Community support needed to give Wicihitowin direction

Wicihitowin, which metes out government dollars to programs that serve Aboriginal needs in Edmonton, is struggling for community input.

Executive Director Lyle Frank said more community involvement is needed to accurately prioritize the demands of the Indigenous population.

“In the Aboriginal community a lot of us have got into this mode of having people do for us, and we are saying, well, if you really want change you have got to do it yourself,” said Frank. “What we are trying to do is entice them to come out and give them an opportunity to work on the issues.”

Wicihitowin has eight action circles that meet monthly to discuss the immediate needs of Aboriginal residents. The circles pursue areas of education; employment and training; economic development; health and well-being; history, culture and language; housing, justice; and Tawow Connection.

“It’s critical we get (community) involvement,” said co-chair of the Tawow Connection Circle Lise Robinson at the 2010 Wicihitowin Community Gathering on June 11.
Robinson was one of several speakers at the two-day event designed as an opportunity for Wicihitowin to share the accomplishments and goals of the non-profit organization.

Since 2008, Wicihitowin has helped to connect funders to programs. The community action circles help identify immediate needs.

The three main funding sources are the Aboriginal Relations departments through the provincial and municipal governments and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

The current granting cycle will connect local organizations with $750,000.

Robinson has begun to utilize social networking sites like Facebook to connect with younger generations and solicit more activity in her designated circle.

“In order to help our community, we need participation,” said Donna Knebush of the employment and training action circle. She added that there are weeks when only she and three other people show up to the meetings.

Edmonton Native Healing Centre recently received grant dollars though Wicihitowin. The extra funding helped to facilitate the Striving for Excellence program, a youth-driven program that provides educational, recreational, cultural, and life-skills programming to Edmonton’s Aboriginal young people aged 15 to 24.

The program has helped to reconnect many of the youth to their culture and encourage high self-esteem, said director Harold Rocher.

Funding facilitated by Wicihitowin has also allowed Dreamspeakers Festival Society to create the Dreamspeakers on Tour project, which gives aspiring Aboriginal youth filmmakers the opportunity to create a short film from start to finish, said executive director Helen Calahasen.

The next granting cycle will begin in October.
Frank said Wicihitowin has selected a consultant to conduct surveys in the Aboriginal community and facilitate focus groups.