Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 29/99) - The Western NWT Residential Schools Interagency Committee, which has been in operation for over a year, will be conducting business from its first official office in April.

The move into a central office in Yellowknife is just one step the committee has taken to make it easier for communities to co-ordinate their efforts to provide healing education and seek justice for the victims of the residential school system.

Harold Cook, the committee's residential school aftermath advisor, said the committee is consulting with communities to get direction on the initiatives it is working on. Several residential school survivor groups from the communities have joined the interagency committee and members from the groups are working to develop a strategy for healing.

"We have eight (survivor groups) so far," said Cook. "Some (survivor groups) are forming in the Delta and in (Tuktoyaktuk)...we have been talking to them and they are interested (in becoming involved in the interagency)."

The committee also has the co-operation and membership of several aboriginal groups, such as the Dene Nation and the Native Women's Association of the NWT, as well as various churches.

Through the co-operation of the members and the communities, the committee is identifying and organizing workshops that will be accessible to communities seeking education and awareness about the residential school issue. It is also co-ordinating information about possible funding sources available to communities wishing to start up survivor groups.

The committee is also forming a resource library in its new office, as well as compiling a list of resources which people can access.

Cook said the committee's healing team has also been training community wellness workers and members of survivor groups to assist victims of residential schools and help them seek justice through the legal system using the guidelines of a general strategy.

"We have a strategy, we have a system, we are experienced and we know how to help the client make statements (to RCMP and the courts)," said Cook. "Because of our record in dealing with these issues we get people coming to us all the time. They can feel comfortable coming to us because we are a healing team. Some of them (healing team members) are victims themselves and can give good positive support that the victim needs to be able do this. They are there for support before, during and after court."

The wellness workers and members of survivor groups receiving the training have also been receiving help for their own issues of healing.

"They deal in confidence with the residential school victims so they have to be comfortable with their own issues," said Cook. "A community care-giver has to be well themselves and has to deal with their own issues first. If a court case is coming up we need them to be trained in that area, but also to be well."