Episode 132: Culturally Safe Harm Reduction with Rachelle Gladue (pîsimoyâpiy ka-nîpawit)

In Episode 132,  Ben chats with Rachelle Gladue co-founder of the Tawâw Outreach Collective located in Amiskwacîwâskahikan n Treaty 6 Territory - ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲ also known by it's settler name as Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are an Indigenous-led, grassroots harm reduction organization providing community street outreach and offering community-level, public and private training and educational workshops. Tawâw promotes Indigenous Harm Reduction, De-Stigmatizing Substance Use, Indigenous Awareness, and Naloxone Training Sessions.

In this conversation, we learn about Rachelle's own journey of cultural reclamation on which she has embarked with her Two Spirit child as she continues the work of her mother breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma in her family.  

Rachelle is also the current vice-president of the newly formed Social Workers Association of Alberta and a student in the Indigenous Social Work Program at Yellowhead Tribal College.

We also dig into the current work of Tawâw advocating for the Indigenous houseless community in Edmonton as police are actively dismantling temporary shelters in temperatures as low as -46 degrees Celsius. 

Contact:

https://tawawoutreachcollective.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/tawaw.outreach.yeg/

Links:

Woodland Cree

https://www.woodlandcree.net/

Social Workers Association of Alberta

https://www.myswaa.ca/

Yellowhead Tribal College 

https://ytced.ab.ca/programs-courses/programs/indigenous-bachelor-social-work/