About This Sourcebook

This Sourcebook is a resource for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal service providers — nurses, community health representatives, teachers, counsellors and other community workers — who work with First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals and groups in Canada. We hope the Sourcebook will make it easier for you to address a wide range of sexual and reproductive health issues that are important to Aboriginal people.

The Sourcebook offers information about sexual and reproductive health within an Aboriginal cultural context. It looks at traditional teachings and the history of Aboriginal peoples and also provides information on specific topics such as sexuality education for children and youth, healthy pregnancies, teen pregnancies, menopause and sexual abuse. It includes suggestions for working with Aboriginal clients in different settings, some activities and handouts, sources of other useful materials, and where to look for more information.

People from different cultures have different ways of looking at the world and different traditions that affect how they feel, think and act. Respecting other cultures is critical whether you are teaching, counselling, providing health services or running workshops. Your program needs to be appropriate to the culture or cultures of those you work with. This could mean Aboriginal people in general or specific nations or communities — Aboriginal peoples do not all have the same culture or traditions. This is not a quick and simple task. You have to work at it. (Suggestions about how to begin are provided in "Respecting Cultural Differences.")

Reflecting our diversity and uniqueness as Aboriginal peoples in words and images is a challenging process. We regret if any of the phrases, graphics or pictures in the Sourcebook offend you. Every effort was made to create and use materials that respectfully depict Inuit, Métis and First Nations peoples, and to provide accurate, up-to-date information. This is an ongoing process that strengthens and enriches us all.

We started the Sourcebook project because many gaps exist in culturally appropriate materials and services on sexual and reproductive health for Aboriginal people.

Our vision is that the Sourcebook will be an initial source of materials which Aboriginal people have created on sexual and reproductive health, as well as a guide to appropriate non-Aboriginal programs and services on these issues.

It was a challenge to find activities and materials to portray all of the diverse traditions and cultural symbols of Aboriginal peoples across Canada. The Sourcebook focuses on the themes which are common to different traditions and, as much as possible, includes examples from specific First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

Once you understand your community, its traditions and culture, you can adapt the materials in this Sourcebook to better fit the needs of community members.

Watch for these symbols from different Aboriginal cultures:

	an Inuit quote or program		a Métis quote or program example
	a First Nation quote or program example		applies generally to Aboriginal people

Whether you teach, provide services to individual clients, or facilitate groups, working in the field of sexual and reproductive health has its challenges. Some communities and individuals find it difficult to talk about family violence, sexual abuse, the spread of AIDS, teen pregnancies or other concerns of sexual and reproductive health. Other communities are looking for ways to tackle these sensitive issues. Educators and health and social service providers who are non-Aboriginal but who work with Aboriginal clients face the additional challenges of respecting another’s culture.

Pilot coordinator Lerinda says:
Try to open yourself to the culture. Tell the people that you don’t understand, tell them "Please teach me."
Lerinda Swain, Aboriginal Health Program, B.C. Women’s Hospital and Health Services, Vancouver, BC

If you are ready to take on the challenges, this Sourcebook can help you. The materials in the Sourcebook are based mostly on tools and resources which already exist. Community workers, organizations and groups across Canada sent us fact sheets, pamphlets, program descriptions, teachers and facilitators manuals, reports and other materials they use in their work providing services such as prenatal and parenting programs, school health education, youth programs, health services, healing centres and seniors’ and Elders’ programs.

We believe that people learn best through hands-on activities and their own experiences (experiential learning) rather than just through listening to a presentation or reading a booklet. Many of the suggested activities in the Sourcebook combine facts with opportunities for individuals to explore their ideas and feelings on their own or in groups, and to learn and heal in the process.

Don’t forget, you can change most of the examples and exercises in the Sourcebook to meet your needs and the issues you are working on. We all need to "Adapt, adapt, adapt!" materials to meet the needs of our communities.

The overall theme of the Sourcebook is "connections" — connections to our history and traditions; connections within and between people; and connections among issues.

We decided to organize the Sourcebook into two parts. We suggest that you begin by reading Part 1. It offers a basis for your work with Aboriginal people by providing some information on culture, history, traditions and the current situation for Aboriginal peoples which apply to all health issues.

• celebrates healthy sexuality and reproduction and Aboriginal traditional ways and teachings
• looks at how European values and residential schools negatively affected sexual and reproductive health
• provides a sampling of different Aboriginal traditions
• offers practical suggestions about getting started, respecting other cultures, communicating plainly, working with groups and dealing with difficult situations, and working with different age groups
• provides information about other resources you might want to look at

Use the information in Part 1 as a starting point and then find out more background about the community you are working with.

Part 2 provides information on a number of specific sexual and reproductive health topics. Topics are covered in a series of units based on four life stages (children, youth, adults and Elders) and a grouping of units called "Issues for Everyone."

Each unit:

• presents a specific sexual and reproductive health issue that Aboriginal people are concerned about
• provides information, stories, examples of programs, sample group activities and handouts
• suggests other units to read for related information
• gives information about other print, web-based and audio-visual resources and Internet web sites

	You can use the information in the units in Part 2 to:
	- learn more about specific sexual and reproductive health issues - develop ideas for programs and activities - provide information you can use to inform and support others - find more detailed information and materials

A draft of this Sourcebook was piloted in eight communities across Canada between June 2001 and February 2002. The pilot sites included diverse groups and individuals in urban and non-urban settings — Aboriginal communities, Native friendship centres, child and family services, a national youth council, a planned parenthood agency and a community midwifery program. The pilot coordinators used the Sourcebook in their work on sexual and reproductive health issues, then provided suggestions for revisions, advice about working with the Sourcebook, and new material about innovative programs and resources. They also collected real-life stories from individuals who wanted to share their experiences with others. These stories and insights appear throughout the Sourcebook.

Here are a few examples of advice from the pilot coordinators:

	One of the crucial strengths you can bring to this kind of work is a willingness to learn new things and to see another point of view ... also patience and being a very good listener. Julie Borle, Métis Child and Family Services Society, Edmonton, Alberta
	Likely no other topic is perceived to be more sensitive than sex and sexuality ... in fact, when the environment is seen as safe to discuss sexual health openly, honestly and respectfully, incredible discussions and learning can take place. Barb McWatters and Kim McKay, Planned Parenthood Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan
	When working with the community, it is important to always keep in mind the other issues that may be facing them. Sometimes meeting their basic needs is just as important as facilitating and getting your message across ... offer transportation, snack or supper, and child care to increase attendance. Willow Boulanger, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba