Several local First Nations groups will benefit from $11.8 million in grants awarded to support community-based crime prevention and remediation efforts.
A total of 267 projects led by First Nations, community not-for-profits, and school districts will receive funding from a one-time grant announced Monday, April 27 through the Civil Forfeiture Crime Prevention and Remediation grant program.
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Under the Indigenous healing and rebuilding stream of the program, the Carrier Chilcotin Tribal Council (CCTC) in Williams Lake will receive almost $28,000 to help at-risk Indigenous youth connect with their culture, communities and families through a five-day horseback trip on the traditional Grease Trail.
Youth will ride to a nation gathering of approximately 300 people for an additional three days, where they will have the opportunity to share their experience with their communities and be honoured for their journey by Elders of the Southern Dãkelh Nation.
The trail is an important area historically used by the Dãkelh Keyoh people, and the youth will learn traditional Dãkelh cultural and wellness activities from Elders and knowledge keepers, stated the CCTC.
The Gathering Voices Society in the Chilcotin will encourage Indigenous women to engage in land stewardship activities and cultural practices through its Rebuilding Communities Through Cultural Fire programs and involve Xeni Gwet’in and Yunesit’in members to participate in cultural burning regimes with a $30,000 grant.
Another $3.5 million in grants will go towards community programs and services that support individuals experiencing domestic violence as well as target the prevention and intervention of domestic violence across the province.
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Domestic violence survivor Kamal Dhillon will facilitate awareness sessions for 20 women of the Tsilhqot’in Nation after the Yeqox Nilin Justice Society in Williams Lake was approved for $10,750.
For crime prevention, the Cariboo Chilcotin Métis Association’s Nanatawihitowin (Act of Healing) Journey program in Williams Lake will receive $75,000 to target up to 24 at-risk/gang affiliated youth and 40 vulnerable people affected by mental health and substance abuse issues.
The program will offer holistic, culturally appropriate approaches to crime reduction by providing healing circles, outreach service, addiction counselling and youth-mentor opportunity.
Tl’etinqox government has been awarded $70,000 to support a justice program co-ordinator for its Tl’etinqox Youth Leadership Initiative to address the root causes of crime within the community.
For restorative justice the Williams Lake Community Council for Restorative Justice will develop a secure website for its 48 volunteers and provide general information to the public after receiving $23,550.
The website development and capacity building project will also support facilitator training for 10 to 15 new volunteers, a peacemaking circle training for 10 to 15 current facilitators, and facilitator upgrading for 25 current certified facilitators.
The Crime Prevention and Remediation grant has provided more than $49 million to B.C. organizations since 2011.
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