Conversation on Aboriginal Homelessness: Interview with David Ward
By no means am I an expert, but I do believe aboriginal homelessness is what makes Canadian homelessness different than other countries. And I believe it is a serious social crisis that needs to be addressed as a priority when looking at solutions for Canada. We started the conversation Adrian Wolfleg back in Calgary. Many of you may remember Adrian performed a naming ceremony over me giving me an aboriginal name. Truly one of the greatest honors of my life. I am not aboriginal, and I will never fool myself or others to believe I understand their gorgeous culture and struggles to survive. That said, I felt the best way to share the aboriginal story of homelessness in Canada was to simply empower my new aboriginal friends to tell their own story. We met JR in Kelowna - a wonderful man who now survives by picking "empties". In Yellowknife we met Cassien, Gina and Clayton - each with a powerful story that not only shares the problems of aboriginal homelessness but the solutions. In Saskatoon we met Patrina and her daughter - their family separated because there is no support for family homelessness. In Winnipeg we met Alma - a courageous grandmother who came from the reserves to go to school and get her grand daughter back. You'll meet meeting more people on Invisiblepeople.tv soon. Honestly, I was a little nervous in telling the aboriginal story. I wanted to help more than anything, and I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing for everyone. As I traveled aboriginal leaders and people that I met thanked me for sharing their story. I am genuinely grateful and greatly honored to be given such a huge responsibility. But we have only just started. There is decades of destruction that needs healing and that's not going to happen overnight. The following interview is with Dave Ward, director of aboriginal relations at Homeward Trust Edmonton. This is an important conversation. David talks about aboriginal culture and solutions to ending homelessness. Too me, I think the biggest is listening. We need to listen to their culture and include aboriginal people in the process of finding and implementing solutions. Please watch and share this important video. ________________________________________________ Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/c/invisiblepe... Invisible People’s website: http://invisiblepeople.tv Support Invisible People: https://invisiblepeople.tv/donate On Patreon: / invisiblepeople Invisible People’s Social Media: / invisiblepeople / invisiblepeople / invisiblepeople / invisiblepeopletv Mark Horvath’s Twitter: / hardlynormal About Invisible People: Since its launch in November 2008, Invisible People has leveraged the power of video and the massive reach of social media to share the compelling, gritty, and unfiltered stories of homeless people from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. The vlog (video blog) gets up close and personal with veterans, mothers, children, layoff victims and others who have been forced onto the streets by a variety of circumstances. Each week, they’re on InvisiblePeople.tv, and high traffic sites such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, proving to a global audience that while they may often be ignored, they are far from invisible. Invisible People goes beyond the rhetoric, statistics, political debates, and limitations of social services to examine poverty in America via a medium that audiences of all ages can understand, and can’t ignore. The vlog puts into context one of our nation’s most troubling and prevalent issues through personal stories captured by the lens of Mark Horvath – its founder – and brings into focus the pain, hardship and hopelessness that millions face each day. One story at a time, videos posted on InvisiblePeople.tv shatter the stereotypes of America’s homeless, force shifts in perception and deliver a call to action that is being answered by national brands, nonprofit organizations and everyday citizens now committed to opening their eyes and their hearts to those too often forgotten. Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the way we think about people experiencing homelessness.
