1-Day Youth Workshop
This 5 hour session will look at the spirt of suicide from an Indigenous social justice lens. Suicidality is a natural human response to carrying the burdens of 500+ colonial genocide. In this work we move away from seeing suicidality as something broken within the individual, but a reflection of the brokenness of the invisible systems of oppression that drive the world we live in. We will explore how we can resist the spirit of suicide during our “howling at the moon moments” by utilizing our breath, bodies, land and culture as forms of self regulation
1-Day Parent & Caregiver Workshop
This 5 hour session offers support to the parents, caregivers or family members of bak̓wa̱m youth who live with the spirit of suicide. Folks will learn the language we use when working with the spirit of suicide. Additionally, we will share the tools that we provide to youth to utilize in place of self harm for self regulation. We aim to equip loved ones with the tools and resources to support youth during times of crises.
Our 1-day youth program runs simultaneously with a group for the parents and caregivers of the youth who are attending the 1 day workshop.
11-Week Program Outline
Week 1: Creating a Culture of Belonging & Cedar Brushing Ceremony
Week 2: Suicidality as a Symptom of Attempted & Ongoing Colonial Genocide
Week 3: Impacts of Trauma & How Yoga can help us heal from trauma
Week 4: Creating safety in relationships (polyvagal theory)
Week 5: Neuro decolonization & Trauma Informed Yoga
Week 6: Identifying our Activators & Trauma informed Yoga
Week 7: Weaving our wellness basket & Developing our Solidarity Team
Week 8: Weaving our wellness basket & Developing new strategies in place of self harm
Week 9: Drumming, Singing and Dancing as Medicine & Weaving our wellness basket
Week 10: Cold Water Cleanse Ceremony
Week 11 : Blanketing Ceremony & Trauma sensitive yoga
Train the Trainer & Workbook
This two-day training offers folks a framework for addressing the epidemic of suicidality in Indigenous communities through an Indigenous social justice lens. We see suicidality as a normal human response to carrying the burdens of attempted and ongoing colonial genocide. We aim to equip participants with the tools, knowledge and confidence to bring this work to life in their communities. Folks will learn how to create safe containers for this work.
The workshop will provide a tool kit to support the community in resisting the spirit of suicide and self-harm through utilizing the land, Indigenous Culture, our breath and bodies as tools for wellness and self-regulation.