Author of case study: Vanessa Sicotte

Geopolitical location of space:
16255 Morris Valley Rd
Harrison Mills, British Columbia

Extant? Yes

Architects: 
The Scowlitz and Chehalis peoples

Timeframe of RJ/TJ process in this space:

The site opened in 2001.

Background information:

Harrison Mills, formerly Harrison River, is located in the District of Kent west of Agassiz, British Columbia, with a population of 484 inhabitants (Census 2016). The region is home to the Scowlitz (Scaulits) people, established is the bay’s western shore, across from Harrison Mills, and also of the Sts’Ailes or Chehalis people, located on the north side of the bay along the lower Harrison River and around that river’s confluence with its tributary, the Chehalis. The Scowlitz and Chehalis peoples once had large and famously carved longhouse villages, long since destroyed by the encouragement of missionaries.

According to Correctional Services Canada, healing lodges are institutions where inmates may be eligible to serve the remainder of their sentence. These facilities are for Indigenous and non-Indigenous inmates who follow an Indigenous path and take a holistic and spiritual approach to rehabilitation in line with cultural practices. Inmate programs and services are based on Indigenous values, traditions, and beliefs. Offenders are supported by Elders, and there is an emphasis on promoting the role of the Indigenous community in preparing inmates for successful release back into the community. Nearly all Healing Lodges are minimum-security facilities.

Is restorative justice actually taking place in this space?

Yes. Healing practices are facilitated in the longhouse and outdoor spaces of the site.

Is this space designed/arranged for safe listening?

This site’s purpose is that of healing and it appears that yes the indoor longhouse is arranged for safe listening.

Who is the audience/the intended participants for this space?

Adult male Indigenous peoples.

How or to what extent is this space public?

The village is a non-profit Aboriginal organisation affiliated with Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), whose goal is to facilitate the holistic healing of Indigenous offenders in order to foster their successful re-entry into their families, communities and nations.

What are the politics of this space, either in terms of its location, design, spatial, or visual aspects?

The Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village is a minimum-security institution for Indigenous men. The site includes 75.326 acres of land granted to CSC under the terms of a special use permit from the Province of British Columbia. The closest neighboring community to the institution is the Sts’Ailes First Nation community. The institution originally opened as Elbow Lake Institution in 1976. In 2001, Elbow Lake Institution was renamed Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village. This name means “where medicine is collected”. Kwìkwèxwelhp has the only longhouse within Canada’s correctional facilities. The institution is known as the fifth longhouse on the traditional territory of Sts’ailes. Staff and Elders practice traditional and holistic Indigenous teachings. The facility provides holistic programs, as well as training and maintenance skills to improve employability.

Physical/factual description of space:

The longhouse’s outside is covered in cedar shingles. The roof is hipped, facilitating the snow’s removal in winter. The main entrance to the building is marked by two beautifully decorated blue doors. Standing guard on either side of the doors are wood carved statues depicting animals. High above the doors are four narrow rectangular windows.

The healing rooms are both indoor and outdoor, where healing circles, smudging and other practices take place. The central building is a traditional longhouse, made of wood with uncovered earth floors. Inside a stand-alone fireplace is anchored to a chimney decorated with markings in relief, where are hung two drums, on opposite sides of the square column. On the wood walls, between the structure’s large supporting beams, are hung paintings of stylized animals and landscapes. Built against the long wall are wooden banquettes which provide ample seating for occupants of the space. The movable furnishings within the space are almost absent, leaving a maximum of room for people to sit on the ground or perform dances. Ceiling fans and neon lighting complete the longhouse’s decor.

Analytical description of space:

Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village, opened in 2001, is a non-profit Aboriginal organization affiliated with Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)), whose goal is to facilitate the holistic healing of Indigenous offenders in order to foster their successful re-entry into their families, communities and nations. The Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village provides a safe and supportive environment. The Healing Village encourages individual growth and healing while preparing Indigenous offenders for release back into the community as law-abiding citizens. The Sts’ailes Nation plays a large and integral role in supporting the Indigenous offenders in a healing journey. Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Sts’ailes and Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village work together to foster employment and training opportunities to better prepare Indigenous offenders for their community reintegration.

The MOU with Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village also ensures Indigenous persons from the local Sts’ailes community staff the Healing Village. Sts’ailes delegates Elders from the community to work with Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village to provide support, assistance, and advice on the spiritual and cultural traditions provided to Indigenous offenders. Sts’ailes also partners with the Healing Village to provide wood and rocks (grandfathers) for ceremonial purposes. Included as part of this MOU, an independent body of community leaders known as “Si Wesalh Slelhals” (or Senate) provides the Healing Village with advice regarding traditional healing and restorative beliefs. In addition to the relationship with Sts’ailes, Kwìkwèxwelhp also works closely with other surrounding Indigenous communities.

Kwìkwèxwelhp works with Telmexw Awtexw, a day program healing center in Sts’ailes, where Indigenous offenders are sent on unescorted temporary absences to participate in this 12-week program. The Healing Village also works with ‘Aghelh Nebun’, an Indigenous-focused Community Residential Facility in Prince George, BC to provide Indigenous offenders (for work release/day parole) with vocational training for 90 days. During their time at ‘Aghelh Nebun’ the Soaring With Eagles Aboriginal Wellness program for addiction and recovery is conducted through Elder teachings based on the medicine wheel. The Healing Village also partners with College of New Caledonia in Prince George, BC for vocational training for 12 weeks to support Indigenous offenders on unescorted temporary absence. Indigenous offenders at the Healing Village also attend a local community garden through the L.I.N.C Society on escorted temporary absences and work release. Through this, they are able to give back to the community and support victims of crime.