Thunder Bay, ON – The Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) is recognizing the importance of mental health supports, cultural reclamation and wellness for Indian Residential School Survivors (IRS) and their families. ONWA is launching a 13-part Wellness video series from March 25th to April 5th with videos that focus on themes of healing from grief and loss, family and connection, restoring safety, healthy coping and ongoing mental health strategies.
Traditionally and today, Indigenous women hold leadership roles in their lives, families, communities, and Nations. As grandmothers, mothers, aunties, sisters, and friends, Indigenous women are trusted supports for younger generations passing on wisdom and knowledge about our traditional teachings. Due to colonization, Indigenous women are still being directly, or indirectly impacted by egregious experiences they had in residential schools. As residential school survivors, Indigenous women’s trust in mainstream systems impacts their ability to access support and other wellness-related services.
This video series will recognize the legacy of IRS and the impacts on Indigenous women and their families and provide opportunity for cultural reclamation and the celebration of the resiliency of IRS survivors and intergenerational survivors.
During this campaign viewers will have an opportunity to win one of 100 wellness bundles that correspond to the themes in each video. The bundle includes hand drumming, rattle making, healing turtle and smudge kits as well as items like the Legend of the Four Winds dice game and mental health resources. To enter to win a wellness bundle, please visit ONWA’s social media platforms; one video for each of the 5 themes will be captioned with the details on how to enter, and 20 people per theme will win.
As the ONWA understands how the legacy of IRS impacts other mental health issues survivors currently face, the 13-Part Wellness Series is being presented as part of National Gambling Awareness Month. To learn more, please visit https://www.onwa.ca/indigenous-responsible-gambling.
If you or a family member needs support, the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides 24-hour crisis support to former Indian Residential School students and their families toll-free at 1-866-925-4419.
For more information and Media Inquiries:
Andre Morriseau, Communications Manager
Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA)
Email: amorriseau@onwa.ca
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Watch the Video Series
Join Matt Richer in a heartfelt discussion about restoring safety in your life. Learn about how to protect your body, mind, and spirit. Trust your intuition and pay attention to your surroundings.
Join Matt Richer as he discusses understanding anger and the cycle of escalation. Learn how to deescalate situations by staying calm, giving people space, and controlling your body language to avoid further escalation in a crisis.
Join Matt Richer as he explains practical methods to assess and potentially diffuse violent situations. Learn valuable skills to help manage and deescalate challenging encounters.
Join Amy Vanderzide in the first video of the Mini Meditation Series as she gives an overview of the Community Affirmation Deck. This deck, built by the Ontario Native Women's Association, provides daily positive affirmations in a format similar to tarot cards.
Join Amy Vanderzide in the second video of the Mini Meditation Series as she walks you through the Grandmother Moon Meditation exercise. Connect with the soothing energy of the moon and experience a sense of peace and calm.
Join Amy Vanderzide in the third video of the Mini Meditation Series as she guides you through the Grandmother's Water Meditation exercise. Connect with the healing and purifying energies of water as you experience a sense of renewal and rejuvenation.
Join Amy Vanderzide in the final video of the Mini Meditation Series as she leads you through the Shine Bright Meditation exercise. Tap into your inner light and radiate positivity and strength. This meditation is designed to uplift your spirit and promote a sense of empowerment.
Join Lindsey Lickers, ONWA's Community Safety Liaison and Oshkabewis, as she expands on what it means to be a carrier of a sacred bundle. Learn how this connects to stewardship and being in relation to spirit.
Join Lindsey Lickers, ONWA's Community Safety Liaison and Oshkabewis, as she shares teachings on grief and loss. Learn how these emotions are stored in the body and how the bundle can help break up stagnant energy, fostering safety of spirit from within.
Join Lindsey Lickers, ONWA's Community Safety Liaison and Oshkabewis, as she demonstrates the process of making a drum from start to finish. Gain insights into the teachings of the drum from an Indigenous perspective.
Join Lindsey Lickers, ONWA's Community Safety Liaison and Oshkabewis, as she demonstrates the process of making a shaker/rattle from start to finish. Gain insights into the teachings of the rattle from an Indigenous perspective.
Join Janine Desmoulin and Cherie Toffoli as they provide an overview and teachings on the Healing Medicine Turtle. Learn about the significance of the turtle in Indigenous culture and its role in healing. Gain insights into how the Healing Medicine Turtle can be used to promote wellness and balance.
Join Janine Desmoulin and Cherie Toffoli as they demonstrate the use of the Healing Medicine Turtle. Learn how to incorporate the turtle into your wellness practices for healing and balance.
Join Janine Desmoulin and Cherie Toffoli as they demonstrate how to build your Healing Medicine Turtle. Follow along as they provide step-by-step instructions for creating your own turtle for healing purposes.
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