BOARD [Ontario opens Canada’s first secure custody facility for Aboriginal youth.]
SUPER [Michelle Strachan
Aboriginal Youth Worker, Fort Frances, Ontario]
Michelle Strachan: One of the things that our Aboriginal youth struggle with is being able to identify with who they are. Those are the things that bring them to the facility is because they don’t know who they are – and they want to know who they are. And if we can feed into that, that’s a really great place for them to start.
BOARD [Fort Frances, Ontario]
Michelle Strachan: Ge-Da-Gi-Binez brings a uniqueness to the Canadian youth justice system by approaching it through a traditional, holistic understanding, behavioural interventions, programming and servicing from a traditional perspective. The majority of our workers here are aboriginal.
SUPER [Chief Jim Leonard
First Nations Chiefs Council]
Chief Jim Leonard: This facility is important to the community. I think that our kids, when they enter the system they have a better chance of learning their culture, becoming productive citizens in the community.
SUPER [Richard Bruyere
Director, GeDaGiBinez Youth Centre]
Richard Bruyere: It’s the first of its kind in Canada, dedicated solely for the use of the Aboriginal youth. They know what it takes to reach an Aboriginal because they are Aboriginals themselves.
Michelle Strachan: When we do restorative justice we do it in a circular setting. It contains our traditional values.
SUPER [Deb Matthews
Minister of Children and Youth Services]
Deb Matthews: Aboriginal youth, who are in custody, have challenges. We thought that it was important to build a place where Aboriginal youth could work with Aboriginal Youth Workers. And when it is time for them to leave they will be less likely to reoffend. We know that kids are going to do better.
Michelle Strachan: We hope that when youth leave the facility that we’ve been able to help them broaden their knowledge of who they are as Anishinaabe people.
BOARD [ontario.ca/youthjustice]