programs and discuss violence prevention.

“We’re a lead (in Ontario). It’s a unique partnership and it’s very much needed. It’s an important piece for our people—bridging the gap,” says Osawamick.

The joint initiative members are taking a proactive approach regarding the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada to help educate girls and women about violence as a preventative measure.

According to 2014 figures from the RCMP, there were 1,017 homicides and 164 missing indigenous women, from 1980 to 2012.

This year, the Federal Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Carolyn Bennett, estimated this year that the figures are “way bigger than 1,200.”

“We want to take proactive steps to educating and bringing awareness to our young girls so (they) know that they can live in Sudbury and not be afraid; there are other ways of living,” noted Osawamick.

One of Osawamick’s first steps was to host the community meeting in hopes of drawing public attendance of various demographics. About 40 people attended and represented youth, elders, women and men, working in various local community agencies, such as the university and colleges, and corrections services.

It is important for Osawamick that she hears from the community members’ perspectives and experiences to help develop strategies and programs through the project.

During the meeting, Osawamick discussed that a return to teachings was a key point that needed to be considered.

“I know that there was an all-women’s sweat they’d like to (have.) It’s common in this area to do co-ed sweats. They want an all-women’s sweat that focuses on healing.”

It’s important for Osawamick, on behalf of the initiative, to help build connections for the local and surrounding area aboriginal women, to have someone to help support or advocate for them on their healing journey.

“A lot of women don’t really know how to navigate. They are stuck in that cycle of abuse,” said Osawamick.

When the two-year program concludes, Osawamick would like to see Anishinabek women who are empowered and able to share their voices. She would like to see young women living healthier lifestyles.

“Empowered means seeing women walking and carrying themselves in a respectful way. They’re proud to be Anishinaabe,” Osawamick says.

With regards to the policing aspect of the joint initiative, she looks for continued positive responses and working relationships between communities and their members and the police service.

As an effort to create positive responses and relationships and awareness to the project, a contest was held recently to develop a logo for the project that generated a great amount of positive community engagement. The winners were two young men from the Greater Sudbury community.