Senior Sector Spotlight: Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society
Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society is a non-profit organization that has been serving Indigenous children, youth, and families in Edmonton and area since 1994. Dedicated to guidance, support, and healing, Bent Arrow supports mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being through culturally responsive programming. Guided by the teachings of Elders and Knowledge Keepers, as well as the wisdom of Indigenous communities, the founders of Bent Arrow strongly believed that it was crucial to keep culture at the centre of their mission.
Among their many initiatives and programs, the Wahkomatowin Seniors Wellness Program offers outreach and support for individuals 55 years of age and older. They strive to organize a diverse range of social activities for seniors and enhance participants’ knowledge of resources within the community.
Visit their website (www.bentarrow.ca) to find out more about Bent Arrow’s programs, initiatives, mission statement, and values.
September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
The staff at the Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council (ESCC) want to commemorate the upcoming National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by highlighting Bent Arrow and their values. Click the link to watch an interview with Sophie Laboucan, the Wahkomatowin Seniors Wellness Program Coordinator, and Breanne Harrison, the 2024 ESCC Communications summer student. Sophie details the origins of Bent Arrow, the Wahkomatowin program, and how organizations and individuals can respectfully observe the National day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Breanne Harrison is the 2024 Communications Assistant summer student at the Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council (ESCC). She is an emerging Edmonton-based writer entering her fourth year of a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Alberta, where she is studying English and Creative Writing. Breanne applies her creative writing skills to her role at ESCC by writing and preparing the Seniors Sector Spotlights and their accompanying profile articles.
Outside of writing for work, her works of both poetry and prose cover many topics and themes, with inspiration drawn from personal experience and social, political, economic, and ecological issues. When Breanne is not writing, reading, or working, you can find her playing card games, tap dancing, and spending quality time with her family and friends.