No place for young wolves

Young Wolves Lodge closes its doors to young aboriginal women

By Mercedes Deutscher, Staff Writer

On March 31, aboriginal women’s shelter Young Wolves Lodge closed its doors after 12 years due to lack of funding.

The Young Wolves Lodge, a sect of the United Native Youth Association (UNYA) served as transitional housing for young aboriginal women at risk of homelessness. The lodge was located in the Downtown Eastside and assisted over 100 young women.

Women were allowed to stay in the house for up to 16 weeks, provided that they abstained from alcohol and drug abuse. A priority was given to young mothers, and women living in the lodge were taught parenting skills in order to regain custody of their children or to be prepared for parenthood later on.

There were also programs provided to assist its residents, such as addiction recovery and education, parental support classes, cultural activities, and personal counselling.

The lodge found itself without a large portion of its funding after the federal government would not guarantee their 26 per cent share of the house for another year. Executive director Dena Klashinsky was compelled to either close the lodge or face a $7,000-per-month deficit.

The remaining funding for the lodge was provided by other local associations. The Coming Home Society has been the primary sponsor of the lodge since its opening. The Urban Aboriginal Homelessness Committee was another contributor.

Linda Adams, a co-founder of the Coming Home Society, expressed sorrow for the lodge’s closure. “It doesn’t make sense to us,” Adams told the Vancouver Sun. “Among the donors, there is an overwhelming sadness and there’s anger too.”

The lodge also served as a place of protection for those at risk. According to Statistics Canada, aboriginal people have a 10 per cent chance of being a victim of a violent crime at some point in their life. The same survey showed that aboriginal women were more likely to be victims of violence, with 54 per cent of women who partook in the survey claiming to have experienced some level of abuse. Fifteen per cent of the abuse recorded was spousal. Excessive use of drugs or alcohol is considered one of the main causes of violence.

With the assistance of the lodge, many young aboriginal women went on to achieve success and safety in their lives, with many having either attended college, found employment, or been reunited with their families.

A blanketing ceremony was held 10 days prior to the Young Wolves Lodge closing, complete with drumming, singing, and prayers.