“Indigenous homelessness/houselessness and prevention is a very complex issue that has deep historical, structural, social, spiritual, cultural and physical components, among other things.” – Cathy Fournier

In Canada, Indigenous Peoples experience homelessness at a disproportionate rate. Indigenous Peoples make up about 5% of Canada’s population, however, due to structural and historical factors, they represent over 35% of those who experience homelessness. This injustice was the topic of the sixth episode of our ‘Prevention Matters!’ series, ‘Culturally Based Approaches to Indigenous Homelessness Prevention.’

The session was hosted by Cathy Fournier (Canadian Observatory on Homelessness) and featured Clayton Shirt (University of Toronto), Steve Teekens (Na-Me-Res), Bernice Kamano (Portland Hotel Society), and Janine Bramadat (End Homelessness Winnipeg) as panelists.

Together, they spent almost two hours sharing powerful insights on Indigenous homelessness prevention. This blog highlights some of the most notable parts of the conversation.

 

To Start, Let’s Talk About History.

It is impossible to understand Indigenous homelessness without first understanding the historical factors that lead to the current over-representation of Indigenous Peoples who are unhoused in Canada. It is also important to realize that Indigenous homelessness is not new. Indigenous Peoples have been experiencing a housing crisis for over 530 years; since the beginning of colonization, which is the root cause of homelessness for Indigenous peoples (Gabriel, 2023).

Colonization, set in motion through the Doctrine of Discovery, is a dark part of Canadian history. The Doctrine of Discovery, which led to the forced removal of Indigenous Peoples from their ancestral homelands, created a foundation for our current homelessness crisis. It granted European colonialists the religious and moral authority to appropriate and settle on lands that Indigenous Peoples inhabited since time immemorial.

The legacy of colonial policies, such as the Indian Act and residential schools, continues to harm Indigenous communities today. For instance, the residential school system forcibly placed Indigenous children into state-run boarding schools where they experienced abuse, violence and cultural genocide that continues to impact communities across the country.

This history has created profound and ongoing intergenerational trauma which contributes to high rates of mental health and substance use challenges, among many other issues that are connected to homelessness.

“What Does Indigenous Homelessness Prevention Mean to You?”

Our speakers were asked what Indigenous homelessness prevention means to them, and their responses reiterated the fact that when talking about Indigenous homelessness prevention, we must remember the historical, structural, and social context in which it exists.

Steve explained that homelessness prevention means ensuring that there is enough housing across Canada that is adequate, efficient, deeply affordable, and safe for Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous homelessness prevention also involves acknowledging and addressing the intergenerational trauma caused by residential schools, as well as the current child welfare system. Additionally, we must invest in helping youth who are in care develop life skills that will allow them to thrive when they exit care.

Due to factors such as systemic racism, poverty and trauma, Indigenous Peoples are overrepresented in the prison system. As such, homelessness prevention means expanding support for individuals exiting correctional services. It is also critical to ensure that programming is culturally based so that Indigenous communities can provide effective support on their terms:

“I think it’s a crime to not allow Indigenous service providers [to provide] interventions for people leaving corrections and help them reintegrate back into [the] community. We’re the experts on our own culture. It should always be for Indigenous by Indigenous doing the service provision.”– Steve Teekens

Prevention also means moving away from the commodification of housing and shifting towards a humanistic view of housing that sees housing as a basic human right.

“We’ve Always Been Masters of Relationship Building.”

-Clayton Shirt.

Prevention means striving to genuinely connect with people who are struggling and recognizing their humanity, with kindness and compassion.

Clayton’s deep love for his community is evident in his work as a Knowledge Keeper. He strives to create safe spaces for people to open their hearts and heal by getting in touch with their culture and spirituality. Cultivating this sense of safety, and creating a support system for people, is essential for supporting individuals who are struggling.

Bernice Kamano also demonstrates this in her work as a service provider. Her passion is fuelled by her own experience as a survivor of the Sixties Scoop, and she emphasized the importance of making her clients feel safe. She connects with people by sharing her personal story and makes sure her clients feel seen, heard and honoured. This approach extends beyond her work life, and she is deliberate about connecting with people in her community as well, showcasing how compassion is crucial no matter what space you’re in:

“My kids, you know, they hate going for a walk with me, because I can’t walk by anybody without acknowledging them.”– Bernice Kamano

Advice for Non-Indigenous Allies

Our speakers were also asked for suggestions and advice they would give to non-Indigenous organizations providing programming and supports to Indigenous peoples.

Steve noted that Indigenous organizations struggle significantly with underfunding. As a result, hiring Indigenous staff at non-Indigenous organizations contributes to brain drain for Indigenous organizations who often do not have the financial resources and budget to compete with the higher salary ranges that non-Indigenous organizations can often offer. He suggested that instead of poaching Indigenous staff, non-Indigenous organizations should support Indigenous organizations in doing the work for Indigenous communities themselves. One way to be an ally would be encouraging funders to increase funding for Indigenous organizations across the homelessness sector:

“Reconciliation would be […] there being enough resources for Indigenous organizations to grow and thrive and be able to meet the growing demands and needs that are out there for Indigenous communities.” -Steve Teekens

In response to these suggestions, an audience member asked how non-Indigenous organizations could meet the needs of the Indigenous families they are currently supporting if they should not be doing the work of Indigenous organizations. What pathways can be created to begin to support Indigenous Peoples who are unhoused across Canada, while supporting Indigenous organizations as well?

Our panelists recognized that this is a complicated issue that doesn’t have a simple solution. Creating true equity would require us to make some difficult changes in policy and as a society, and although things need to shift, this will not happen all at once.

The ultimate goal is to work together towards a level playing field where Indigenous organizations are able to retain the good staff that they work with while non-Indigenous led supports are available for those who may prefer that option. As a Kwakwaka’wakw service provider at a non-Indigenous organization, Bernice’s work demonstrates that it is key to have Indigenous Peoples lead their work on their terms instead of being prescriptive.

From Janine’s perspective as an ally, working at Indigenous organizations means having a “centre” to come back to for guidance. It is critical to learn about Indigenous ways of Knowing, Being and Doing and apply those guiding principles to the different situations that arise. Allied individuals and organizations must also recognize that Indigeneity is not a monolith, and make sure that there is equitable representation throughout all of their practices.

A Quick Note About Research

When learning from Indigenous communities, non-Indigenous organizations should be aware of Indigenous data sovereignty and ensure Indigenous communities can control the information that pertains to them and their lands. It is so important that they have control over how this information is stored and used because it is a necessary aspect of self-determination. Adding onto this, allied organizations are encouraged to create and encourage the use of wholistic assessment tools in addition to quantitative data.

How Can We Address Barriers for Indigenous Peoples Entering Urban Housing Markets?

Our current housing market is rife with deeply entrenched structural issues that contribute to Indigenous homelessness. When asking the question above, one audience member pointed out how landlords ask for things such as credit checks, references, and cosigners; which can create significant barriers for Indigenous people relocating from rural areas. Steve shared that these housing issues have made it difficult for people in his community to pursue post-secondary education in urban areas as they can’t find a place to live, creating another layer of inequity for Indigenous communities.

Once again, our panelists noted that there isn’t an easy, direct solution for these structural issues. However, Clayton encouraged attendees to trust in their ability to think outside the box and get radical about what solutions are possible. He pointed back to Indigenous knowledges, reminding attendees of the innate abilities we all hold as human beings:

“Go beyond what they give you permission to think about…Trust in Spirit, trust in the Earth, trust in our Mother the Earth, trust in Grandfather Sun, trust in your ancestors, and trust in the Great Mystery, Creator.”

Again, change within such a deeply colonial and inequitable system will not happen all at once, so it is necessary to take baby steps and to continue moving forward in spite of any potential challenges or frustrations.

Conclusion

The homelessness sector is one of the many sectors that need to be deliberate about reflecting, learning and adjusting on an ongoing basis. As you continue to expand your knowledge of culturally based approaches to Indigenous homelessness prevention, keep in mind the complex origins of Indigenous homelessness.

To learn more about preventing homelessness across communities, explore additional episodes of the ‘Prevention Matters!’ series and continue educating yourself through Indigenous sources and perspectives.