Committing to Indigenous Families Impacted by Violent Crime and the Creation of a Trauma-Informed Service Delivery Model
Chief Danny Smyth
Today is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirited Peoples. To honour the day, and particularly families, survivors, advocates and MMIWG2S+ organizations, red dresses are displayed to raise awareness about violence against Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited peoples.
The Winnipeg Police honours this day by hanging red dresses in the front windows of our headquarters building as a visual reminder of the staggering number of women who are no longer with us.
I speak often of community engagement and our partnerships with groups like the Winnipeg Outreach Network and the Sexually Exploited Youth Coalition. These groups are led by strong women whom I have come to admire very much for their community commitment. Leaders like Leslie Spillet, Diane Redsky, and elected officials like MLA Nahanni Fontaine and MLA Bernadette Smith… and there are so many more women who work tirelessly in our community.
I testified at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in October 2018 where I offered an apology and a commitment to continue supporting the work being led by Indigenous service providers. My apology can be found here.
This is the kind of community engagement I see as important. Partnering with groups like this is the true essence of crime prevention through social development. These Indigenous-led efforts will help break through the social barriers that left unaddressed can often lead to harm.
To ensure that the WPS reflects the needs and expectations of the community, I am committed to partnering with Indigenous-led Service providers like Ma Mawi, Ndinawe, and Ka Ni Kanichihk, and when possible use my voice to support their efforts and lend additional support to their programs;
· This will be done through continued recruitment to ensure the Winnipeg Police is represented by Indigenous officers and employees.
· This will be done by the continued partnership with Indigenous service providers.
· This will be done through continued training and education so that our members understand the generational trauma inflicted upon Indigenous people through colonization, the residential school system, and government-imposed child and family services.
· It will also mean honouring and promoting Indigenous women and men within the Police Service as leaders and role models for our youth.
We are on the right path—and I think the women in our community will play a huge role in helping us to get there.
This week’s Tried & True article is an important piece written by Angie Tuesday. Angie joined the WPS in November 2021, but she distinguished herself as a family advocate long before that. She shares her personal journey and provides her perspective in her role as the Family Resource and Support Advocate.
Angie Tuesday
Family Resource and Support Advocate
Boozhoo ndinawemaaganidog (greetings my relatives),
I joined the Winnipeg Police Service in November 2021 as the new Family Resource and Support Advocate.
My role was developed in response to the findings that were outlined in the Final Report prepared by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the 231 Calls to Justice, which provide direction for governments, police agencies, service providers, and others to decolonize their approaches in supporting Indigenous people. Specifically, it is a response to section 9.1 through 9.4 as well as Call to Justice 9.7.
My personal journey began at the age of 16. My sister and her partner had gotten married the year prior. They had a tumultuous 10-year relationship and there had been a number of domestic violence-related calls for service in the past to address the conflict between them. Her husband ultimately took her life, which thrust my family and I into the Criminal Justice System, an area that remains shrouded in mystery and is difficult to navigate, especially when you are grieving the tragic death of a loved one.
I will forever remember the day my family got the knock at the door. Two men in suits asking to speak with my mom. I remember being scared but not fully understanding who these people were or why they had come to our home. When they returned with my mom, I was told what had happened and that my sister was gone. My heart was ripped out of my chest and it felt like I couldn't breathe. I remember feeling intense grief and waves of anger the likes of which I had never experienced.
Over the days, weeks, and months that followed, I received a crash course in the legal system, how to handle calls from the media, and what is involved in making funeral arrangements. My family and I received support from a Winnipeg Police Victim Services Worker, who connected us to counselling support and provided us with information about the court process. I recall attending court with my mom and sitting there for hours only to learn that the matter had been adjourned to a new date. There were so many questions that we had but it seemed like there were limited support to receive the answers.
I share this part of my life because I believe that it was a defining moment in my journey. After losing my sister, once the grief became more manageable, I decided that I wanted to be able to help other women who were experiencing violence in their relationship. Over the course of time, my career path led me to the social services field where I have provided support to people in a number of different areas from domestic violence, substance use, child welfare, to finally securing a position at Manitoba Justice Victim Services in 2012. In this position, I expanded my knowledge of the Criminal Court process in its current form and the supports that are available to individuals and families who have been impacted by violence. I reflect upon my own experiences to guide me in my work as it gives me invaluable insight into the various manifestations of trauma that may arise following the loss of a loved one.
Throughout my career with Manitoba Justice Victim Services, I provided support to people in the city of Winnipeg as well as rural areas. A few staff from Victim Services were invited to support families of Missing & Murdered Women and Girls at a local gathering in 2016. It was at this gathering that I took a chance to share that I have also been impacted by violence. This was the first time that I had spoken publicly about my own experience of trauma. Soon after, I took a position as the Family Liaison Contact embedded within the Winnipeg Police Service, which offered me the opportunity to meet families and walk with them on their journey through the Criminal Justice System. I will forever be grateful to those families, the Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and others who offered guidance on practices and protocols that would mitigate the impacts of trauma upon Indigenous families. These are the people who showed me what it means to be resilient and who held space for me to learn and grow as an Anishinaabe kwe (woman).
Since taking the position of Family Support and Resource Advocate, I have established connections with colleagues in various Divisions within the Winnipeg Police Service whose work intersects with my own. These include, but are not limited to: The Missing Persons Unit, Homicide Unit, Victim & Volunteer Services Section, and the Indigenous Partnerships Section. These partnerships are crucial as it has opened a dialogue to share some of the challenges that families have experienced in their interactions with police and provide a safe space to discuss one another’s recommendations for creating meaningful changes within our respective units in hopes that it will have a positive impact on families in the future. Perhaps most importantly, these partnerships are an opportunity for the police membership to learn how the impacts of colonial trauma present themselves in the contemporary context, which is directly related to mistrust of police and other government authorities.
My primary focus is on providing trauma-informed support to Indigenous families whose loved ones have gone missing or who have lost their lives to interpersonal violence. With this in mind, I have collaborated with colleagues in the Victim & Volunteer Services Section (Winnipeg Police Service) to explore the current practices for engaging with families who have suffered the loss of a loved one in order to improve service delivery and support offered. This includes streamlining the referral process so that families can receive information and supports earlier on in the investigation as well as providing support during the transition to Manitoba Justice Victim Services when criminal charges are laid.
Community engagement is paramount to the success of the Family Support and Resource Advocate. Without the tireless effort of folks who saw the gaps in service and the need for improved support for families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people, initiatives such as these might never have come to fruition. My unique position allows me to bridge the gap between members of the police service and the community. It is essential to maintain connections with those that support Indigenous people in order to create a safe space for folks to share their concerns and suggestions to improve police practices. This is an opportunity to expand upon the important work that has been happening in the community by giving voice to the Indigenous experience.
In walking with families, I have been given an incredible responsibility to bear witness to their stories of the experiences that they have had within various systems of government. These stories have helped to shape the way I support families and the way in which I have established my role within the Winnipeg Police Service. In taking this role, I have committed to the families, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers who have trusted me with their stories. I am hopeful that, in collaboration with community partners, I can continue to cultivate a deeper understanding of trauma-informed and culturally-safe supports for police members.
Gichi-Miigwech (Thank you very much)