A new president has been elected for the Yukon Aboriginal Women's Council.
Terri Szabo was elected as new president of the Yukon Aboriginal Women's Council (YAWC) along with several other new board members at their annual general meeting.
She says she's looking forward to working with the new board to ensure all Yukon First Nation, Métis and Inuit women concerns are heard across the country. She told us the mandate moving forward and who the YAWC work closely with.
"Right now the mandate for the Yukon Women's Aboriginal Council is to advance the interests of Aboriginal women in Yukon and northern British Columbia by promoting collaboration with Yukon Government. We work closely with Jeanie Dendys with the Women's Directorate and her staff. She's very knowledgable for issues that are at the forefront for First Nations women because she also is First Nation".
She also highlighted many of the problems many First Nations women deal with today, including the remnants of colonization, residential schools, and the Sixties Scoop.The Sixties Scoop refers to First Nations family that had their children wrongfully taken away from them and placed into foster homes for adoption.
Szabo also notes some therapeutic practices at a recent event the YAWC held that help First Nations women deal with these current issues.
"We recently had a training sessions for the members of the Murdered and Missing Aboriginal Women in Jackson Lake from July 30th to August 2nd. We had peer-support training, on the land medicine making and just sharing of culture and sharing of ideas on what the family members have done to deal with some of the problems they've had regarding their lost loved ones".
The council has been operating for an incredible 43 years in Yukon, northern British Columbia and the Lower Post.
She also invites any First Nation women who are dealing with issues to walk into the centre to get help. Their address is 102-307 Jarvis Street, Whitehorse. Their phone number is 867-667-6162.
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