Healing lodge set for construction

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With the broadening Aboriginal wholistic approach to reintegrating Aboriginal offenders into society, the Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation has plans set in place for a $6.5 million healing centre.

"We have been working on this since 1990," said Harry Michael, the project manager. "When the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge was built in Maple Creek we expressed some interest and did some negotiation with the federal government at that stage. We were not successful but had continuing interest."

In January of 1999, the joint proposal submitted by Correctional Services of Canada and the Beardy's Justice Commision was approved. Last March, the First Nation held a community referendum with 71.5 per cent in favor of the facility. For the first 10 years, the Willow Cree Healing Lodge will be run by Corrections Canada. After that, an agreement will be negotiated that will see it revert to band control.

"In terms of creating employment for our community, more than 50 percent of up to 40 people will be from Beardy's," said Michael. "We have done some preparatory type of training to help people so they will have a training package to qualify for different entry level positions. We have 12 of our band members who are taking the Correctional Officer training at SIAST in PA."

Career planning and vocational training will continue for band members who are interested in pursuing a career at the lodge. In addition to hiring full time employees, the lodge will hire contract personnel for cultural training and personal development.

(See Healing on page 11.)

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"A lot of the programs and the way we handle corrections doesn't meet the needs of Aboriginal offenders," said Michael. "Statistics bear out that Aboriginal offenders are over-represented and tend to serve a greater portion of their sentence. We want to address that issue through programs at the facility."

Through the wholistic approach, the centre will provide spiritual, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing for inmates that are classified as minimum security. The lodge will have a bed capacity for 40 male offenders who are serving a federal sentence of two years or more.

"We would look at the escape risk since it is a minimum security facility for them," said Michael. "And what their attitude towards rules, regulations and respect of programs. And we would look at their criminal history that the public would be concerned with, like sexual deviancy. If they don't meet the criteria we won't accept them. The bottom line is they have to want to make changes internally within themselves."

Construction is expected to begin during the 2000-2001 fiscal year and the lodge will begin accepting offenders in January of 2002.