Social Empowerment & Equity

As each department has 3 tiers of programs and services, in the Community Development Department, all tiers are delivered by the mantra of ‘Living in Harmony with the Land’.

1. Restorative Justice & Violence Prevention

2. Poverty Reduction & Housing

3. Equity & Social Inclusion

This department was created to address the socio-impacts on our people by mainstream society and the impacts of the infamous ‘Oppression Period of the Mi’Kmaw Identity’. This term was coined by Liz LaSaga to represent the period of the 1800s into the 2000s when the Mi’Kmaw identity in Newfoundland was oppressed, under forced assimilation by European influences. The generational impacts from this forced colonialism-based oppression on Indigenous people today spans issues in physical and mental health, addictions, education, employment, justice, literacy, loss of language, poverty, lateral violence, social inclusion, and more.

Flat Bay Band Inc. acknowledges that a full circle of lifestyle and services are essential, and we believe that each component of an individual is deeply connected and a part of all integral components of said person. As well, it is important to understand that there are elements of life and lived experiences that impact an individual and their life realities, choices, and motivations. In order to thrive in one area, our people need all areas satisfied and balanced.

We are not about addressing acute problems or with providing band-aid types of solutions. If an individual gets a job but their house, health, or spirit is not in order, then we realize that we need to support those individuals in other areas that matter.

Ktaqmukuk Restorative Justice Strategy 

In 2014, in partnership with Dr. Rosemary Ricciardelli, Research Chair in Safety, Security, and Wellness at the Marine Institute at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and the Bay St. George RCMP detachment, the Flat Bay Band Inc. established six (6) committees to deliver Extra-Judicial Measures for youth in these six (6) Indigenous (Mi’Kmaw) communities.   

The Flat Bay Band, being the council of the self-governing community of Flat Bay, NL, already had a history of practising restorative justice methods to help keep their youth and band/community members from unnecessarily getting involved with the judicial system.

The gross rate of incarceration of Indigenous Peoples in Canada is often much higher than sum incarceration rate of all non-Indigenous populations in federal institutions. Up to 90% of those people imprisoned in some provinces are Indigenous. The Indigenous population who are incarcerated is significantly younger than the incarcerated non-Indigenous population with a median age of 24 compared with a national median age of 45. Indigenous Peoples have a much population rate as well, therefore judicial interventions are necessary to ensure this growing population does not add to the growing incarceration statistic. It is next to impossible to address this national crisis without a fundamental understanding and awareness of the underlying factors which lead Indigenous Peoples to be in greater contact with the justice system.

These factors include, but are not limited to, poverty, diminished educational attainment, barriers to employment, family disintegration, homelessness, and substance abuse. These factors are the direct result of historical traumas and systemic discrimination.

Indigenous-related justice services in Newfoundland and Labrador tend to be community specific with no province-wide or comprehensive programming available. However, the agencies and groups who are currently working on Indigenous justice-based programs are invaluable resources and need understand the Indigenous profiles they serve and be aware of the lived experience and mindset differences between themselves and the individuals they serve. 

The only funded Indigenous Justice Strategy on the island portion of NL was within the Miawpukek First Nation. The objective of the Miawpukek First Nation Healing and Sentencing Program is to strengthen the capacity of local people and promote community building with regard to justice issues. For five years Flat Bay Band Inc. was an equal delivery agent to Miawpukek First Nation, but we did not have a community-based or core budget. For 2020-2023, we were approved for multi-year funding by Youth Justice – Department of Justice Canada, named the K’Taqmkuk Restorative Justice Strategy.

By establishing the K’Taqmkuk Restorative Justice Strategy and through cultural profiling, we hope to contribute to a vision that reduces youth contact with the law and shrinks the Indigenous incarceration rate. With mental health and addictions related crimes being the highest in the province when compared to rates across the country, competent culturally appropriate education is pivotal to service delivery whereby we aim to work together to increase our awareness of how to adapt our strategies and programs and to identify solutions that:

• Increase the use of Indigenous-based measures, outside the formal court process, that are often more effective in addressing some types of less serious offending and
• Increase the use of Indigenous community-based sentences for less serious offending.

At the start of the K’Taqmkuk Restorative Justice Strategy, on January 25th, 2019, NL Justice Minister, Andrew Parsons announced the province would move to a restorative justice framework and follow the Nova Scotia model. It is timely and vital that the Mi’Kmaw communities become better equipped to work with all levels of the justice system, to help the province follow the Nova Scotia Indigenous justice model, and to customize our Restorative Justice programming based on the NL Mi’Kmaw profile and the respective intricacies of each distinct Indigenous community.

Who do we Serve? 

Youth Clientele 

Up to 2024, our project will focus on youth, specifically those under the age of 18. As discussed in training model, we avoid terms such as “victim” and “crime”. We explore a variety of options that best suit the situation and circumstances as well as the youth and person(s) who were harmed. In addition to our Restorative Justice work, we look to refer participants to other community services of which they may be able to avail.  Our youth do not need to identify as Indigenous – being from a Mi’Kmaq community automatically enables their referral to be considered.

Future Clientele 

After 2024, we plan to grow our target profile to serve all of the island of Newfoundland and Labrador as well as to serve adults, not just youth. Referrals currently come from RCMP only. Our goal is to expand the referral process to Child Protection and In Care Division (CSSD) and the Department of Education through its schools.

All-island Indigenous (Mi’Kmaw) Committees

Our Restorative Justice Committees are composed of individuals of varying backgrounds. We have members who have experience working with youth, corrections, social work, Indigenous groups, or who are community workers, teachers, etc. With the varying knowledge brought to the table, we work collaboratively to ensure we are providing the best support for youth that we can. Our purposes vary per referral, but the main goal remains the same – support our youth and provide the best resources we can to ensure their involvement with the criminal justice system is positive and minimal and keep the reparation of harmed relationships at the forefront.

Where are the Committees? 

Currently eight (8) committees have been formed, that link to the federally identified Indigenous (Mi’Kmaw) communities on the island portion of Newfoundland (outside of the Conne River Reserve, NL).

RJ Committee	Supported by Flat Bay Band Inc. and Partner Band Councils	Partnering RCMP Detachment
1.      Flat Bay	Lead community-Flat Bay Band Inc.	BSG RCMP Detachment, Stephenville, NL
2.      St. Georges	Partnered with St. George’s Indian Band Inc.	BSG RCMP Detachment, Stephenville, NL
3.      BSG South and Surrounding Areas	Partnered with Three Rivers Mi’Kmaw Band Inc.	BSG RCMP Detachment, Stephenville, NL
4.      Burgeo and          Surrounding Areas	Partnered with Burgeo Mi’Kmaw band Inc.	BSG RCMP Detachment, Stephenville, NL
5.      Port au Port West	Partnered with Benoit’s First Nation Inc.	BSG RCMP Detachment, Stephenville, NL
6.      Stephenville and Stephenville Crossing	No band partnerships, supported only by Flat Bay Band Inc.	BSG RCMP Detachment, Stephenville, NL
7.      Central (Gander, Glenwood, and Grand Falls)	No band partnerships, supported only by Flat Bay Band Inc	Grand Falls and Gander RCMP Detachments
8.      Benoit’s Cove and Corner Brook	Partnered with Benoit’s Cove Indian Band Inc.	Corner Brook and Deer Lake RCMP Detachments

Restorative Justice Committee Services

Extra Judicial Measures

EJMs Are all measures outside the formal Criminal Justice System employed by police officers and Crown Attorneys to hold accountable persons in conflict with the law. Appropriate and effective way to address youth crime, allow for timely interventions focused on correcting the offending behavior, EJMs allow early intervention. 

• EJMs provide the opportunity for the broader community to play a role in developing community-based responses to youth crime, and EJMs allow the court to focus on more serious cases.
• EJMs are designed to provide effective and timely responses to offending behavior, encourage young persons to repair and acknowledge the harm caused to the victim and community, and respect the rights and freedoms of young persons along with  being proportionate to the seriousness of the offence.  
• EJM options include taking no further action, warning the young person, police can administer a formal caution, or desired option: Police refer offender to a program or service in the community (restorative justice!)
• Evidence of measures is inadmissible. Evidence that a person has received a warning, caution, or referral or that a police officer has taken no further action in respect to an offence, and evidence of an offence, is inadmissible for the purpose of proving prior offending behaviour in any court proceedings. 
• NOTE: Extrajudicial Measures (EJM) are different from Extrajudicial Sanctions (EJS). Our committees do not currently handle EJS. EJS involves a charge (pre/post), and the Crown Attorney must be the one to make the referral. EJS involves the court and if a youth does not fulfil their commitment to the process, the Crown/court will proceed with the charge. With EJM, the referrals come directly from the RCMP and will not include a charge. There is no “consequence” in not completing the process. In the RCMP’s information system, when a youth is referred to Restorative Justice in place of a charge, it will just show that they have been “referred to a community program.” 

Here KRJS reps are responsible for accepting referrals from the RCMP and working with their committee, the victim, and the offender and their parents/guardians if required to establish activities that can help the offender be accountable for and repair the damage done, so that they can avoid charges and future contact with the law. 

Healing/Sentencing and Community Accountability Circles

KRJS reps process these circles with the victim, the offender, parents/guardians and support service providers to participate in a Healing & Community Accountability Circle(s) that will encourage the offender to be accountable for and pay for and/or repair the damage caused. The offender is also expected to demonstrate verbal accountability to the community and individuals impacted by their actions. Through the power of the circle, we work to restore balance and make our community a safe place for current and future generations. 

The circles stem from the Indigenous human awareness: 

• that offenders are created, not born; and 
• that, given a safe place, healing is possible and will happen.

The circles utilize the principles that were traditionally used to deal with matters such as victimization. The traditional way was for the community:

• to bring it out into the open; to protect the person that’s harmed so as to minimally disrupt the family and community functioning; and 
• to hold the person that has caused the harm accountable for his or her behaviour; and to offer the opportunity for balance to be restored to all parties of the victimization.

There are three reasons we opt to process KRJS Healing & Accountability Circles:

1. As a part of the Extra Judicial Measures referrals plan, if/as required. 
2. To address the need for community accountability and healing before or in lieu of RCMP involvement.
3. To settle conflicts that are not a crime but to maintain peace in communities, neighborhoods, groups, places of work and in homes. 

Mental Health and Addictions, Lived Experience Support

The idea is to help communities and individuals to recognize the portion of underlying issues that contribute to mental health and addictions in Indigenous (Mi’kmaw) people/communities because of the Oppression Period.  

One example is the inherited behavior pattern of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that was inadvertently passed down through generations of most Mi’kmaw/rural parents. The modeling of reactions, beliefs and lifestyle that was an unhealthy, untreated coping mechanism for the trauma that the generations before suffered during the infamous Oppression Period. Today there is mainstream knowledge that inherited thought and behavior patterns are a major contributor to the rising rates of mental health and addictions we see today. 

Lived experience Reps are a vital aspect of our restorative justice strategy. Realization that one is understood and not alone in dealing with a mental health issue and addictions is often the key to initiating help. 

KRJS Lived Experience Reps can recount their lived experience(s), better relate to the individual who is suffering, and initiate the development of a support system.  Another benefit of lived experience is to help normalize mental health disorders and reduce the concern of stigma.

At least one of the KRJS reps in each committee has lived experience of overcoming addiction or as a family member affected by addiction. This rep is highly valuable to not just the clients struggling with the addiction but to the services providers who aim to support them through recovery. The rep serves as a support person to help motivate the addict to seek help and to guide him/her to where that help can be sought.

Supportive Reporting

There is a significantly high rate of underreporting crimes to RCMP in our communities. The reluctance by witnesses and/or victims to report the crime to authorities sums to 60% of crimes that go unreported and/or supported by witnesses. In profiling our communities, we find that factors such as victim fear, mistrust of authorities as well as actual or perceived threats of revenge is much alive in our communities, as well as non-indigenous communities. 

But another factor is that there are understandable concerns for our people with all making a report that communicated to and absorbed by the RCMP/Justice system for what it was intended to be. History shows much misrepresentation of reports by authorities concludes that cognitive difference between the profile of our people and mainstream society being what it is, obviously disappoints the outcome of reports by witnesses and victims.

We believe witnesses and victims react in relatively rational ways, despite the apparent loss of control and the strong fear engendered by the experience, yet reporting to police is often realistically viewed in our communities as ineffective and potentially detrimental.

KRJS Reps are trained specifically in how to support individuals when having to make a report, make a statement, provide evidence, and general contact information. KRJS Reps are also trained in what to say when they contact the police at the detachment as well as what they are allowed (or not allowed) to do and say while supporting a client. 

The goal is to support the witness/victim in developing a report that clearly dictates what THAT PERSON is intending to report, as it is read through “white-eye seeing”. And that that it is authentically absorbed, shared, and addressed as it was intended. 

Referrals to Accessible Service Providers (Wrap-around Services) 

The KRJS committees and communities can access all the service providers and band resources accessible to clients in their community, catchment areas, the province and Indigenous nation. The KRJS Reps identify the needs of the communities/victims/offenders and discuss with the RJ team various interventions, services and opportunities that can help steer them to redemption, healing, and life success. Committee Reps assist in the community and/or client action plan using internal (Flat Bay Band Inc and Band Partners) resources and services as well as the use of the referral process to ensure equal access and solutions to every barrier identified in that action plan. 

Community Based Activities

Community based activities and events are opportunities to bring awareness and address to ALL the factors that contribute to their own community Indigenous (Mikmaw) profile getting involved with the law. The KRJS Reps continue to be trained in all the dynamics and intricacies of the “Oppression of the Newfoundland Mi’kmaw” and in further profiling their own communities with strategies to heal the intergenerational and hereditary traumas that plague them today and our future generations.  This makes community activities and events to be especially broad in subjects that are covered.

The KRJS Reps choose activity/event subjects that match the community profile and related current affairs. The reps continue to accept continued training in related topics themselves. They pay attention to needs and opportunities in the community to develop ideas and plan opportunities, that: 

• Raise awareness
• Support the healing journey
• Keep the Indigenous (Mi’kmaw) cultural and community spirit alive 

Profile of the Newfoundland Mi’Kmaw, Training for Service Providers 

Through this project we have developed a training program for Service Providers entitled “Oppression of the Newfoundland Mi’kmaw.” The training program also includes a documentary that we developed beforehand on people of the communities who express the impacts of the oppression on their lives and how it affects their ability to have meaningful and collaborative relationships with service providers today, especially those in the Justice system. 

By providing this training to justice, social, and mental health service providers, we aim to share information, community history, community profiling, cultural influences, and cognitive differences between our Indigenous (Mi’kmaw) people; victims/offenders and mainstream society. Together more community-intimate and customized methods and approaches are and will continue to be developed, to help deter or better service the offenders in their involvement with the justice system and afterward. The idea is to help communities and service providers be more collaborative in recognizing and especially better addressing the underlying issues that contribute to crime by our Indigenous (Mi’kmaw) people and in our communities. 

The idea is to help offenders, victims, and their Mi’kmaw communities understand the generational profiling that has contributed to their issues and that relates to their criminal and criminal-like actions. Accountability and reparation are far more effective once the offender realizes and understands the offense and its source.

What is the Cost? 

No fee is required. We are non-profit and seek grants and funding to operate so that we can deliver our services in an economically blind nature – free to all clients. 

RCMP Liaison 

Extra Judicial Measures & RCMP Partnerships – Erica McDonnell

Project Coordination

Program Coordinator  – Sarah Nash

For More Information

Email Sarah Nash at sarahflatbayband@gmail.com or leave a phone message at 709-647-1370. 

Restorative Justice Report – August 2022- July 2023.docx

Ktaqmukuk Hub for Rural, Mi’Kmaw Homelessness

Since 2019, the Flat Bay Band Inc. is the Reaching Home hub for all rural Indigenous (Mi’Kmaw) bands on the island portion of Newfoundland, (outside of the Conne River reserve), representing Indigenous individuals who are homelessness or at risk.  We deliver a variety of programs and services to help supplement the costs of living, to improve lifestyle, and provide needed supports that are all very much of a financial burden and challenge in this generation. 

For more detail from Infrastructure Canada:

Reaching Home:

Canada’s Homelessness Strategy Directives

Who do we Serve?

We serve people/families who live in the following NARMN communities:

• Flat Bay
• St. George’s
• BSG South (McKay’s to Codroy)
• Burgeo
• Port au Port Peninsula
• Benoit’s Cove

All individuals/families must complete a client assessment before they can be considered a Reaching Home client. Assessments are typically conducted over the phone by the Program Coordinator. 

Reaching Home Services

Please note that all following services are subject to funding availability at the time of need. 

Home Repair and Heating Grants

• Assistance or referrals for home repair/completion loans, subsidies, or grants 
• Assistance or referrals for energy/heating efficiency funding, subsidies, or rebates

Emergency Housing Funding

• Short-term emergency shelter/housing costs while awaiting access to longer-term housing supports

  • • to receive emergency funding while waiting for the Canadian Housing Benefit or benefits from provincial, territorial or municipal programs. Once the client is in the long-term unit and is now supported by provincial, territorial or municipal welfare and rent supplement programs, Canadian Housing Benefit or benefits from provincial, territorial or municipal programs they are no longer eligible for the emergency funding

Housing Set-up

• Housing set-up such as insurance, damage deposit, first or last months’ rent, maintenance (for example, painting), moving, furniture, kitchen, basic groceries and supplies at move-in, etc.
• Moving costs
• Referrals to other emergency housing providers

Prevention and Diversion

• Avoiding eviction costs such as transportation vouchers, cleaning/repair of damage to a rental unit
• Living expenses that will affect the ability to pay rent, for clients that are already at risk, such as vouchers for food, clothing, grocery, baby diapers, eye glasses, etc.
• Taxis to and from public institutions, shelters, or other service providers necessary for prevention and diversion
• Arrears costs to help avert eviction or loss of housing of rental, municipal service fees and utilities, etc.

Donations

Our No’kmaw Village Charity initiative attracts many humanitarians in the nation who donate for families or individuals who come up on difficult times:

• Furniture
• Clothing
• Household Items
• Toys
• Supplies
• Building materials 

Food

We are well known for providing a robust amount access to food to individuals and families:

• Food Festivals – Massive, regional good food give-a-ways that are economically blind
• Food Vouchers/Cards – We provide food cards to various eligible profiles
• Hampers and Meals – We provide various eligible profiles with Christmas Hampers, Meals etc.

Community Assistance

We hire youth during the summer and adult workers during the rest of the year to assists residents who are:

• Seniors
• Persons with disabilities
• Injured or ill 
• Single parents 

Typical projects include, but are not limited to:

• Cutting up and piling wood for winter heat
• Mowing lawns
• Shovelling driveways
• Decluttering
• Small paint and repair jobs 
• Having yard sales
• Etc. 

Firewood for heat 

We help subsidize firewood for seniors or disabled residents in the community who can no longer cut their wood for winter heat. 

Referrals

We help refer individuals and families to other Indigenous service providers for additional help. Note: We do not support duplication of services.

Financial Counselling

We provide referrals to service providers who can help Reaching Home clients with managing money, eating healthy on a budget, etc.

Economic Assistance

We provide small amounts of Employment Insurance hours for eligible Reaching Home clients who have not earned enough insurable hours to be eligible for Employment Insurance.

At Home Assistance

For clients who are computer illiterate, have disabilities, are seniors or have special needs, our Reaching Home Coordinator will travel to their given community to assist with making applications for various types of assistance. 

Equal Access

We ensure that there are little to no registration costs for individuals to participate in programs, events, and services. In addition, where funding is available, we will provide travel, meals, and materials. This is an economic blind policy to ensure that eligible individuals have equal access to avail of opportunities.

Ktaqmukuk Tenants Strategy

We have been assisting other NARMN bands to establish a tenant strategy for their given community.  We have also been surveying the communities for issues with renting so that we can bring the issues to government for policy changes and assistance to both low-income tenants and landlords.

Transitional Home/Shelter

We are currently renovating the main floor of the Band Office to serve as a Guest House for when Chiefs and partners come to Flat Bay to work with the band. The Guest House will also provide temporary accommodation for people in transition. This will be a four (4) room Guest House featuring a large King suite, an Accessible King suite, a 6-person Family suite and a single Queen suite. Each suite will have their own full washroom, TV, sitting area, and electric fireplace. There will be a communal kitchen, communal laundry room, communal living and dining room, deck, a business office, and a 24-hour fitness center. The Guest House will also have a large hospitality closet with new and slightly used clothing for guests who may not have packed everything they need for their stay.

The following services are for Flat Bay band members and residents only. Members who live outside of the community are eligible depending on the amount of funding availability at time of need.  We state eligibility on the ads when we circulate them.

Store Cards

For back-to school, Christmas, and other life events that find families struggling to financially keep up, we provide store cards such as Walmart cards and grocery store cards for various eligible profiles.

Rent-to-Own Homes

Since 2020, we have built three upscale home units for people who are homeless, at imminent risk, or have been long-time couch surfing. Our rent-to-own homes are currently located in Flat Bay West and are occupied by people from Flat Bay West, East, and St. Teresa. Rent costs vary depending on client affordability. The homes are fully furnished and services such as Netflix, internet and security are set-up when they move in. We only charge the amount of money that we go over budget from funding sources. For example, if we received $250,000 to build a home and it costs $300,000 then the rent-to-own sale price will be $50,000 ($300,000 minus $250,000). We also do not charge interest and the term of pay-out is based on affordability of the client/tenant. 

Seniors and Young Families Cooperative

This is a pilot for seniors who live in Flat Bay and whose home has become too difficult to maintain due to the owners age and/or health issues. These seniors would also have to have relationship to a young family who does not have their own home. We build a home or suite on the senior’s current house or land that is safe, affordable, and ergonomic for the seniors. Their former home becomes a home for the younger family. The homes are carefully constructed to not go over budget so that the seniors do not have to pay anything back. The agreement/contract between the senior and younger family is unique to every case and we do not get involved in it. However, our legal condition for providing the construction/renovations at no cost to the seniors is that they keep the young family in the larger/former home long-term and establish an affordable payment plan with them to become the future owners of the given home. 

Poverty Reduction 

Client Services Officer – April Bennett

For More Information

Email April Bennett at aprilbennettflatbayband@gmail.com or leave a phone message at 709-647-1370. 

Reaching Home Report – August 2022- July 2023.docx

Because of the impacts Flat Bay Band Inc. sees today because of the past Oppression of the Newfoundland Mi’Kmaw, social inclusion is very important to us. We feel that all people have a right to equal opportunities and a chance to thrive in society. It is a basic human right that everyone has the option to participate equally in society, to feel welcome, comfortable, and free of prejudice.  

In an inclusive society age, cultural background, differing beliefs and abilities, education, life experiences, religion, gender, and sexual orientation have no bearing on participation and access to services. This is why we deliver services that are free of charge, economically blind, and status blind. 

We also realize that there are often factors that affect equal participation and pose as barriers, such as: childcare, transportation, nutrition, housing, costs of materials and supplies, etc. We make every effort to never assume and therefor provide all aspects related to barriers of participation that we possibly can.

Beyond our common policies to ensure equal access to all our programs and services, we also deliver the following initiatives for youth and aging people.

The Living Circle

The Living Circle helps aging people who are alone to get out and enjoy events and activities in and outside of their communities. In partnership with the community bands, we deliver community-based events such as:

• Feasts
• Music and Performances
• Games and Recreation
• Arts and Crafts
• Culture and Language 
• Bus – Day Trips
• Knowledge Sharing 
• Youth and Aging People Mentor-Mentee Opportunities
• Diversity and Inclusivity Activities
• Etc.

Mi’Kmaw Youth Leadership

We deliver a number of initiatives to build capacity of youth, including: 

• Life, Safety, and Social Skills
• Culture and Language Skills
• Leadership and Gender Diversity
• Career and Employment Skills
• Etc.

You Go Girls!

This is a winter weekly program for girls living in or from the Flat Bay community who are ages 9 to 12. Groups are held at the Peoples Complex, Flat Bay East, NL., and typical activities include:

• Drumming, Dancing, and Singing
• Arts and Crafts
• Games and Sports
• Life, Safety and Social Skills
• Movies and Entertainment  
• Culture and Language Skills
• Diversity and Inclusivity
• Etc. 

Mi’Kmaw Children’s Mentorship Program

This is an annual summer program for children aged 2 to 12 years to connect, play, and learn. The program runs three (3) days per week for six (6) weeks every summer and the children and youth participate in the following areas:

• Drumming, Dancing, Singing, Performance
• Arts and Crafts
• Games and Sports
• Swimming and Boating
• Life, Safety and Social Skills
• Movies and Entertainment  
• Culture and Language Skills
• Diversity and Inclusivity Activities
• Etc. 

No’kmaw Village Gatherings

Flat Bay Band Inc. holds various events throughout the year that promote diversity and inclusivity for vulnerable profiles such as:

• Veterans
• LGBTQIA
• Elderly
• People with disabilities
• Uninsured people
• Families and victims of various crimes including Murdered Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG)
• Low Income
• Homeless
• Racial and ethnic minorities
• Ex-offenders
• Mental health and addictions
• Children and youth at risk 
• Victims of domestic violence 
• Etc.

What is the Cost?

No fee is required. We are non-profit and seek grants and funding to operate so that we can deliver our services in an economically blind nature – free to all clients. 

For More Information

Email Renee LaSaga, at reneelflatbayband@gmail.com or leave a phone message at 709-647-1370. 

Events & Service Planning 

Events Coordinator – Renee LaSaga

Living Circle Rep – Jacqueline LaSaga

Social Development Report – August 2022- July 2023.docx