Listen. Stay open without judgment or advice. Focus on what they need.  

These are just a few ways we can better support survivors, as we learn this week from Brandi Morin, a Cree/Iroquois/French award-winning journalist and bestselling author from Treaty 6 territory in Alberta.  

Brandi speaks from first-hand experience as a survivor of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) crisis. As a pre-teen, she was sexually assaulted and held for a week by a group of unknown men. She later recounted her experience to a counselor at her group home only to be met with blame.  

Her experience propelled her into a life of writing, bearing witness to others who have suffered trauma. Today, she specializes in sharing Indigenous stories, including her own in her memoir, Our Voice of Fire: A Memoir of a Warrior Rising.  

Brandi’s story reminds us how important it is to respond well to disclosures of abuse — so we can avoid more harm and help survivors heal.  

You can find more information about this podcast and full episode transcripts on the Canadian Women's Foundation website (canadianwomen.org/podcast-signal-for-help).  

This podcast includes stories of gender-based violence. Please listen with care.    

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency services (police, fire, ambulance). For a list of shelters, other services, and information that may be helpful to you, go to SignalForHelpResponder.ca and click on “Get Help”.    

When you know how to respond to the signs of abuse, you can change the story. Take action at SignalForHelpResponder.ca.   

This project has been funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada.