Healing Circle

Abstract written by

Elizabeth Benson

Role of Healing Our Spirit

Provide services for Aboriginal People from across Canada with many different cultural backgrounds. Provide services to those living on-reserve/off-reserve, status/non-status, Metis, and Inuit

Stories, Dreams, Dance, Drum, & Ceremony are Healing APHAs are given opportunities to attend cultural events. This helps them to connect with others and their culture. Participation with cultural activities and events is a personal choice for individuals:

• Pow-wows

• West Coast canoe races

• West Coast Cultural Events

• Sweat-lodge ceremony

• Smudge ceremony

• Shakers ceremony

• Cold water cedar baths

• Eagle Feather Healing Ceremony

Barriers to Good Health

Stigma and Discrimination has a direct impact on Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS. Eg. Homophobia, intolerance of Drug and Alcohol abuse.

Lack of knowledge and support programs in rural/isolated Aboriginal communities.

Lack of acceptance of Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS in their own communities.

Lack of Native health care providers

Lack of public health acceptance for native healers.

Healing Our Spirit is committed to:

• Helping Aboriginal people within their own framework

• Provide assistance when asked

• Treat clients in a respectful way

• Provide guidance and direction in a kind and respectful manner

• Use the structure of the Healing Circle to include APHAs.

Challenges APHAs Face• Legal-Child & Family Court, Drug & Alcohol

• Financial-Social Workers, E.I., Work

• Housing/ Shelter-Evictions, Homeless,

• Addictions-Counseling via Detox, Treatment

• Medical-Services in hospitals, and clinics. • Stigma/Discrimination-community

• Mental Illness-Services

7 Sacred gifts from the Creator at birth to use as medicine for the mind, body, heart, and spirit

1.Respect:The value of Harmony, Honor, dignity, and reciprocation

2.Humility: Modesty is element of conduct in Native Society

3.Compassion: Showing kindness. Strive to be tolerant and understanding of situation. Don’t expect rapid responses-patience

4.Honesty-understand that 500 years of oppression and domination pose challenges in delivering health care.

5.Truth-confidentiality and privacy is a human right.

6.Wisdom cultural beliefs and values helps reduce risk behavior, and improves quality of life.

7.Love caring and showing love in a good way.

Support Worker• Helps APHAs deal with practical matters that are confusing

and stressful

• Teaches, guides, directs, and advocates in complex situations in urban/rural communities

• Partners with client to plan and coordinate appropriate services and resources that are needed to achieve a healthy balanced life.

• Assists individuals and families to function effectively while living with HIV/AIDS.

• Assists with funeral arrangements

Forms relationships built on trust, empowerment,and mutual respect

• APHAs learn to move away from unhealthy patterns of interaction.

• APHAs make efforts not to engage in self-destructive behavior

• APHAs live in parameter of finding balance and purpose in their life.

HEALING OUR SPIRIT MANDATETo prevent and to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS To provide care, treatment, and support services to Aboriginal people infected/affected by HIV/AIDSIt is the Society’s belief that: “Everyone is a part of our healing circle, including people with HIV/AIDS. Communities in balance keep the circle strong by working together in caring, supporting, and healing.”

Healing Our SpiritGOALS• To provide HIV/AIDS education prevention workshops throughout BC

• To increase awareness and promote the prevention of HIV/AIDS in rural/urban Aboriginal Communities throughout B.C.

• Provide support to individuals, families and care givers infected/affected by HIV/AIDS.

• To increase community accessibility to HIV/AIDS educational material and resources.

• To increase acceptance of people living with HIV/AIDS in their communities.

Healing Our Spirit BC Aboriginal HIV/AIDS SOCIETY

Incorporated May 1992By Frederick Haineault & Leonard Johnston

Healing Circle

Is a culturally diverse healing tool Healing Our Spirit offered to help Aboriginal families with

and/or affected by HIV/AIDS. They were brought together to an undisclosed location to address

their concerns. Most experienced helplessness or hopelessness in their walk with the AIDS virus.

Like when a member of the family becomes concerned about a loved one and thought if they

worked together on a wellness plan they would resolve their inner conflict.

In a respectful way they communicated their concerns, and together it brought comfort to the

person living with the chronic illness. By engaging and building relationships it mended body

mind and soul. It is good and true medicine for families living with HIV/AIDS. I am glad Healing

Our Spirit responded to their call out for Healing Circles. It was a way for me to facilitate the

grieving process of families affected by HIV/AIDS. Loved ones do leave the family to stay healthy

longer living with a chronic illness. The Healing Circle equipped them with the best changes

needed for successful wellness plan.

Healing Circle

• By providing compassion, gentle guidance, spiritual guidance, loving support, wise teachings, they overcame their fear and began to deal with their health needs.

• The Healing Circle offered new possibilities for better understanding of the disease, self, and the issues at hand.

• The Healing Circle improved communication and collaboration.

• Sacred objects were brought into the Healing Circle. An Eagle feather was held as they spoke and passed to next speaker. Each speaker spoke of his or her heart felt truth. The feather encouraged one to speak from the most undefended place in one’s self.

Confidentiality

Group Rules were set before each session. Rules varied with

each Nation visited.

Speak honestly and truthfully from the heart

Listen intently

Do not cross talk or interfere with what someone is speaking

As a general rule all heard in Healing Circle stays amongst

participants. Unless a waiver or consent had been rendered

before leaving the Healing Circle.

Goals and wellness plans

I noted participants’ problem solved, planned, and created boundaries needed to build learning. They needed to stay present and committed to what is taking place. Each Healing Circle was authentic no matter how dark or unresolved the outcome. Each person left feeling a strong feeling of a plan and connectedness with a loved one. It may off felt less stressed within their physical, emotional and spiritual wounds. The recovery may take time but each person is encouraged to speak from a place of sincerity and truthfulness. Each spoke without interruption, criticism or judgment. It was a time to share their grief, pain, joy and/or humor. The space provided a place for self-empowerment and healing.

About the Sacred Circle

Circles symbolizes the cycles of life. Within Nature: Spring, Summer, Fall, and WinterWithin Life: Childhood, Adolescent, Adult, and Elder

• It is in that circle that we are connecting with all of life, the sacredness, and the continuity of life. Circles stand for respect equality inclusiveness and the continued flow of life.

Eagle feather

By sharing our pains our losses or humor we laugh or we

cry. We can heal our mind, body, and spirit in this way. And

learn more about sharing and communicating our feelings.

That is the reason a feather can help a person focus on him

or herself to have a deeper awareness in their inner world

or inner feelings. They journey to the center of their being

in ceremony. It is when most closest to our Creator, or our

connections to the universal energies.

Courage and bravery• Honesty in facing a situation is to be brave.

• To cherish knowledge is to know wisdom.

• To know love is to know peace.

• To honor all of creation is to have respect.

• Bravery is to face the foe with integrity.

• Humility is to know you as a sacred part of creation

Honesty

Truth is to know all of these things. It is a place

of comfort, wisdom, security, and redness. It is a

place where they come in search for new

directions, abandoning the old, making amends,

righting the wrongs and establishing a new

pathway for tomorrow.

Healing Circle

• A Sacred place directed by a person who intervenes and directs flow of collective energies in circle.

• The number of people participating ranged from 2-20 people gathered in a circular formation to share ideas, hopes, dreams, and cares.