Indigenous social work

“Long an advocate of incorporating traditional Indigenous knowledge into social work, Jeannine Carriere (at left) has co-edited a book of essays about addressing this urgent need.FULL STORY

 

Indigenous social work

January 31st, 2025

Stitching Our Stories Together: Journeys Into Indigenous Social Work (University of Regina Press $34.95), due out in February, is a collection of essays from emerging Indigenous scholars and social workers who explore traditional ways of being and traditional knowledge. Edited by Métis scholars Jeannine Carriere (University of Victoria), pictured at right, and Catherine Richardson (Concordia University), the book addresses the urgent need to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into social work, particularly in light of the colonialist harm perpetuated by Child Protection services across Canada. This reality is acknowledged in Bill C-92, which recognizes the historical and ongoing injustices faced by Indigenous families.

The collection delves into essential topics such as child-rearing, the roles of fathers and grandparents, and safety for non-binary, Indigiqueer, trans and two-spirit individuals. It highlights the necessity of embedding Indigenous worldviews in care and service delivery, especially given the deeply fraught history of social work’s role in separating Indigenous children from their families. The statistics underscore the urgency of this issue—according to the 2021 Census, Indigenous children make up 53.8% of those in foster care, despite representing only 7.7% of the child population.

By centering their own nations, communities and lived realities, the contributors challenge settler notions of pan-Indigeneity and demonstrate the depth and diversity of Indigenous epistemologies. The book emphasizes how Indigenous ways of knowing can reshape social work practice, moving away from colonial frameworks toward more culturally grounded and respectful approaches. The inclusion of reflections from thesis supervisors further reinforces the significance of relationality in Indigenous mentorship and pedagogy, offering insight into how Indigenous scholars are supported in academic spaces.  9781779400574

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