Supporting the creation of a new model for healing intergenerational trauma for First Nations families through dedicated, collaborative and flexible project development services.
Muskowekwan First Nation is home to one of the few remaining standing residential schools in Canada. While the residential school has been closed for decades, the long-term legacy of trauma remains embedded in the lives of First Nations people in the area. It was important to the community that a better model for healing be developed for First Nations people, by First Nations people. Rachelle Holterman was engaged a number of years ago to facilitate, through engagement and collaboration with the community, the creation of a vision and concept plan for the Muskowekwan Family Healing and Wellness Centre. The Centre is specifically designed to focus on healing families, not just individuals, through a wide range of mental health, wellness services and life skills programming, with the foundation of cultural and traditional supports being weaved throughout the healing journey.
As project manager, Rachelle has played a variety of roles to advance this complex initiative working with community leadership and a number of project stakeholders to build awareness and support. The project planning launched to reality after an application that Rachelle developed for the ISC Indigenous Homes Innovation Initiative was successful in the Muskowekwan project being selected as one of 24 projects from across Canada from 342 applicants. The Centre is currently under construction and is expected to launch operations mid 2022.
Photo credit KDM Constructors