Let Our Relatives In
For many years, many Indigenous leaders and helpers from Winnipeg's inner city have been working towards solutions for our relatives who sleep outside. It has taken many different forms but today I want to shine a light on the 4 main concepts behind #LetOurRelativesIn.
In moments like this, during a polar vortex where it is literally -40°C outside, I am reminded of what can happen when we leave our relatives outside. This temperature can be reached during the daytime, so we have to consider 24/7 services and spaces. We need everyone: governments, private sector, churches, non profits and leaders at every level to use our available resources to make sure no one dies of exposure in a city as wealthy as Winnipeg.
Working Together
Just yesterday, 1JustCity and the Salvation Army demonstrated an excellent level of partnership to provide space to our relatives so they didn't have to sleep outside. This level of working together to make sure no one has to sleep outside if they don't want to, should be the norm. Today, MLA Dr Jon Gerard released a report that I was happy to contribute to outlining 10 recommendations. You can read the entire report here, but know that the #1 recommendation is in line with something I shared last week on CJOB and something MLA Bernadette Smith has recommended in the past: Open several community centres and other city buildings as warming shelters. It makes sense for us to use the existing resources we already have, buildings like churches or malls and of course the many empty Manitoba Housing units.
Since 2017, I've joined other community leaders who organized our system recommendations for homelessness serving agencies into the following 4 areas. Some will sound familiar to the demands of the Not My Siloam group (shout out!) and I applaud everyone who is helping to push these ideas forward.
Indigenous representation at a board and senior management level: it is no secret that majority of our relatives who sleep outside in Winnipeg are Indigenous. According to the Winnipeg Street Census, 70% come from child welfare. That system (CFS) is comprised of 90% Indigenous children. It is only responsible for organizations that serve this community to represent them in who they hire and recieve direction from.
Commit to TRC Calls To Action & MMIWG Calls For Justice: We must do more than just hire brown faces, we have to change the policies that are harmful. The TRC & MMIWG reports have specific steps that organizations can take to move forward with reconciliation and justice.
Healing centred, trauma informed and anti-racist approaches: since so many of our relatives have trauma in their past, we have to be considerate in how services are provided that we do our best to not do things that are triggering. I wish that all of us, but especially those who sleep outside, could have access to culturally safe mental health care.
A meaningful (financial) relationship with Thunderbird House: before the pandemic, TBH would often support our relatives in that area as best they could during the daytimes with food and cultural support. It would be great to see Siloam/Salvation Army/Main Street Project to create partnerships that support Thunderbird House & the services they provide to our relatives. I've also made this ask of city, provincial, federal and private funding bodies. It'll happen someday!!
Thank you to everyone who continues to advocate for our relatives to recieve equitable care and have their basic needs like food and shelter met. I hope we find a way to eliminate homelessness in Winnipeg. Reports and collaboration are helpful. But we need to do more. I haven't even mentioned addressing health needs like trench fever or anti-homelessness architecture, but know that there is always more for me, and all of us to be doing.
Let's get to work, address homelessness in a good way and let our relatives in.
