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Equay-wuk (Women's Group) has received extended funding from the Aboriginal Healing Foundation to restore parenting skills lost due to the legacy of physical and sexual abuse experienced by many in residential schools. The project will be completed in March, 2005.

The goals of the project include:

• the development of a resource centre on parenting for use by Aboriginal women and their families from Northwestern Ontario First Nation communities. Equay-wuk will ensure these culturally appropriate resources on parenting will be available to individuals and communities through our resource library or on our web site.
• the parenting support program will also continue to facilitate parenting workshops at the request of the community during the duration of the two year project. We will make one visit per community during the duration of the project. Workshop topics will include parenting, child development, family healing, personal life management issues and other topics of interest to the community.
• the development of culturally appropriate Native parenting curriculum. This curriculum will be left with the communities for their use. Equay-wuk are planning on providing Train the Trainer workshops to interested individuals once the curriculum is completed.

Equaywuk will establish and maintain linkages with organizations, agencies and communities to benefit survivors and descendants of residential schools who are participating in the program.

The expected results of the Parent Support Program are to strengthen parenting skills and provide support to youth, parents, grandparents and communities in Northwestern Ontario in a culturally appropriate, positive way. Parents will be provided with opportunities to explore positive parenting techniques by facilitating workshops related to parenting. Resources on parenting will be available to individuals and communities through the resource library and on our web site.

Profile of Lorraine Kenny, Parent Support Worker

I am survivor of Residential School. When I was 5 years old, I went to Pelican Lake Indian Residential School. In Grade 7, I got transferred to Shingwauk Residential School in Sault Ste. Marie. Then in Grade 8, I ended up in Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School in Kenora. I am now able to share how this experience impacted my life; my life with my siblings; and my family life. Today, I can say I am happy to be where I am in my life in spite of all the challenging and difficult events that happened.

My personal experience with parenting includes sharing this parenting journey with my husband and four children, three girls and one boy. They now range in age from 25 years to 16 years. The journey with our children has been filled with many challenges and at the same time, we have been able to create many wonderful memories together as a family. I am now a Kokum to a darling granddaughter age 4½ years and an absolutely adorable 11 month old grandson.

My work experience for the past twenty years or so has been in community development in various capacities. Since 1990, my main area of interest has been in the learning and sharing of positive parenting skills. Which brings me to this current position of Parent Support Worker here at Equay-wuk. I look forward to talking with you about your parenting journey.

Profile of Liza Angeconeb, Parent Support Program Assistant

Hi! Everyone, I would like to introduce myself, My name is Liza Angeconeb. I grew up in Sandy Lake. My maiden name is Kakakegumick. I moved to Lac Seul about 14 years ago when I met my wonderful husband. We have three wonderful children, one boy 14 and two girls 10, 7. As of June 18, 2003 I started working for Equay-wuk (Woman’s Group) as the Parenting Support Program Assistant. Although I didn’t directly experience the residential school, my mother and my husband did. I can see the impact it had on their lives.

We can be contacted at:

Equay-wuk (Women’s Group)
Box 1781, 16 Fourth Ave, Sioux Lookout, ON P8T 1C4
Email: parentsupport@knet.ca
Tel 807-737-2214
Tollfree 1-800-261-8294
Fax 807-737-2699
website: www.equaywuk.ca