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Kiawenniserathe (Bright Day)/Alison Benedict, MSW, RSW, is Kanien'kehá:ka from Akwesasne, Wolf Clan. The roots and inspiration of her life work come from the teachings of the Peacemaker. As a Civitas scholar, the focus of her Master’s degree in Social Work was intervention with children and youth, specifically abused and neglected children. Her professional experience has focused primarily on Indigenous communities throughout Turtle Island, as a helper, educator and advocate. She has worked with mainstream/colonial institutions, helping them understand what happened to Indigenous peoples (through a trauma-informed approach), taught about the diversity between and within First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and trained professionals on evidence-based practices. Alison’s clinical practice is wholistic and inclusive, incorporating traditional teachings from culturally diverse Elders, alongside Western evidence-based practices.

Throughout my life, I’ve worked in human services. In this entire time, it’s always been the same problems: suicide, child abuse, rape, domestic violence, human trafficking, mental illness, poverty, and so much more. The list goes on and on. More systems are created, and often more problems are created by these systems. Research shows that many don’t work and are harmful.  Yet, we keep doing the same things, hoping for a better world, while continuing to destroy it. What is it going to take to break this cycle? What can we learn from our ancestors and research evidence that will help us create a better future?

The only narratives that we have now for the future are violent, desolate and callous. If we can’t even imagine a peaceful future, how are we ever going to get there?