Saskatoon opens one-of-a-kind support centre for families of MMIWG2S+

Adorned on nearly every wall and corner of the new Coming Home Centre is proof of a place where families have been supported and nurtured. Paintings, drawings, dreamcatchers, handmade crafts, letters, carvings, and countless other personal items given to Dorthea Swiftwolfe, Saskatoon’s Auntie Advocate, as a gift for her warm embrace of families in crisis.

This September, after years in the making and guided by Swiftwolfe’s vision, the City of Saskatoon opened the Coming Home Centre – a dedicated, culturally appropriate space where families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirit people (MMIWG2S+) can access support, connection, and advocacy.

“I want it to feel like your Kookum’s house. As a child, you would go there and it would feel like a hug or a place where you could catch your breath, a place where you could sit and be at peace. That’s what the Coming Home Centre Feels like,” said Swiftwolfe.

“We want a place where you know you’re welcome, that you feel like you belong, that you’re safe. Like when you would walk in and your Grandma would just love and squish and kiss you.”

The Centre is a direct response to the Calls to Justice, as well as a 2021 City of Saskatoon report recommending the city develop an action plan on how to improve the quality of life and health of Indigenous women, girls, and 2-Spirit people. The Centre was developed through the Office of the Matriarchs, Indigenous Initiatives, and through Swiftwolfe’s leadership as Auntie Advocate.

Located in the First Nations Bank building at 224 4^th Avenue South, on land Yellow Quill First Nation, and the location for the Centre was thoughtfully considered with families in mind.

“The Office of the Matriarchs shared a lot of ideas in terms of what they wanted to see. It was important to have a place close to the river, where families could connect with nature,” said Melissa Cote, Director of Indigenous Initiatives at the City of Saskatoon.

The office is not only a few minutes walk from the South Saskatchewan River, but steps away from the King’s Bench Courthouse.

“When you’re in active trauma, and you need to scream or you need to cry, our space is here for the families,” said Swiftwolfe.

“If you have to make an appearance in the court system over 400 times, and have no place to go in-between, during lunch hour for example, or when they’re selecting jury and you can’t be there for certain hours, families had no where to go. The Coming Home Centre gives our families a safe place to sit and wait.”