Resource Manager Dylan Simard, WFS Investigation and Assessment Worker Katie Jack, WFS Training and Learning Centre Manager Ron McKinnon, WFS Finance Manager Lauris Werenki, WFS Children's Mental Health Worker Charmaine Hebert, Family Services Worker, Big

• Main Authors: Peter Ferris, Estelle Simard, George Simard, Jacqueline Ramdatt, Community Liaison Worker Judy Morrison, WFS Resource Manager Kathy Kishequeb, WFS Lawerence Kelly, Resource Manager George Potson, Cultural Coordinator, Director Peter Ferris, WFS George Simard
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: anishina*; First Nations
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1061.6358

Abstract Weechi-it-te-win Family Services is a community oriented, community based, Native staffed child and family service agency. Weechi-it-te-win serves 10 area First Nations communities located in the Rainy Lake District of Ontario. The agency was created out of the collective wisdom of the 10 Chiefs of the Rainy Lake Tribal Council. Its purpose was to combat the destructive practices of mainstream child welfare agencies within the 10 First Nations communities. Weechi-it-te-win's fundamental purpose is to revitalize the Pimatiziwin of the communities served. Operating under the mandate of the Chiefs, Weechi-it-te-win provides bi-cultural child protection and family support services. Utilizing a decentralized model of governance and management, Weechi-it-te-win Family Services places an emphasis on personal and family healing as well as community capacity building. 4 Introduction Weechi-it-te-win Family Services (WFS) is a community oriented, community based, Native staffed child welfare and family services agency serving 10 First Nations communities. The agency offers a full range of child protection, family support and community development services with its fundamental purpose and vision the revitalization of Pimatiziwin -the mandate given by the Creator to seek and live a good life in all aspects. Central to WFS is the determination to restore community systems and cease the erosion of the family. The vision to revitalize the Anishinabe way, those inherent ways of knowing and being that were there from the beginning, is the driving force behind agency operations.