Quebec First Nation trials new anti-bullying technique
A small Mohawk community near Montreal is taking steps to address youth violence by implementing an internationally recognized anti-bullying program, supported by federal funding.
The program will roll out over the next few years in Kanesatake with a goal of giving youth the tools to reclaim their identity and social responsibility.
Bullying in Indigenous communities is a serious issue, especially in schools. Almost a third of First Nations youth across the country have experienced traditional bullying or cyberbullying.
But it's just one of many challenges facing local youth in Kanesatake. Jeremy Teiawenniserate Tomlinson, executive director of the Kanesatake Health Center, said in addition to physical violence, emotional and psychological violence is prevalent in schools.
The community is also dealing with gun violence, gang activity, organized crime and an increase in cannabis-related concerns.
For over 20 years, Kanesatake has been without its own police force, relying on provincial authorities that often don't understand or respect the community's needs, said Tomlinson, who accrued 17 years of operational policing experience with First Nations prior to assuming his current role.
The local police force was disbanded in 2004 and Quebec provincial police have been patrolling the area since 2005. Recently Kanesatake has been dealing with illegal dumping and residents say it's a symptom of a larger lawlessness in the community.
Bullying in Indigenous communities is a serious issue: almost a third of First Nation youths across the country have experienced traditional or cyberbullying — and it's not just physical, but emotional and psychological as well.
Tomlinson believes addressing bullying and violence starts with restoring cultural practices that had long been a part of Kanesatake society, but were lost over generations as a result of colonization and intergenerational trauma.
"Policing is a tool in ensuring safety, but it's not the be-all, end-all," said Tomlinson. "Within the constructs of Indigenous culture, policing was not something that existed for us before. It was rather those strong values and social systems in place that ensured the safety of everybody."
The Kanesatake Health Center, a community health clinic that Tomlinson is now leading, is adapting the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program for reducing bullying in schools.
The program was developed in the 1980s by Norwegian psychologist Dan Olweus to address bullying in schools through systemic change. School-wide efforts include staff training, clear anti-bullying rules and monitoring areas where bullying is most likely to happen. It has been used in the United States, Norway and Germany and has reduced bullying by 30 to 50 per cent in some areas.
Public Safety Canada is providing about $800,000 to the center for the program to help create safer communities and reduce youth violence.
A key part of the program is the involvement of local leaders, elders and parents in shaping how bullying prevention will be taught. Once local leaders and stakeholders are trained in the framework, the program will gradually roll out over the next four years in schools and youth programs.
The center will adapt the model to Indigenous cultural values, community health, healing and cultural revitalization. Instead of 'punishing bad behavior' the program will focus on rebuilding relationships within the community, based on Indigenous teachings.
"We're trying to rekindle in our people, in our children, to help them regain their sense of identity and agency so they can become leaders in their healing and journey to reclaiming their Indigenous identity," Tomlinson said.
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