Warriors Against Violence’ tries to heal aboriginal men – CBC

Vancouver program run on a shoestring by couple with own history of domestic abuse

Jul 06, 2015

The handsome, clean-cut man in his early 30s has a faraway look in his eyes as he struggles to recount an evening years ago — when he assaulted his girlfriend and landed in prison.

“The worst part is, I don’t know exactly what I did. I saw pictures of it when I sobered up the next day. It put a lump in my throat, to think I was capable of doing that.”

As he shares his story, 15 men of all different ages surround him, listening intently. Sage and sweetgrass smoke wafts about the all-purpose room in a community centre in Vancouver’s Eastside.

This talking circle is the heart of Warriors Against Violence, a prevention program founded on the belief that the best way to end family violence in aboriginal communities is to help men heal.

Read More: http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/warriors-against-violence-tries-to-heal-aboriginal-men-1.3136168