KIZHAAY ANISHINAABE NIIN

Is Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway language) for “I am a kind man”, this phrase guides us in how to engage men to take action to end violence against Indigenous women.

7 GRANDFATHER TEACHINGS

group members

HONESTY

Thunder Bay Indian Friendship Centre Kizhaay Training Group

Honesty in facing a situation is to be brave

Joe Morrison - Elder

WISDOM

Joe Morrison – Elder

To Cherish Knowledge Is To Know Wisdom

RESPECT

 ofifc staff  care for the grandfather staff and bundle items

To Honour All of Creation Is To Have Respect

three women

TRUTH

Ontario Friendship Centre Youth

Truth is to know all of the Seven Grandfather Teachings and to live by them

elderly couple

HUMILITY

Florence and Ernie Benedict – Community Elders

Humility is to Know Yourself as a Sacred Part of Creation

mother and child

LOVE

Amanda and Charles Slipperjack – Barrie community members

To Know Love Is To Know Peace

young man

BRAVERY

Dakota Heon – Indigenous Community Youth Leader North Bay

Bravery Is To Face the Foe with Integrity

ABOUT US

SOME SERIOUS FACTS TO CONSIDER

ABOUT VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIGENOUS WOMEN

22%

In 2020, 22% of female homicides in Canada were Indigenous women; In 2020, 7% of female homicides in Ontario were Indigenous women.

27%

In 2018, 27% of female homicide victims in Canada were Indigenous women.

44%

Indigenous women are 44% more likely to experience some form of intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts

86%

Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA+ women are 86% more likely to experience IPV compared to non-LGBTQQIA+ Indigenous women. Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA+ women are 5 times more likely to experience a partner revealed, or threaten, to reveal their gender/sexual identity

2020 – 2021

In 2020/2021 there was 34% decrease in adult admissions to provincials and territorial correctional services but despite the overall decrease in admissions, Indigenous men represented 30% of the male admissions to provincial and territorial custody

CHALLENGING VALUES

ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND BEHAVIOURS

dakota heon

As a young Indigenous man in Ontario I speak out against violence towards women in Indigenous communities. My vision is to create healthy communities where women and children are safe and respected.

Dakota Heon

Indigenous Community Youth Leader

pauline shirt

When a man chooses to use violence towards a woman he is dispiriting her. He is changing the very spirit she entered the world as.

Pauline Shirt

Elder Advisor to I am a Kind Man

joseph morrison

Kind men respect and honour women. Kind men respect and honour men. Kind men respect all that is sacred.

Joseph Morrison

Elder

HEALING MEN

The Kizhaay Anishinaabe Niin – I am a Kind Man campaign does not privilege one man’s identity over another. The campaign is for all Indigenous men regardless of their skin colour, status, place of birth, where they were raised, or their nation.

20 YEARS OF INDIGENOUS HEALING AND WELLNESS IN ONTARIO

Since its inception in 1994 and over the course of 20 years of service delivery, the Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy (AHWS) has contributed to significant change in negative health outcomes and levels of family violence experienced within Indigenous families and communities in Ontario. The strategy finds its origins as a shared commitment between the Government of Ontario and First Nation, Metis and Indigenous partners working alongside of Indigenous communities in ending family violence, violence perpetrated against Indigenous women and children, and improving the general health and wellness of Indigenous people in Ontario. The Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy esteems Indigenous cultural approaches to program and service delivery and continues its ongoing commitment to end violence and improve overall health outcomes within Indigenous families and communities into the current day. The AHWS 20th Anniversary video commemorates the collective history, growth and accomplishments of the Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy in Ontario.

TAKING ACTION

The Kizhaay Anishinaabe Niin –  I am a Kind Man campaign is a step towards returning to our traditional teachings, respect for each other, and a chance for us to envision a world free of violence.

Community Facilitator Start-Up Fund

The Community Facilitator Start-Up Fund is an Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC) administered grant opportunity to eligible organizations hosting the OFIFC Kizhaay Anishinaabe Niin Community Facilitator Program. The grant can provide programs with up to $5000 to support the delivery of group-based activities and/or public education campaign.

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION

Please submit your completed application by email to: training@ofifc.org

CONTACT US

Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres

219 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1E8
CLICK HERE TO FIND US

* Please be advised that Kizhaay Anishinaabe Niin is a program and training process of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres. The OFIFC provides all training and recognition. All trainers and training sessions must have prior approval by the OFIFC, and the intellectual property of the OFIFC must be acknowledged.

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