Civic Ballroom North

Join Karen and Jackie for this fireside chat about their Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations’ journey, working together to achieve culturally safe service delivery for children, families and community. They’ll share stories about the successes and challenges they’ve encountered along the way as they braid Indigenous culture and perspectives with western medicine and find new ‘best practices,’ and the steps taken to deepen their relationships as organizations, with children and families and Indigenous communities. You’ll also learn about ongoing strengthening of cultural knowledge and understanding and how this is incorporated into their work. Their chat will end with a vision for the future and the opportunity for questions and further discussion with audience members.

Kenora Chiefs Advisory (KCA) represents thirteen First Nations in close proximity to the city of Kenora, Ontario. KCA’s Niigaanning Bimaadiziwin (Future Life) Child & Youth Development Services is a community-based, family centred program delivering services to Anishinaabe children with disabilities, by blending Anishinaabe cultural knowledge with western methods of rehabilitation to support children and youth to reach their full potential: mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

FIREFLY is a multi-service, non-profit organization providing a wide range of services dedicated to supporting and strengthening the health and well-being of families, children and youth through emotional, physical, developmental, and community services. Staff are located in six sites throughout the Treaty territories of 3, 5 & 9. FIREFLY works in partnership with Indigenous organizations throughout the region to deliver pediatric rehabilitation services in community.

3 Key Takeaways
1.  Achieving a Culturally Safe Service Model
2.  Combining both western methods with Indigenous approaches
3. Strategies for making it work – Reciprocal Capacity Building
 

Karen Foster, Director of Niigaanning Bimaadiziwin Child & Youth Development Services, Kenora Chiefs Advisory
Jackie Hummelbrunner, Director of Service Excellence and Partnerships, Firefly