Biidaaban: The Mnjikaning community healing model

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Written and researched by:
Dr. Joe Couture and Ruth Couture
Under the sponsorship of Native Counselling Services of Alberta

Introduction and research protocol

Background and purpose

While commonalties exist among many of the Aboriginal justice healing models and it is understood that Aboriginal cultures, value systems and processes differ significantly from the dominant society, dynamics of an acculturated, semi-urban community with an operationally successful casino presents a unique and complex backdrop against which Biidaaban operates. The purpose of this research, therefore, is to provide a holistic picture of Biidaaban, the Mnjikaning Community Healing Strategy, in Mnjikaning First Nation that includes a description of the community, its healing process and its value to the community

Goals and objectives

The objectives and goals of this research were manifold:

• To include the community of Mnjikaning in a participatory evaluation process (the core word of evaluation being "value") that is satisfactory to the Biidaaban staff, social services, community members and leaders;
  
  
• To design and implement a "holistic" research evaluation process that is relevant and meaningful to Biidaaban, the band Chief and Council and to the community;
  
  
• To present as much information as possible regarding the direct and collateral (value-added) benefits of the Biidaaban strategy from information obtained within the context of community perceptions and resulting benefits.

Partnered with representatives from the Mnjikaning First Nation Band, Biidaaban staff, the Healing Foundation and the Aboriginal Corrections Policy Unit Solicitor General's Department, Native Counseling Services of Alberta (NCSA) was awarded the responsibility of conducting the research. The NCSA team who conducted the research has expertise and extensive experience in the community wellness process, the field of program design for Aboriginal communities, and qualitative research data collection and analysis.