Engaging the Healing Power of Communities: Building upon Resiliency, Cultural Values and Identity

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Engaging the Healing Power of CommunitiesBuildin
g upon Resiliency, Cultural Values and Identity

• Presentation by Andrea Williams
• Williams Consulting
• Plenary Session held Tuesday February 10, 2009

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Andrea J. Williams, Williams Consulting

• 25 years experience working with Aboriginal
  communities, particularly focused on culturally
  relevant research, assessment and evaluation with
  Aboriginal organizations and programs in the
  Aboriginal community
• Known for integrating Indigenous knowledge in
  research, analysis, planning
• Specializing in
• Education
• Strategic Planning
• Health
• Public Health
• Early Childhood Development

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Recent Work includes

• Nation-wide comparative analysis of Addictions
  and Mental Health Services provided by Aboriginal
  Health Centres, with a focus on wholistic
  approaches to service delivery
• Ontario Region First Nations Addictions Service
  Needs Assessment
• Approaches for Preventing Chronic Diseases among
  Canadas First Nations and Inuit People First
  Nations
• Public Health Relationship Framework
• Qualitative Research with Parents/Caregivers of
  Aboriginal Head Start On-reserve Children
• The 2002-03 First Nations Regional Longitudinal
  Health Survey

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Working Models

• In this presentation, three models are used to
  organize key messages.
• The models presented are sometimes referred to as
  working wheels or four directional wheels.
  They are based on values and are not sacred
  medicine wheels.
• It is within this context that the circular
  models or working wheels can be representative of
  the diverse belief systems across First Nations
  communities.
• These models encourage us to bring more balance
  to our lives/work or to form relationships and
  work in teams. Rather than working or making
  decisions in silos or isolation, it encourages
  people to unite in a circle.
• By sharing individual diverse gifts, balance is
  created in individual lives, families, and
  communities

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Aboriginal Culture as a tool to Wellness
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Closing remarks

• The knowledge that will support our survival in
  the future will not be an artifact from the past.
  It will be a living fire rekindled from
  surviving embers and fueled with materials of the
  21st century.
• Marlene Brant Castellano