CASE STUDIES
Restorative Justice
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Author of case study: Vanessa Sicotte
Geopolitical location of space:
1 Rue Waseskun
Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez, QC, J0K 1W0
Extant? Yes.
Architect:
Original architect unknown
The Waseskun Healing Center, established in 1988, is a non-profit private Healing Lodge contracting with Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) for the rehabilitation of Indigenous men coming out of the penitentiary system or who are on some form of conditional release to the community.
The Waseskun Healing Center is located in St-Alphonse-de-Rodriguez, about one hour from Montréal, in the foothills of the Laurentian mountain range, and has been operating there since 1999. According to its website, the centre works closely with different Indigenous communities from across Canada, including the northern regions. The centre offers French and English holistic teachings. These focus on each offender’s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health, in order to help them regain balance in their lives. The number of residents in 2018 was 35.
Waseskun is a Cree word referring to that time just after a storm, when the dark clouds begin to part, the blue sky appears, and the first rays of sunlight shine through.
Yes. Healing practices are facilitated in different buildings and outdoor spaces of the site. They are open to both men and women.
The centre’s spaces are arranged to be conducive to healing, in accordance with Indigenous traditions, and with the guidance of community Elders.
Residents must be eighteen years of age or older. Residents come from many different First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and occasionally a non-Indigenous person will be accepted. There are no cultural requirements for acceptance to Waseskun. However, the candidate must understand holistic healing and spirituality and accept that this is the way healing is done at Waseskun. The most important requirement is that a candidate has a sincere motivation to change his life. He must be willing to accept a long-term treatment plan, for a minimum of six months, and accept that Waseskun is a violence, alcohol and drug free community.
This site is under the jurisdiction of the Correctional Service of Canada and therefore is designated as institutional.
The site has four buildings. The main building houses the entrance/security station where visitors and staff check in each day. The main building also houses the kitchen, the dining room where the walls are covered in murals painted by former residents, and the group room with couches lining the walls where community circles are held and visitors are welcomed. The main house, which came with the property when it was purchased in 1998, displays characteristics common to Québec constructions: sloped roof, covered entrance, and windows on all sides.
The other three buildings form a line near the back of the property. One of the buildings houses the staff offices, warrior room and program room. The other two are resident buildings and each resident has a single room with a window, single bed, desk and reading chair. Two or three single rooms will share a bathroom. Residents can have a TV, computer or video game console in their room.
The grounds have wide open grass fields, hills and stands of cedar. Around the fence are forests of pine trees which makes it feel like one is in the woods. A tipi and a sweat lodge stand year round beside the fire pit.
Healing rooms:
The healing rooms are both indoor and outdoor, where healing circles and practices take place. The main room of the central building is painted a neutral sand colour with the addition of a large circular mural featuring an eagle and bear. Numerous couches and upholstered chairs are available within the space, as well as different bookcases, drums, dreamcatchers, tabletop carved totems and statuary. On the floor, in the center of the room is an assortment of objects used in healing sessions including smudging.
The centre’s programs follow a community-based and holistic healing philosophy that incorporates both Western and traditional therapeutic approaches. The centre strongly encourages Indigenous communities to participate in the healing journey and reintegration of their members. Some of the services provided include:
Waseskun’s overall aim is to empower residents to accept responsibility for their own actions and understand the consequences they have created for themselves, their victims, families and communities. The Waseya Holistic Healing Program uses a variety of methods aimed at producing changes in negative lifestyle patterns and enhancing residents’ self-esteem and self-concept as an Indigenous person. This healing process encourages and empowers residents to regain their cultural identity, reconnect with traditional values, learn to lead healthy lifestyles and develop new skills and tools to help them reach their full potential.
As a multicultural community, Waseskun supports residents from a diverse range of Indigenous backgrounds. As a result, residents often learn from each other and openly share their diverse talents. Recent learning opportunities have included drum making workshops, soap stone carving, hide production, traditional cooking, beading, woodwork and clothing production. The diverse opportunities available allow residents to connect with not only their own culture but also the culture of others.
is an author, speaker, columnist, and podcaster in the fields of architecture and decorative arts. She is completing her MA in Art History at Concordia University, Montréal, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Marketing from John Molson School of Business. She studied Industrial Psychology in Los Angeles, California. Sicotte is the author of two published books on design (2015, 2018) published by Les Éditions Cardinal.
is a Colombian PhD candidate in the Department of Art History at Concordia University. She has a background in architectural design and community activism and holds a master’s degree in Building and Urban Design from the Bartlett School of Architecture in London, England. Her interests focus on socially-engaged art, social movements, collaborative activism in post-conflict scenarios, collectively-produced art, and art produced in relation to the built environment.
is a PhD candidate in Humanities at Concordia University. His research focuses on spatial agency, social aesthetics, youth narratives, and graphic representations of urban memory. He has published on the relationship between children, play, and public space in Cartagena, Colombia. He has also worked as an editor on literary projects, including Territorio Fértil, which received the María Nelly Murillo Hinestroza award for Afro-Colombian literature.
is Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Architectures of Spatial Justice (Tier 2) at the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture at McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada. Her research interests include low-income housing and participatory design, civil protest and urban design, and campus landscapes and race. Her publications include the co-edited book, Orienting Istanbul (2010) and solo-authored book, Istanbul Open City (2018).
is an artist and a professor of Art History at Concordia University. Her work focuses on women and the history of the built environment, urban landscapes, research-creation, and oral history. She has published on the spatial history of the suffrage movement, public art, gardens, and the politics of urban change. In addition to her research on the spaces of restorative and transitional justice, she is leading an oral history project on the urban memories of diverse Montrealers.
is Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre at Concordia University, Montreal (Quebec, Canada). He is also the second co-director of Concordia’s Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling. His latest publications explore listening in the context of post-conflict performances of memory. For instance, see ‘Facilitating voicing and listening in the context of post-conflict performances of memory. The Colombian scenario.’ In: De Nardi, S., Orange, H., et al. Routledge Handbook of Memoryscapes. Routledge: London. (2019), and his article ‘Not being able to speak is torture: performing listening to painful narratives’. International Journal of Transitional Justice, Special Issue Creative Approaches to Transitional Justice: Contributions of Arts and Culture. (March, 2020)
