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Home / News / Understanding Indigenous perspectives can transform financial literacy
August 9, 2024
Our United Way, in partnership with the Edmonton Financial Empowerment Collaborative, is excited to announce a groundbreaking financial literacy training program that emphasises the importance of including Indigenous perspectives on financial literacy.
This June, trainers from SEED Winnipeg delivered specialized training the focused on Indigenous perspectives on money management. This initiative trained facilitators from United Way’s Empower U collaborative and other agencies, including Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, WIN House, and Action for Healthy Communities, emphasizing culturally appropriate and inclusive financial education.
For Karina Hurtado, United Way’s Portfolio Manager for Financial Empowerment, this training and partnership with SEED Winnipeg is a step forward in United Way’s ongoing work to strengthen relationships with Indigenous-led and serving organizations.
“There has been so much injustice and inequity that has caused Indigenous people to experience financial insecurity and financial exclusion,” Karina shares.
“By embedding Indigenous views and perspectives into the Empower U curriculum, my hope is that we not only help people improve their financial situation, but also repair some of that systemic harm.”
SEED Winnipeg offers an in-depth exploration of financial literacy with a special focus on Indigenous perspectives with their Money Stories: Train the Trainer program. This unique training covers the history and philosophy behind money management, providing participants with a comprehensive overview of workshop content and effective facilitation strategies.
Millie, a trainer from SEED Winnipeg, chose to attend the training in Edmonton in person for maximum impact.
“In-person delivery was essential because the experience demands embracing diverse Indigenous cultural teachings and ceremonies, which can easily be lost in an online setting,” says Millie.
“Seeing participants and hearing their stories firsthand proved highly effective for group-based training. Adult learning principles emphasize that learning is most impactful when it is informal, hands-on, and relatable, qualities that are best achieved through in-person interactions rather than online.”
Participants engaged in a dynamic learning environment through various instructional methods, including presentations, activities, and group work. To achieve certification, participants had to complete a two-part evaluation: a written test and a presentation of a 20 to 30-minute activity or topic from the Money Stories curriculum.
Key highlights of the Money Stories program include:
Pamela, an Indigenous facilitator and former Empower U participant, exemplifies the transformative power of this training.
“I am a mother of 5 who had to regain financial awareness after struggling as a single parent for years. I feared creditors and seen no way out of the debt I was in. Empower U supported me with the knowledge I needed to regain power of my financial life. I was able to gain tools that supported me to rebuild my credit, learn about my relationship with money, and learn how to save for my future,” she shares.
“I passed this knowledge onto my children and grandchildren so they will not have to face the same barriers I did. I am a financial facilitator with Empower U, and this has allowed me to share my financial journey that lets women know they too can gain financial security.”
United Way and Empower U are dedicated to providing equitable access to financial literacy training, with a special focus on Indigenous communities. We honour and respect cultural beliefs, languages, and storytelling traditions, with the goal of providing a training environment that is culturally sensitive.
In 2023, 38% of Empower U participants were Indigenous. This not only reflects the importance of providing culturally appropriate education, but also recognizes the importance of reducing the systemic barriers Indigenous people face due to systemic racism and colonialism.
Unjust policies and bias against Indigenous people, including the residential school system and the Sixties Scoop, continue to harm the community today. Indigenous women and girls are much more likely to experience poverty, houselessness, and violence due to this oppression. Learn more by reading The shared path: First Nations financial wellness.
SEED Winnipeg developed the Money Stories Curriculum and translated it into three First Nation languages, Cree, Oji-Cree and Ojibwe, making learning more accessible and fostering a deeper connection among Indigenous attendees.
Ready to make a difference? Discover how you can support people on the path to financial security through Empower U.
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