Building a Space for Connection and Healing

Brenda Jerome

Edmonton is home to the largest Inuit population south of the sixtieth parallel, yet when Brenda Jerome heard that for the first time she was surprised. “There’s lots of us here in town, however they’re usually not staying long. The biggest gathering I have been to so far was for Inuvialuit day last year - there were about 80 people there for the event. Perhaps if this centre was built, I would be able to find and connect with more people from Inuvik.”

Brenda feels this kind of connection is important, to combat the sense of isolation many Inuit people feel when they live far away from their home communities. “I think a lot of people from up north find the city very lonely,” she says. “I was talking with my nephew who is here with his family while his girlfriend goes to school. They feel isolated and find it hard to connect with others while they are living here.”

Brenda thought the idea of the Indigenous Culture and Wellness Centre was a good one - especially for Inuit living in Edmonton. She said they had something very similar in Inuvik. “We had everything at our centre - weddings, celebrations, funerals, cultural events. At first people were coming in for the larger events, but over time more people would just drop by and also began to register for some of the programs hosted there. It became a community hub.”

“One thing I loved that we had in the centre was it didn’t matter how many times you volunteered - you were acknowledged on our volunteer wall. We also had an Elders wall where all the old people from the community had photos and names beside them.” Brenda reminisced about a young boy coming into the center once when it was closed and she went over to him and asked him what he was doing. “That’s my Naanak!” he was pointing to his grandma on the Elders wall. She said every time she saw him after that, he came to say hello to her. “I really feel those types of additions to the centre help build pride and a sense of connection to the greater community. For that reason, I think Edmonton would benefit greatly from having a centre similar to the one we have back home.”

“I grew up on the land until I was 11 and at that point I had to go to residential school. Going in, I felt confident in who I was and it although it was a difficult time for me - I consider myself lucky that I knew so much about myself and where I came from. My aunties and some of my friends were not so lucky and had to go to residential school from age 6-18. They don’t know how to hug. They lost their confidence and their culture. There’s many of us who can’t move on.” Brenda feels the centre could help with that. “In Inuvik, we had a healthy mothers program that I helped run and women found skills they didn’t know they had. I still get messages today from community members who are still working on their sewing and send me pictures of a baby strap they finished. They are so excited and proud, and so am I.”

It may seem like small steps, but Brenda feels that connection to culture is key to regaining the confidence to carry on. “The Centre needs to be a balance between a place for families to come on weekends to engage in activities and events, and also a place for wellness and healing. The activities will get them in the door and the programming will pique their interest into moving on past their traumas.”