Ne'ata'q Place, will provide housing and hope for Indigenous women and children in Newfoundland.
STEPHENVILLE, N.L.-This fall, participants marked the ceremonial opening of Ne'ata'q Place, a shelter for Indigenous women and children in Newfoundland. An initiative of the Newfoundland Aboriginal Women's Network Inc. (NAWN), the shelter will provide a safe, supportive community for Indigenous women and children affected by family violence.
"We are supporting the safety and well-being of Indigenous women and children affected by family violence," said The Honorable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, who was present at the celebratory opening, along with representatives from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Indigenous Services Canada, as well as other community members.
Hadju added, "Ne'ata'q Place will provide a safe haven devoted to culturally appropriate and trauma-informed care. We congratulate and celebrate the Newfoundland Aboriginal Women's Network in their work to provide a good way forward."
Ne'ata'q in Mi'kmaq will provide longer-term stays than crisis shelters offer, with occupancy available for up to six months. The shelter will include six restive rooms with self-contained kitchenettes. Two of the units, one single and one double, are fully accessible.
Funding for Ne'ata'q Place is jointly supported by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, with $40,000 from the federal government through the corporation's SEED funding; Indigenous Services Canada and the Town of Stephenville; $3,644,700 from the federal government through the National Housing Strategy's Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative; $150,000 in land equity from the Town of Stephenville; and ongoing operational funding from Indigenous Services Canada.
"Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home," said the Honourable Gudie Hutchings of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Minister of Rural Economic Development, and Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains. "Thanks to today's investment, we are providing new affordable housing units for Indigenous Peoples and women and children fleeing domestic violence right here in Stephenville. This is one of the many ways our National Housing Strategy continues to ensure no one is left behind."
Ne'ata'q in Mi'kmaq means the sun is coming out. The shelter will provide transitional housing and supportive services, including mental health counselling, life skills development, Indigenous cultural supports, and system navigation. The services will be provided in a welcoming, homelike environment, and the work will be rooted in traditional Mi'kmaw values and traditions, emphasizing culturally competent trauma-informed care.
"Together, hand in hand with our dedicated partners, we have built more than a house; we have built a bridge from adversity to strength, from uncertainty to hope," said Dr. Elder Odelle Pike, the president of the Newfoundland Aboriginal Women's Network, a non-profit organization that strives to promote, enhance, and encourage the health, social, educational, cultural and political well-being of the Aboriginal women within the Island portion of the province of Newfoundland.
