Beendigen celebrates growth and successes over four decades

By Rick Garrick

THUNDER BAY—Beendigen Anishinabe Women’s Crisis Home and Family Healing Centre celebrated its 40th anniversary on Nov. 6 at the Victoriaville Centre location, one of four sites in Thunder Bay.

“Beendigen has experienced tremendous growth over the last four decades, providing programming and support to assist families and women experiencing abuse and who are in crisis,” says Debra Vermette, Beendigen’s executive director. “Through our cultural values and traditions, the organization supports the healing process with an integrated approach to improve resources for mental, spiritual, physical and emotional well-being. There continues to be a social narrative that allows violence against women to exist, and we all need to work on building strong and healthy communities by strengthening our partnerships and community-based solutions.”

Among Beendigen’s services is the Anishinabe Women’s Crisis Home which provides free emergency shelter for women and children who require safe accommodations and are seeking refuge from abuse. The location of the home is confidential. It can provide accommodations for up to 24 women and children, with the average stay for women and children about six weeks.

“Domestic violence is the most common form of violence against women, and has serious impacts on women and their children’s health and well-being,” Vermette says. “There must be a place where Indigenous women and all women feel safe, are treated with respect and where they can receive compassionate and effective support.”

Vermette says the organization has supported thousands of women and children over the past 40 years, including more than 7,500 women and 1,500 children over the past decade.

“Over the past year alone, Beendigen has expanded, offering new site locations, launched the Talk4Healing Indigenous women’s helpline provincially, and unveiled new text and chat technology that will increase the ability to provide support and services across Ontario,” Vermette says. “Beendigen also introduced a new Anti-Human Trafficking program and Circles of Care program.”

Vermette adds that 12 programs are offered at the four sites in Thunder Bay and the head office in Fort William.

“Beendigen is a vital organization to the community of Thunder Bay,” Vermette says. “Our staff will continue to work together to meet the ever-growing needs for services and support.”

Katie Bortolin, Beendigen’s program manager, says the organization will begin to offer more support and programming for entire families in 2019, including men and specifically fathers.

“Looking to the future, it has been identified that services for men are just as important to families on their healing journey,” Bortolin says. “Current studies suggest that over half of men who abuse women say that a family member has abused them. Men need to get involved in order to stop the cycle of abuse.”

The 40th anniversary celebration was attended by community members and staff from organizations across Thunder Bay and area.

“It is important to come out and acknowledge the work that Beendigen has done to have a safe place for Indigenous women and women of all colour alike,” says Fort William Councillor Michele Solomon. “And also highlight the new work they are undertaking in collaboration with the Ontario Native Women’s Association, that being the Talk4Healing. They just had their launch for the province so it has now moved from being a Thunder Bay-area [helpline] to a province-wide [helpline].”

Beendigen plans to host bannock and tea presentations throughout the community as part of the 40th anniversary celebration. Along with the International House of Tea, Beendigen also created a special women’s healing tea to commemorate the event, and an anniversary quilt created by staff members will be displayed during November at City Hall.