aboriginal homelessness research project · in comparison to non-aboriginal homelessness data in...
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ABORIGINAL HOMELESSNESS
RESEARCH PROJECT
REPORT
ON
THE ABORIGINAL HOMELESSNESS
COMMUNITY GATHERING
MARCH 19, 2010
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Suggested Citation: Bird, Cynthia, Sharon Goulet, Nelly Oelke, Wilfreda Thurston, David Turner, and
Alanah Woodland. (2010). Aboriginal Homelessness Research Project: Report on The Aboriginal
Homelessness Community Gathering, March 19, 2010. Calgary, Alberta: Aboriginal Friendship Centre of
Calgary.
© For copying or distribution, permission must be received in writing from: The Aboriginal Friendship
Centre of Calgary. Funding for this gathering and report was provided by the Canadian Institute of Health
Research.
The Contributors to this report assume no responsibility to any person or persons for the information
contained in this publication, nor shall be held liable for any damage caused to any person, whether
negligently or otherwise.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction………………………………………………………………….5
2. Overview of the Gathering................................................................. 5
3. Key Findings ....................................................................................... 7 3.1 Pathways into Homelessness………………………………….. 8 3.2 Pathways out of Homelessness……………………………….. 9 3.3 Common Themes.....................................................................11 3.4 Research Questions……………………………………………...11
4. Analysis of Gathering Proceedings……………………………………13
4.1 Pathways Into and Out of Homelessness………………….....13
5. Implications & New Directions: Service Delivery, Policy Work & Research...............................................................................................18 5.1 Service Delivery……………………………………………………18 5.2 Policy Work…………………………………………………………19 5.3 Research……………………………………………………………19
6. Recommendations...............................................................................21
7. Next Steps…………………………………………………………………..23
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………...25 APPENDICES 1. List of Participating Organizations…………………………………….27 2. Summary of Focus Group Discussions 1: Pathways In and Out
of Homelessness……………………………………………………….…28 3. Summary of Focus Group Discussion 2: Key Themes & Potential
Research Questions …………………………………………………..…30 4. Evaluation Feedback ………………………………………………....….33
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This report has been prepared as a collaborative effort of the Planning Committee that oversaw the Aboriginal Community Gathering on Homelessness held on March 19, 2010. Cynthia Bird Sharon Goulet Nelly Oelke Wilfreda Thurston David Turner Alanah Woodland The Planning Committee would also like to acknowledge Alanah Woodland`s coordination efforts of the facilitators and recorders who assisted with the afternoon focus group discussions. Special acknowledgement is also extended to David Turner for his work in bringing people together to address the issue of Aboriginal homelessness in Calgary. Special thanks also to the facilitators and recorders for your contribution to the Gathering and this report. Sajid Ali Sally Desjarlais Sarada Eastham Candice Lind Dustin Louie Lynn McIntyre Tiffany McCabe Cherie Nicolson Duyen Nguyen Nelly Oelke Jackie Ottoman Angela Waldie Cindy Acknowledgements are also extended to Adrian Goulet for the drum songs; The Copper Horse, who catered an authentic Aboriginal meal and provided the refreshments and snacks throughout the day; and Elder Marion Lerat for providing the morning and closing prayer. Picture on Title Page: Elders Marion Lerat and Dennis Hodgson; Carol Mason, Aboriginal Friendship Center of Calgary (AFCC) Executive Director; Elder Franklin Peepetch. Photo: The Community Gathering
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1. INTRODUCTION This document is the final report on the Aboriginal Homelessness – Developing & Setting a Research Agenda gathering on Aboriginal homelessness, which was co-hosted by the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary (AFCC) and the Department of Community Health Services, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary at The Calgary Dream Centre. The gathering entitled Aboriginal Homelessness – Developing and Setting a Research Agenda was attended by 61 participants from across the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community in Calgary, including government representatives (Appendix 1).
2. OVERVIEW OF THE GATHERING
The gathering was attended by individuals and agencies because of their involvement with urban Aboriginal homelessness in the city of Calgary. Each agency was invited to send two representatives. The gathering was held to better understand Aboriginal homelessness, its gaps, and the development of an ongoing research agenda for future work in developing services appropriate for this segment of Calgary‟s population. The purpose of the one-day gathering was to:
(a) Create awareness of the issues facing Aboriginal peoples, their uniqueness in history and the present;
(b) Discuss in small groups the pathways in and out of homelessness for Aboriginal peoples; and
(c) Create a research agenda in core areas identified by the groups as important
places to begin understanding, and making an impact in knowledge and service enhancements for homeless urban Aboriginal peoples.
The agenda for the gathering included an introductory presentation by two of the Co-host representatives. The presentation captured the highlights from the report entitled Aboriginal Homelessness: Looking for a place to belong (2010) that served to set the stage for the keynote speaker and group discussions in the afternoon. The report included a background paper on underlying factors influencing Aboriginal homelessness, service gaps, resulting opportunities, and potential research agenda items concerning urban Aboriginal homelessness. The presentation also highlighted the findings from the environmental scan of 15 agencies and groups currently providing some level of support service to Aboriginal people who were homeless in the city of Calgary (City of Calgary, 2009). The keynote speaker, Tom Jackson, a familiar Aboriginal entertainer and television personality, addressed the gathering. Mr. Jackson‟s message was one of hope and
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understanding of personal circumstances that could create pathways into and out of homelessness. The afternoon included two small group discussion sessions. The first session focused on two key topics: Pathways into Homelessness for Aboriginal People and Pathways Out of Homelessness for Aboriginal People (Appendix 2). These focus group discussions identified 10 key themes which became the focus of the second round of discussions. These discussions identified potential research questions concerning service delivery, policy work, and research.
There were several research questions identified in each of the 10 key theme areas (Appendix 3). Addressing the potential research questions is a shared responsibility. It is an extension of the collaborative inter-agency partnerships that participants recommended as one strategy to begin addressing the challenges of urban Aboriginal homelessness in Calgary. The gathering concluded with the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary and the University of Calgary expressing appreciation to participants who came to the gathering:
(a) to listen to the research that was conducted and
(b) to contribute to making the ongoing research more meaningful and useful to service delivery agencies and models; and future policy work respecting Aboriginal homelessness in Calgary.
Participants were informed that they would be receiving a copy of the report on the gathering. In addition, those who indicated through their participation in the Environmental Scan conducted in December 2009 that they would be interested in being kept informed of ongoing work in this area, would continue to be part of the information network.
DEFINITIONS
Aboriginal Peoples: are
defined in Section 35(2) of the
Canadian Constitution Act
1982 as Indian (First Nations),
Inuit and Métis peoples of
Canada (Report of the Royal
Commission of Aboriginal
Peoples, 1996).
Homelessness: persons are
considered to be those who do
not have a permanent
residence to which they can
return whenever they so
choose, including people living
on the streets, as well as those
staying in emergency shelters
or in facilities offering longer
term shelter and support for
people who would otherwise
be living on the streets (City of
Calgary Fast Facts #2, 2008).
Absolute Homelessness:
meaning people who are living
in the street with no physical
shelter of their own, including
those who spend their nights
in shelters (United Nations in
Gardiner and Cairns, 2002:33).
Relative Homelessness:
meaning people living in
spaces that do not meet the
basic health and safety
standards (United Nations in
Gardiner and Cairns, 2002:33).
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3. KEY FINDINGS
The following sections summarize the key findings from small group discussions. The
discussions were engaging and emotional at times as many of those present were front-
line service delivery workers who continue to see the faces of urban Aboriginal
homeless peoples, hear their stories, and in some cases, are directly connected to
those struggling with homelessness. It is within this context that the discussion primarily
focused on the pressures impacting homeless Aboriginal peoples, the agencies that
serve them, and a search for solutions to this pervasive problem.
3.1 Pathways into Homelessness
The phrase “pathways into homelessness” speaks to the factors that contribute to an
Aboriginal person becoming homeless. Participants identified a number of risk factors
contributing to the homelessness of Aboriginal peoples which fall into three key
categories:
Historical and cultural trauma factors related to the residential schools
experience, the subsequent inter-generational impacts on individuals, families
and communities, including a shift in traditional gender roles among women and
men, dysfunctional parenting, child welfare issues, and the overall socio-
emotional impacts on Aboriginal peoples as a result of history and colonization;
Personal beliefs and capacities impacting new ideas of kinship, healthy and
unhealthy families and communities, links to culture influencing health outcomes,
inability to navigate systems and access supports, and lack of/changes in family
support; and
ABORIGINAL HOMELESSNESS TRENDS:
The most recent homeless count in Calgary in 2008 identified 15% of 3,491 total individuals
counted as having visible Aboriginal heritage. Aboriginal people represent about 2.5% of
Calgary’s total population; yet the Calgary Homeless Foundation cited even higher numbers
being at 36% of the homeless population. This is an alarming rate of Aboriginal homelessness; yet
there is very little public policy and research on Aboriginal homelessness, much of which is rooted
in debate across government jurisdictions about who is responsible for Aboriginal peoples. This
has resulted in gaps in the policy landscape and is continuing to negatively impact urban
Aboriginal peoples who are homeless (Aboriginal Homelessness: Looking for a Place to Belong,
2010).
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Systemic, societal factors such as addictions, poverty, violence (including
domestic violence), environments and systems related to racism (i.e. policies
such as the Indian Act), lack of relevant supports, and changes in supports and
services.
In comparison to non-Aboriginal homelessness data in Calgary, poverty and addictions
were identified as two of the seven reasons for individuals becoming homeless (City of
Calgary, 2007). The same report identified several systemic roots of homelessness to
provincial and federal housing related policies, low income, and high housing costs,
including the demographic of over-representation of Aboriginal peoples in this category.
These connections were also apparent in the discussions at the Gathering on Aboriginal
Homelessness.
Many of the risk factors for Aboriginal homelessness that participants identified are
similar to those findings by the Ad Hoc Steering Committee on Homelessness‟
Aboriginal Sub-Committee in their document entitled Street Speaks (1996). These risk
factors are also similar to a more recent literature review for the Calgary Homelessness
Foundation that was prepared by the University of Calgary (Undated). The span of
fourteen years since 1996, is a reminder that Aboriginal homelessness in Calgary
remains an outstanding matter to be addressed.
3.2 Pathways out of Homelessness
``Pathways out of homelessness`` for Aboriginal people are strategies and means that
Aboriginal people use to find their way out of homelessness, to rebuild their lives and to
have a sense of belonging in their community.
Participants identified a combination of factors influencing ``pathways out of
homelessness`` for Aboriginal people that could create change in community, systems,
services and supports. These factors could be categorized as follows:
Interconnectedness of multi-dimensional service delivery models, systems
and networks that reflect the faces of the people they are serving, in this case,
Aboriginal peoples; and the ability of the service delivery organizations to work
collaboratively across disciplines to provide personal supports and build strategic
collaborative partnerships.
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Systemic supports reflected in policies and systems free of racism that are
willing to work together to break systemic barriers; and become more inclusive of
Aboriginal people at higher levels;
Personal beliefs and capacities to overcome historical and cultural trauma
through positive role models, strong cultural connections, spiritual pathways and
networks that serve to strengthen identity, build capacity and resilience, and a
sense of shared responsibility to help others.
The stark reality that death and incarceration have been options that some Aboriginal
people have unfortunately found as pathways out of their homelessness was openly
identified and discussed in one of the small groups.
• SUMMARY STATEMENTS
Generally, the pathways in and out of homelessness for Aboriginal peoples identified
illustrated the systemic and societal nature of homelessness. These included the
connection between the historical and cultural trauma of Canada‟s Aboriginal peoples to
personal belief systems, capacities; as well as family and community links of urban
Aboriginal individuals struggling with homelessness in Calgary.
Of these factors, poverty is the one key common denominator that Aboriginal peoples
share with non-Aboriginal populations struggling with homelessness (City of Calgary,
2007).
A second common denominator is the systemic nature of homelessness with respect to
policies but to a much larger extent than the non-Aboriginal populations. For Aboriginal
peoples, the systemic nature of homelessness has much deeper roots with complex
historical and cultural connections, linked to jurisdictional disputes across governments
that continue to debate areas of responsibility for Aboriginal peoples, both on and off-
reserve. Chronic underfunding of basic needs, such as housing on-reserve, contributes
to further exacerbating the state of poverty.
The following visual (Figure 1) has been prepared to provide an at-a-glance look at the
high level key factors participants identified as leading Aboriginal people into and out of
homelessness.
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Figure 1. Pathways Into and Out of Homelessness for Aboriginal Peoples
3.3 Common Themes
The second round of small group discussions focused on the 10 common themes from
the first group discussions on pathways in and out of homelessness.
The following 10 themes provided the basis for identifying what work needs to happen
in the areas of service delivery, policy work, and research:
Education/Awareness;
Leadership/Political Action;
Spiritual Well-Being;
Inter-Sectoral Collaborations;
Trauma;
Role of the Aboriginal Community;
Child Welfare and Awareness;
Poverty;
PATHWAYS INTO HOMELESSNESS
- historical and cultural trauma factors;
- personal beliefs and capacities;
- system societial factors; and
- change in community systems, services & supports, including family supports.
PATHWAYS OUT OF HOMELESSNESS
- interconnectedness of service delivery models, systems & networks;
- systemic supports reflected in policies & systems free of racism;
- personal beliefs & capacities to overcome historical & cultural trauma; and
- creating change in community systems, services & supports.
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Systems (Policies and Procedures); and
Research with a focus on Aboriginal peoples.
These themes were also reflected in the keynote speaker‟s address which served to
highlight systemic and structural barriers of homelessness, such as racism and the
need to find a place to belong.
“The risks are higher now compared to when I was homeless…. there are more gangs on the street
which makes being homeless more stressful. What I realized when I moved to the city is that there are
bright lights, people I could relate to. In Winnipeg I moved to a place with people like me. I found a
place where in other parts of the city I didn’t find it. I found a place where I belonged. I had a chance to
go home, but my choice was based on where I could relate to people. I was there until I was 22. Other
things happened; I ended up back in a hole in the ground. I was the architect of my own demise. I made
choices that led me down into a world where I put my life up my nose. That changed because of the
angel that the Creator sent me. There is a path. Other people that I met had similar stories. Gangs,
people who need things, laugh a lot. They embrace each other. We need to change the ‘residence’
where there is connection” – Tom Jackson, March 19, 2010.
The small group discussions generated ideas and strategies for addressing the
homelessness of Aboriginal peoples in the City of Calgary, particularly as they relate to
service delivery models and systems, policy work and research concerning Aboriginal
peoples.
One of the goals of the Aboriginal Homelessness Community Gathering was to create a
research agenda in core areas identified by participants as important places to begin
understanding, and making an impact in knowledge and service enhancements for
homeless urban Aboriginal peoples. The 10 key themes that emerged from the
discussions raises several potential research questions as examined in Appendix 3.
Eight of the key themes raise 5 to 6 research questions, while two key themes on
trauma and research raise 3 questions.
Among the key themes is research with a focus on Aboriginal peoples. This theme is a
critical theme as it provides both direction to those interested in conducting research on
Aboriginal homelessness, and it also raises research questions about research which is
discussed more in-depth in the next few sections.
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3.4 Research Questions
All of the research questions recorded in the groups have been grouped under five
themes: Racism, Family, Community, Supports and Services, and Change. In some
cases the same questions appeared to be asked in different ways so these have been
put together. The overall theme of the research questions is: how do we bring about the
change that is needed?
1. Racism
What has happened since the apology? The apology was great, now what? What will be done with it?
How does government policy and labelling impact pathways into homelessness?
Would an Aboriginal impact lens lead to better policies?
2. Family
What can be done for Aboriginal youth aged 16-18 to keep them off the streets?
Child Welfare: How to integrate into the community and engage the community- children will always be part of the Aboriginal community; resources supporting community engagement.
Child Welfare: Evaluate the current timeline for guardianship, custody, reconciliation – 2 years is not enough.
Child Welfare: Research what has worked?
3. Services and Supports
What personal attributes do „good caseworkers‟ have? What is it about people that make them „able‟ and „good‟ at this work?
Plan to end Aboriginal homelessness: What services need to be in place to make this happen?
What are the needs of Aboriginal homelessness people?
What are the resilience factors for those that have experienced trauma but don‟t experience homelessness as compared to those that do experience homelessness.
How can community members be successful in housing and how best can community members maintain their homes?
4. Community
How can Aboriginal people build and maintain their identity?
Could a local Band accommodate the urban Aboriginal population for community activities?
What is the potential role of non-Aboriginal organizations in building spiritual health?
Why doesn‟t a natural community happen for the Aboriginal population?
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What ethical issues come into housing issues? What can the community action committee do to make sure ethics are being followed?
How can traditional components be incorporated into homelessness and housing initiatives?
Elders need to be involved, how can they best be involved?
Research on changing the stigma of homelessness and the impact on the community.
How can we encourage sustainable, positive mentorship?
How can we build a successful Aboriginal community (“village”) in Calgary and what would its impacts be?
5. Change
Where do we start given the conditions under which people are living?
What makes a partnership? What factors make collaboration (interagency) successful?
What would a non-Aboriginal organization do to increase capacity to help Aboriginal people in a sustainable way?
What are the risks in establishing partnerships? How can they best be involved in dealing with Aboriginal homelessness?
How can partnerships be ethical?
What is the risk and rewards of a cost benefit approach versus a community based approach like the one Edmonton is using?
How would we educate people? What does „having awareness‟ mean?
Why aren‟t people learning?
Are we talking about a lack of education or a lack of action? How can you truly educate the Canadian public to be sensitive to Aboriginal issues?
I would like to see a movement for evaluation from an Aboriginal perspective.
How can I communicate what is happening (successes) in my agency in a manner that will help with funding?
What are the successes and why are they working? These research questions present challenges to those interested in examining the complexities of urban Aboriginal homelessness and offer a place to begin the examination of urban Aboriginal homelessness in Calgary.
4. ANALYSIS OF THE GATHERING PROCEEDINGS
In looking at the records from the small group discussions, a number of common
themes can be developed. Different words are often used, but upon analysis similar
things are being discussed, perhaps from a different view point or experience. It is
important to note that the emotions and strong feelings surrounding Aboriginal
homelessness are part of the picture. As one observer noted, “Discussions led to an
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engaged and emotional dialogue.” Some comments included: “This (child welfare
policy) needs to stop” and “people are dying of simple health related issues.” Strong
feelings often accompany work in trying to end complex and messy social problems. It
is important to keep this fact in mind if the broad community is to move forward with
partnerships where communication is a key to success.
Another important point to collaboration around research is the expressed value for
research sprinkled throughout the comments; for instance, “How is the cycle of
intergenerational trauma broken?” is a call for knowledge that can be provided by
research. Of course, people were brought together to develop a research agenda, but
they could have sprinkled the conversation with doubts about research rather than a
quest for knowledge.
Although the discussions were divided into Pathways Into Homelessness followed by
Pathways Out of Homelessness and finally research questions around common
themes, the responses are being analyzed as a whole. This allows for identification of
overlap, gaps, and trends.
4.1 Pathways Into and Out of Homelessness
Racism and Social Inequality
It is noteworthy that very few people use the term racism explicitly yet one of the
common themes is the continuing damage of historic policies that were based in racism
(i.e., a belief that the beliefs and behaviours of groups of people were inferior to those of
white settlers and that those who did not take up the ways of Europeans were destined
to continue to be lesser human beings). The policies mentioned include the residential
schools, the Indian Act, and child welfare policies. The legacy of these policies is found
in: 1) issues of identity – who are First Nations, Aboriginal, Métis; 2) service delivery
and jurisdictional disputes among levels of government; 3) current experiences of
racism and/or discrimination in urban settings (“I can support my children, but do I want
to send my children into a racist environment?”); 4) grief over many past losses and
fear of future losses (“Grieving, trauma, internal oppression, cycle of abuse from
colonization, loss of connection, and assimilation were reasons given for
homelessness”); and 5) internalized racism and lateral oppression within Aboriginal
communities (“Aboriginal people are tightly knit in the shit that they are in”).
When the spirit is full, life is different. The spirit needs to be cultivated and
encouraged. The spirit is so important because Aboriginal people have so many
people they need to forgive. The spirit is so important because Aboriginal people
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are taught to be ashamed of themselves and the spirit can change this. (Elder
Voice, The Gathering, March 19, 2010).
History is also associated with positive experiences of shared culture and identity, of
strong communities and communal values.
“Historically it would have been absurd to be homeless in an Aboriginal
perspective.” “Aboriginal people are not materialistic historically. You give
everything away in gratitude for what you have received. Identity is not wrapped
up in material goods.” (Participant Voices, The Gathering, March 19, 2010).
Elders continue to be respected for leadership and guidance. Thus, the sharing of
culture is linked to the reclaiming and development of positive identities both at the
individual and collective levels.
The Centrality of Family
Family was discussed a great deal in the session on Pathways into Homelessness,
mentioned by virtually every group, but was mentioned much less in the session on
Pathways Out of Homelessness and not at all in the generation of research questions
even though child welfare was a theme. This is troubling as most (not all) of the talk is
about negative roles of the family even though the connection to family is so important
in all Aboriginal communities.
“No one is homeless on the reserve. Even if you don’t stay in your own home you
can go and stay at family members homes”. (Participant Voice, The Gathering,
March 19, 2010).
This negative talk did not occur just because it was a mixed gathering of Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal people. It does seem to reflect what commonly occurs when a
discussion is focused on the causes of a social problem and that is „deficit thinking.‟ It is
linked to history and the generational transmission of the damage done by residential
schools. It is also part of the history of child welfare assuming that Aboriginal parents
are not good enough and using non-Aboriginal standards to judge them.
The term gender is also rarely used but the gendered nature of problems is apparent
when a gendered lens is applied to the data. Family care-giving and child rearing are
largely viewed as women‟s roles. Violence was mentioned, but not the preponderance
of violence within families. It is known that domestic violence is the leading cause of
homelessness among Aboriginal women. The impact of single parenting on women was
linked to living in poverty and it was noted that this leaves their children at risk of the
same life. The impact of child welfare on mothers as opposed to fathers needs also to
be considered.
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Children and youth are values in their own right and are the future of Aboriginal
communities. One respondent talked about “youth mentality” and the “choice that you
make” while another points to the racism that youth experience in school. The
connection for children and youth to problems in the family are made.
Addictions were also seldom mentioned although these are also a source of family
breakdown. One group reported that “addictions and health issues are not being
properly addressed.” Another directly linked them to homelessness, “People went off
the reserve to get away from substance abuse.”
Community and Social Identity
Two communities are juxtaposed in the conversations: the reserve and the city. The
transition between the two can be difficult (“Poverty, come off the reservation and
experience problems that they don‟t expect to experience.”). It was proposed that
homelessness is perpetuated in “communities that have not healed” from the traumas of
oppression, such as residential school experiences. Socioeconomic issues as a cause
of homelessness are community issues that impact individuals. Reserve communities
are characterized as both largely positive and largely negative in the notes, but there is
also a discussion of strong healthy families and “dysfunctional” families in the same
communities.
Communities are associated with honouring and practicing culture and with the ability to
transmit important cultural values to children and youth. (“Being outside, being together,
connection, culture” are pathways out of homelessness, as is “Leadership – like having
access to Elder council”). Community is not necessarily associated with geography, as
in this note: “Cultural connections, responsibilities, matching organizational mandate
with service needs, larger understanding of systemic oppressions, re-evaluating
„normal‟, leaning from other communities successes” and in the research question,
“Could a local Band accommodate the urban population for community activities?” But
assuming that community requires a geographical location can lead to another research
question, such as, “Why doesn‟t a natural community happen for the Aboriginal
population?”
Community and culture are linked to the issue of having a strong Aboriginal identity.
While an individual can have such an identity, he or she experiences it as positive when
there is opportunity “to find a place where I belonged” in the words of Tom Jackson.
Colonial polices intended to erase Aboriginal identity and restoration of a positive
identity is identified as a pathway to healing and reducing homelessness. When we ask
the question, “What are the needs of Aboriginal homeless people?” it is de facto a
question about identity and cultural resources.
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Supports & Services
The discussion of supports and services was critical of what exists and what does not.
(“Addictions and health issues are also not being properly addressed”; “Inability to
access supports in a timely manner, eventually the personal spirals down and losses all
supports.”; “Systemic oppression was also identified where people do not know what to
ask and how to navigate the system.”; “Need for connectedness among services for
Aboriginal homeless people.”) Replacing the lost family supports, having Aboriginal staff
with whom clients can identify, and supporting cultural connections were also
mentioned.
Desiring Change
The need for change was talked about at the levels of individual, family, and community.
It is the desire for change that largely drives the research questions. There was
evenness in the idea that individuals make “choices” and that systems need to change
so that positive choices are more possible. (“Shared responsibility versus individual
responsibility. racism.”)There was less of an emphasis on the need for knowledge
development or education among individuals than occurs in many other groups where
service professionals play a large role and it is often assumed that we just need to
educate clients or professionals for change to happen. There were questions about
what might be called change models, such as the ability of role models to change
communities. (Why doesn‟t the good on the reserve spill over into everybody?”).
Some of the discussion related to the change that the Aboriginal populations are
undergoing (“What happens when you move into the city? New ideas of kinship.” “What
happens off the reserve, why are these values [responsibility/giving] lost?” “A lot of the
time you have to go outside of the group to make a positive connection.”)
Discussion also addressed the changes that non-Aboriginal people need to make in
order to work with Aboriginal populations and to establish trusting partnerships. The
language of “mainstream organization” versus “Aboriginal” organization suggests that
power imbalances currently exist and need to be addressed; acknowledging that what is
mainstream for Aboriginal people may be quite different but not marginal.
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5. IMPLICATIONS & NEW DIRECTIONS: SERVICE
DELIVERY, POLICY WORK & RESEARCH
The discussions at the gathering further supported the current research findings: that
homelessness is a multifaceted problem that represents a complex interaction of
individual and system factors. For Aboriginal peoples these factors are even more
complex. They are rooted in a history of colonization, multiple cultural traumas, and
displacements. The combination of systemic and individual factors have continued to
have broad negative impacts on Aboriginal peoples‟ spiritual, emotional, mental, and
physical aspects of well-being and their resiliency to strengthen the protective factors
that prevent homelessness.
The implications of these findings as they relate to service delivery, policy work, and
research are discussed below.
5.1 Service Delivery
The feedback from participants revealed the struggle that service delivery agencies are
experiencing when working with Aboriginal peoples who are homeless or at risk of
becoming homeless. Despite the struggle, service delivery agency representatives
present offered suggestions and strategies for creating an improved and more
responsive service delivery system to homeless Aboriginal peoples, some of which
address the pathways in and out of homelessness.
Key strategies identified by participants to create an improved and more responsive
service delivery system to homeless Aboriginal peoples:
• The importance of re-structuring a service delivery system that is inter-connected
with each other so that more holistic approach can be taken when addressing the
complexities of needs among Aboriginal homeless peoples. Such supports are
needed in the following areas: housing, counseling, education, employment,
outreach, medical care, and treatment.
• Working across disciplines to better serve the multiple needs of Aboriginal
homeless peoples;
• Increasing the capacities of service delivery organizations to better serve the
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target population by offering Aboriginal cultural competency training to staff,
employing Aboriginal staff at all levels with organizations; and
• Addressing issues of systemic racism and discrimination that may exist within
service delivery organizations.
These strategies would further support the need for organizations who receive funding
ear marked for Aboriginal homelessness to consider providing resources to Aboriginal
organizations serving Aboriginal homeless peoples.
5.2 Policy Work
Participants identified the systemic nature of homelessness and the implications of
policies like the Indian Act that has racist and oppressive overtones, including child
welfare systems that tell Aboriginal parents they are not good enough and school
systems that teach about “500 years of oppression”.
Participants were also cognizant of the multiple jurisdictional disputes among the
various levels of governments with respect to Aboriginal peoples and the policies that
have continued to negatively impact and oppress Aboriginal peoples.
These findings challenge the public, governments at all levels, and policy makers within
societal systems to become better informed and more culturally competent to
understand the complexities of the historical and cultural traumas that continue to
impact Aboriginals peoples today. It is through social action that includes education and
awareness processes and collaboration between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
homeless serving organizations that policy makers, governments at all levels, and the
public will become more knowledgeable about the needs of Calgary‟s Aboriginal
peoples. This approach would create opportunities to develop more culturally safe and
responsive policies in all sectors, at all levels, and within all systems.
5.3 Research
While research was viewed as a valuable strategy to address Aboriginal homelessness,
some participants expressed concern about yet another strategy to conduct research on
Aboriginal peoples. Participants stressed in the group discussions that there needs to
be sensitivity and awareness that historically Aboriginal peoples have not had trustful
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relationships with non-Aboriginal peoples. This has continued
to be a challenge today. The same is true with respect to
conducting research on subjects specific to Aboriginal
peoples, like homelessness.
Very specific challenges were identified for researchers and
those thinking about engaging in research concerning
Aboriginal peoples which include:
• Focusing on Calgary`s homeless Aboriginal peoples‟
unique situation, needs and wants;
• Directly involving Aboriginal people in the research
process;
• Ensuring research also includes a prevention focus;
and
• Approaching Aboriginal homelessness from an
Aboriginal perspective that considers both the physical
and spiritual needs of an individual in prevention and
interventions strategies that may be considered.
This type of research has real tangible outcomes and remains
more meaningful to the Aboriginal community, which are
consistent with the ethical research principles of OCAP (First
Nations Centre, 2007).
These recommendations are also similar to those that came
out of a City of Calgary public consultation with Aboriginal
homeless people in 2007 (City of Calgary, 2009).
6. RECOMMENDATIONS
• At the Moment
Currently in Calgary, the homelessness of Aboriginal peoples
has continued to be a challenge. It remains on the radar of
some public documents such as the Calgary`s 10-Year Plan
PRINCIPLES OF OCAP
Ownership: refers to the
relationship of First Nations to
their cultural knowledge, data,
and information. This principle
states that a community or group
owns information collectively in
the same way that an individual
owns his or her personal
information.
Control: affirms that First
Nations, their communities and
representative bodies are within
their rights in seeking control
over all aspects of research and
information management
processes that impact them. First
Nations control of research can
include all stages of a particular
research project-from start to
finish.
Access: First Nations must have
access to information and data
about themselves and their
communities, regardless of where
it is currently held. The principle
also refers to the right to First
Nations communities and
organizations to manage and
make decisions regarding access
to their collective information
achieved in practice through
standardized, formal protocols.
Possession: while ownership
identifies the relationship
between a people and their
information in principle,
possession or stewardship is more
concrete. It refers to the physical
control of data. Possession is a
mechanism by which ownership
can be asserted and protected
(Excerpt from OCAP: First Nations
Centre, 2007).
21
to End Homelessness, the Aboriginal Standing Committee on Housing and
Homelessness Strategic Plan 2010-2011, the Calgary Homelessness Foundation
Business Plan for 2010-2011, and the Aboriginal Friendship Center of Calgary and
University of Calgary (Aboriginal Homelessness: Looking for a Place to Belong, 2010).
A specific focus of mandated research on Aboriginal homelessness can be found in the
Calgary Homeless Foundation Business Plan for 2010-2011 which was released March
23, 2010. Elements of the business plan include:
• A focus in on key populations, particularly Aboriginal and youth;
• To develop plans to end youth and Aboriginal homelessness;
• A commitment to Aboriginal programs as priority investments provincially; and
• Utilize the Urban Aboriginal Housing (UAH) funding stream under the federal
Homeless Partnering Strategy Program as an opportunity to work directly with
the Aboriginal community to develop and implement a plan to end Aboriginal
Homelessness in Calgary.
The Aboriginal Standing Committee on Housing and Homelessness Strategic Plan
2010-2011 also identifies the following elements:
• One of the four goals is to develop an urban Aboriginal `Housing First` Plan that
is culturally relevant and inclusive, with an additional focus on a research
agenda;
• A second goal is to develop a Memoranda of Understanding with the Calgary
Homeless Foundation as a means of gaining Aboriginal representation on their
Board of Directors.
Most recently, a call for Aboriginal representation on the CHF Board of Directors was
circulated and remains a goal of the CHF.
These strategies are consistent with the feedback from the participants to the Gathering
and provide promising beginnings of a move to collaboration and action that directly
involves direct Aboriginal people in the process from the onset.
`Something happened to each and every one of these people we see out
there`. (Participant Voice, Aboriginal Homelessness Community
Gathering, March 2010).
22
Recommendations
The Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary (AFCC) and University of Calgary are
hopeful that this report on the Gathering, along with the Aboriginal Homelessness:
Looking for a place to belong (2010) document that includes the Background Report
and Environmental Scan on Aboriginal homelessness, will be useful to the participants
to the Gathering. The documents are also intended as a resource to inform the work
that is being conducted and supported by various groups, agencies and levels
governments in the City of Calgary on the subject of Aboriginal homelessness.
The following 7 key recommendations arising from the Gathering are:
1. An invitation is extended to the community to utilize the findings from this report
to guide processes and initiatives that address Aboriginal homelessness in
Calgary.
2. That inter-sectoral collaborative initiatives, include the direct involvement of
Aboriginal peoples, and encompass service delivery, policy work, and research
specific to Aboriginal homelessness as outlined in the findings of this report.
3. An accountability of the funding earmarked specifically for urban Aboriginal
homeless people on an annual basis, combined with proportional funding to the
Aboriginal community homeless demographic in the city of Calgary.
4. Organizations incorporate changes that include built-in funding to develop the
organization‟s cultural safety for serving Aboriginal homeless clients, and to build
the overall cultural competency of the organization.
5. Funders need to understand the social political context of non-profit
organizations and work with them to respond to the Aboriginal homeless
mandate by providing resources to:
(a) Build leadership;
(b) Provide economic resources; and
(c) Facilitate inter-agency collaboration.
23
(d) Research shows that Aboriginal Friendship Centres are a key component of
an organized service delivery system in urban centres; therefore, sustaining
and building the capacity of urban Aboriginal Friendship Centres is a strategy
that needs to be supported by the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community.
7. That Aboriginal homelessness initiatives include an evaluation component that
report on outcomes and fulfill the principles of OCAP and are consistent with the
CIHR research guidelines involving Aboriginal peoples.
8. NEXT STEPS
The next steps in the process of addressing Aboriginal homelessness in Calgary
remains the responsibility of the community as a whole, inclusive of individuals, service
delivery agencies and organizations, and various levels of government. Successful
prevention and intervention strategies will be measured by the impacts that they have
Aboriginal homeless peoples themselves and the level of commitment that the
community as a whole can make to end Aboriginal homelessness in Calgary.
As recently reported in the Environics Institutes Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study (2010):
Urban Aboriginal peoples are seeking to become a significant and visible part of
the urban landscape. Six in ten feel they can make their city a better place to
live, a proportion similar to non-Aboriginal urban dwellers.
Searching for a place to belong continues to be a goal for Aboriginal peoples when they
transition to the cities. Calgary is no different. The challenge is to find strategies to make
these transitions smoother with less risk of becoming homeless.
The collaborative work between the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary and the
University of Calgary, Department of Community Health Services, Faculty of Medicine
will continue with the undertaking of a second study involving a survey to identify best
practices when working with urban Aboriginal homeless peoples.
``They say it takes seven generations to heal, but I think it`s going to take
a bit longer`` (Participant Voice, Aboriginal Homelessness Community
Gathering, March 2010).
24
Quotes from Participants , Aboriginal Homelessness Gathering, March 2010:
“You go from being homeless to being poor.” (on the best intervention after Housing First).
“What I need is something I can cut and paste into a funding application – interesting
words describing Aboriginal homelessness and statistics.”(on usefulness of research).
“They are like family sharing in the streets; put people into homes and they will not stay
long with no supports. Individuals need supports.” (on pathways out of homelessness for
Aboriginal people).
“We are researched to death.” (one first response to the focus group discussion questions).
“I saw a perfect tenant lose his housing because of all the extended family who came to
stay” (Participant).
“Where do we start creating this healthy family?” (Participant).
“Maybe they can start teaching the history correctly, too (on the lack of awareness by
educators about Aboriginal people).
.
25
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary and University of Calgary. (2010). Aboriginal
Homelessness: A place to belong. Funded by Canadian Institutes for Health Research
with support from the City of Calgary, FCSS: Calgary.
Aboriginal Standing Committee on Housing and Homelessness. (2009). Strategic Plan
for the Aboriginal Standing Committee on Housing and Homelessness (ASCHH) 2009-
2011: Calgary.
Calgary Homeless Foundation. (2010). CHF 2010-2011 Business Plan Presentation to
CAC: March 23, 2010: Calgary.
Canada. (1996). Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Volume 2.
Restructuring the Relationship: Part 1. Minister of Supply and Services Canada: Ottawa.
City of Calgary. (2009). Overview of Aboriginal Homeless in Calgary: Facts, Best
Practices and Recommendations. City of Calgary, Community Neighbourhood Services,
Social Research Unit: Calgary.
City of Calgary. (2008). Fast Facts 2: Affordable Housing Calgary: Definitions Related to
Homelessness. City of Calgary, Community Neighbourhood Services, Social Research
Unit: Calgary.
City of Calgary. (2007). Affordable Housing Calgary: Fast Facts 07; Facts and Statistics
on Homelessness and Affordable Housing: Calgary.
First Nations Centre. (2007). OCAP: Ownership, Control, Access and Possession.
Sanctioned by the First Nations Information Governance Committee, Assembly of First
Nations. Ottawa: NAHO (National Aboriginal Health Organization).
Four Winds and Associates. (2005). Bringing It Together: A Gathering on Aboriginal
Homelessness in Edmonton: Final Report. April 12, 2005: Edmonton.
Institute for the Prevention of Crime. (2008). Homelessness, Victimization and Crime:
Knowledge & Actionable Recommendations. University of Ottawa.
26
University of Calgary. (Undated). Risks and Assessments for Homelessness
Prevention: A Literature Review for the Calgary Homeless Foundation. University of
Calgary: Calgary.
27
APPENDIX 1
Listing of Participants/Agencies/Government
Representatives to the Gathering on Aboriginal
Homelessness, Dream Centre, March 19, 2010
Carol Mason, Aboriginal Friendship Center of
Calgary (AFCC)
David Turner, AFCC
Katy Isaac, AFCC
Tiffany Jones, AFCC
Marion Weiss, AFCC
Brad Fisher, AFCC
Carol Specht, AFCC
Marion Lerat, AFCC
Lawrence Gervais, AFCC
Dennis Hodgson, AFCC
Cynthia Bird, AFCC Senate
Scott Calling Last, Elbow River Healing Lodge
Alanah Woodland, University of Calgary (U of C)
Angela Waldie, U of C
Sarada Eastham, U of C
Tiffany McCabe, U of C
Duyen Nguyen, U of C
Cherie Nicholson, U of C
Dustin Louie, U of C
Candace Lind, U of C
Billie Thurston, U of C
Mike Boyes, U of C
Sajid Ali, U of C
Lynn McIntyre, U of C
Richard Mugford, CUPS
Robert Perry, CUPS
Kate Reeves, Wild Rose United Church
Michelle Kunz, CMHA
Vivane Theriault, CMHA
Erin Partridge, CPS
Diane Lee, Calgary Board of Education (CBE)
Walter Twiddy, Neighbour Link
Heath McLeod, Calgary Homeless Foundation
(CHF)
Alina Tanesuu, CHF
Jeff Halvorsen, CHF
Pamela Goden, Calgary John Howard
Tracia Haggarty, Elizabeth Fry
Carole Phillips, URSA
Crystal Llewellyn, URSA
Jeanette McDonald, Mustard Seed
Susan Morley, Mustard Seed
Joanne Pinnow, United Way
Diane Altwasser, United Way
Kathy Christiansen, Alpha House
Gail Mc, Community Housing Discovery House
Lisa Garrisen, The Alex
Eve MacMillan, Sunrise Native Addictions Society
Lawrene Braul, Trinity Place Foundation
Ethel Stonechild, Discovery House
Earl Thiessen, Oxford House
Joan Wilson, Aboriginal Standing Committee on
Homelessness
Anne Zacharias, Service Canada
David Ray, Aboriginal Relations
Colin Penman, Secretariat for Action on
Homelessness-Housing and Urban Affairs
Jessica Garland, Secretariat for Action on
Homelessness-Housing and Urban Affairs
Sharon Goulet, City of Calgary, FCSS
Shelby
Cynthia Gallop
Jennifer Stacey
Jennifer Blair
Donna Turnbull
Jerry Arshinoff
28
APPENDIX 2 Summary of Focus Group Discussions #1: Pathways In
and Pathways Out of Homelessness for Aboriginal
People PATHWAYS INTO HOMELESSNESS PATHWAYS OUT OF HOMELESSNESS
OVERALL SUMMARY OF PATHWAYS INTO
HOMELESSNESS FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLES:
Systemic, societal factors such as
addictions, poverty, violence (including
domestic violence), environments and
systems related to racism (i.e. policies
such as the Indian Act), and lack of
relevant supports for Aboriginal peoples;
Historical and cultural trauma factors
related to the residential schools
experience, the subsequent inter-
generational impacts on individuals,
families and communities, including a shift
in traditional gender roles among women
and men, dysfunctional parenting leading
to child welfare issues, and the overall
socio-emotional impacts on Aboriginal
peoples as a result of the history of
colonization;
Personal beliefs and capacities impacting
new ideas of kinship, healthy and
unhealthy families, links to culture
influencing health outcomes, and inability
to navigate systems and access supports.
OVERALL SUMMARY OF PATHWAYS OUT OF
HOMELESSNESS FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLES:
Interconnectedness of service delivery
systems that reflect the faces of the people
they are serving, in this case, Aboriginal
peoples; and the ability of the service
delivery organizations to work
collaboratively across disciplines;
Systemic supports reflected in policies and
systems that are free of racism; willing to
work together to break systemic barriers;
and inclusive of Aboriginal people at higher
levels;
Personal beliefs and capacities to
overcome historical and cultural trauma
through positive role models, and build
strong cultural connections and networks
with a sense of shared responsibility to
help others.
Death and incarceration were also
identified as factors that have lead some
Aboriginal people out of homelessness.
Unfortunately, the statistics related to
morbidity and incarceration rates of
Aboriginal peoples suggest there could be
causal relationship.
29
PATHWAYS INTO HOMELESSNESS PATHWAYS OUT OF HOMELESSNESS
Participants expressed pathways into
homelessness for aboriginal peoples in the
form of individual and systemic causal factors:
• Impacts of individual health and wellness
issues i.e. addictions, health conditions;
• impacts of history & colonization i.e.
residential schools, associated inter-
generations impacts of grief and multiple
traumas, cycle of abuse, loss of
connection, assimilation, internal
oppression;
• lack of family supports and positive role
models;
• changes in family, supports, and services;
• domestic violence and violence;
• extension of community wellness or
unwellness;
• personal choices that lead to
homelessness,
• poverty levels that face Aboriginal people
who transition to cities;
• changes in lifestyle, values, kinship
relationships from reserves to cities;
• facing racism and discrimination as a
societal and systemic barrier;
• systemic oppression i.e. schools, child
welfare;
• systemic policies i.e. Indian Act, housing;
• cultural misconceptions by non-Aboriginal
peoples and service delivery agents;
• lack of education/awareness about options
and choices;
• limits in capacity to access supports in a
timely manner to prevent homelessness;
• lack of trust among Aboriginal people due
to historical traumas;
Participants expressed pathways out of
homelessness for aboriginal people in the form
of needs that could be formulated into
recommendations and an action plan:
• establishing interconnected, wholistic
service delivery models that are culturally
appropriate for Aboriginal homeless
peoples and reflects the faces of Aboriginal
people which may involve restructuring
organizations to include Aboriginal
representation at higher levels;
• building multi-dimensional service delivery
models and networks;
• breaking down barriers and addressing
racism and discrimination;
• building strategic collaborative
partnerships;
• supporting access to positive role models;
• establishing support networks beyond
family connections;
• building consistency of supports to
Aboriginal people who are homeless as a
means of rebuilding trust relationships;
• Supporting cultural connections by
providing opportunities for making such
connections to culture, the land, other
Aboriginal people which strengthens the
spirit, identity and sense of belonging;
• providing outreach that includes medical
care and treatment in shelters and
hospitals;
• encouraging and cultivating the spirit while
respecting diversity;
• transitional supports from reserve to cities;
• systemic supports i.e. schools, child
welfare, service delivery agencies,
institutions;
• providing opportunities to strengthen the
personal capacities of Aboriginal peoples;
• a commitment at all political levels to
address the homelessness of Aboriginal
peoples in Calgary;
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APPENDIX 3
Summary of Focus Group Discussions #2: Key Themes
and Potential Research Questions KEY THEMES POTENTIAL RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. Education & Awareness
How would we educate people? What does „having awareness‟ mean?
Where do we start given the conditions under which people are living?
Why aren‟t people learning?
Are we talking about a lack of education or a lack of action?
What personal attributes do „good caseworkers‟ have? What is it about people that make them „able‟ and „good‟ at this work?
2. Leadership & Political Action
What has happened since the apology? The apology was great, now what? What will be done with it?
Plan to end Aboriginal homelessness: what services need to be in place to make this happen?
I would like to see a movement for evaluation from an Aboriginal perspective.
What factors make collaboration (interagency) successful?
How can I communicate what is happening (successes) in my agency in a manner that will help with funding?
What are the successes and why are they working?
3. Spiritual Well-Being
How can Aboriginal people build and maintain their identity?
Why doesn‟t a natural community happen for the Aboriginal population?
Could a local band accommodate the urban population for community activities?
What is the potential role of non-Aboriginal organizations in building spiritual health?
What can be done for Aboriginal youth aged 16-18 to keep them off the streets?
31
KEY THEMES POTENTIAL RESEARCH QUESTIONS
4. Inter-Sectoral Collaborations
What makes a partnership?
What would a non-Aboriginal organization do to increase capacity to help Aboriginal people in a sustainable way?
What are the risks in establishing partnerships? How can partnerships be ethical?
What is the risk and rewards of cost benefit approach versus a community based approach like the one Edmonton is using?
What ethical issues come into housing issues? What can the community action committee do to make sure ethics are being followed?
5. Trauma Resilience factors for those that have experienced trauma but don‟t experience homelessness as compared to those that do experience homelessness
What are the needs of Aboriginal homelessness people?
How does government policy and labelling impact pathways into homelessness?
6. Role of Aboriginal Community
How can they best be involved in dealing with Aboriginal homelessness?
How can traditional components be incorporated into homelessness and housing initiatives?
Elders need to be involved, how can they best be involved?
Research on changing the stigma of homelessness and the impact on the community.
How can community members be successful in housing and how best can community members maintain their homes?
What about an Aboriginal Standing Committee?
7. Child Welfare and Awareness
How to integrate into the community and engage the community- children will always be part of the Aboriginal community; resources supporting community engagement
Evaluate the current timeline for guardianship/custody/reconciliation – 2 years is not enough.
Research what has worked.
32
KEY THEMES POTENTIAL RESEARCH QUESTIONS
8. Poverty How does an Aboriginal person begin to experience poverty during the transition from the reserve to the city?
What will it take for the market driven economy to work with others to address homelessness?
9. Systems (Policies and Procedures)
How can we encourage sustainable, positive mentorship?
How can we build a successful Aboriginal community (“village”) in Calgary and what would its impacts be?
Would an Aboriginal impact lens lead to better policies?
How can you truly educate the Canadian public to be sensitive to Aboriginal issues?
What changes in the policy, act, and wording needs to happen?
10. Research with a focus on Aboriginal Peoples
Are we using the research that we currently have? “We are researched to death”, Participant Voice.
Research needs to focus on Calgary, our unique situation, our needs and wants.
Research needs to be conducted for, with and by Indigenous people.
“Get out of the box” – need to change, need education, to have courage to change – to do research.
Research needs to be done on prevention, remove stigma on homelessness.
What are they (Aboriginals) willing to do for their own people? Get the Aboriginals involved.
Get Aboriginals to decide what the research questions should be.
What are First Nations willing to do to address homelessness of their own members?
There needs to be recognition that life is two parts, one is physical and the second is spiritual. When the spirit is full, life is different (Aboriginal Elder Participant).
33
APPENDIX 4
Evaluation Feedback from Participants
Evaluation feedback is based on sixty-one (61) participants to the gathering with thirty-
eight (38) evaluations returned, which is a return rate of 61%.
Participants were asked to grade seven (7) categories according to the following scale.
A ``no answer`` column was added to account for the 23 participants who did not
complete an evaluation feedback form.
Category Excellent Good Fair Poor No Answer
1. Facility 42% 19% 0% 0% 46%
2. Food 37% 26% 0% 0% 62%
3. Keynote Speaker 23% 11% 0% 0% 66%
4. Formal Presentation 13% 37% 6% 0% 41%
5. Environmental Scan 31% 18% 3% 2% 46%
6. Afternoon Group 25% 23% 3% 0% 49%
7. Did sessions help
identify and set a
research agenda
13% 28% 7% 0% 51%
Summary of Evaluation
Overall, it can be said that a high majority of participants to the Gathering were satisfied
with the facility, food, the information shared, and the outcomes of the discussions and
focus group sessions.
• The Dream Centre was the facility that was utilized for the Gathering. It was well
received and highly rated by participants.
• The food was very well received. It was catered by Black Powder, an Aboriginal
owned business that provided authentic Aboriginal foods.
• The keynote speaker was highly rated. The Planning Committee for the gathering
was fortunate that Mr. Tom Jackson was able to provide a replacement on short
notice.
34
• The formal presentation was rated “good” by the majority. It took the form of a
PowerPoint Presentation.
• The environmental scan document was very well received and highly rated by
the participants.
• The afternoon sessions also highly rated. They provided an opportunity for
participants to interact and share perspectives and experiences related to
Aboriginal homelessness.
• The majority of participants thought that the gathering did a good job identifying
and setting a research agenda for Aboriginal homelessness.