Message from the Founding Counsel of Grandparents

Greetings! Tansi! Aanii! Booz Hoo! Sekoh!

Indigenous infants, children and families are in urgent need of culturally secure and effective supports, services and programs that address the striking inequities in health determinants and outcomes that currently detract from their well-being.

How can we ensure that our Indigenous health policies, services and programs are effective and culturally secure? We must build them from a strong knowledge base, of Indigenous and public health knowledge.

As such, we, the founding Counsel of Grandparents, acknowledge the need for an Indigenous-led,

Indigenous-governed centre of excellence that is dedicated to knowledge work of the highest quality, relevance and usefulness—the Well Living House.

The Well Living House will be a place where Indigenous people come together to gather, understand, link and share the best knowledge about happy and healthy child, family and community living.

We will build on similarities and synergies between Indigenous and western science. We are particularly committed to the fact that access to better health is not about leaving our culture and Indigeneity behind. The Well Living House will work to put Indigenous knowledge at the foundation of health services and programs for Indigenous people.

Wahkohtowin, the ‘spirit of kinship,’ will guide our collaborations with others. It is through the rebuilding and re-creation of intergenerational relationships that we will rekindle and transfer knowledge and skills, and enhance self-sufficiency in our communities. Our hope is to collectively build a place of refuge and renewal.

The Well Living House vision is a world in which every infant is born into a context that promotes health and well-being—at the individual, family and community levels. There is a lot of work to do. Real change for our grandchildren is going to require strong partnerships and collaborations. If we can find ways to work together, then we can be successful.

Sincerely,

The founding Counsel of Grandparents:

Jan Kahehti:io Longboat

Madeleine Kētēskwew Dion Stout

Carol Terry