Cherylanne James

At its core, Indigenous Child and Youth Care: Weaving Two Heart Stories Together is about unity. It seeks to create a heart-to-heart practice by bridging Indigenous ways of knowing with Western Child and Youth Care practices, encouraging students to approach their work with a more open understanding of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit worldviews.

Author Cherylanne James guides students through self-location by dismantling their pre-existing biases regarding Indigenous Peoples, understanding personal privilege and power, educating themselves on Canadian and Indigenous history and contexts, and learning about the pervasive impacts of colonialism. Students will cultivate a practice that encourages ethical spaces of engagement while steering away from surface-level or disingenuous interactions.

The text applies concepts and theories such as relational accountability, interconnectivity, resurgence, community-centred approaches, wise practices, relationship-building, anti-oppression, anti-racist, and social justice frameworks to enrich CYC practices and prepare students to engage with Indigenous children, youth, and families in an informed, meaningful way.

Indigenous Child and Youth Care is designed as a journey, wherein the student reflects while they learn and grow as a CYC professional. It includes a variety of pedagogical features that catalyze thoughtful interaction with the material, such as a glossary, discussion questions, reflective practice question boxes, and additional resources for further learning. This is a powerful and vital text for college and university students in Child and Youth Care and Human Services.

Features

• unites Indigenous worldviews, histories and knowledge systems with western Child and Youth Care practices
• exposes students to pre-existing colonial and racist power structures while introducing them to Indigenous concepts and theories for inclusive practice
• contains a broad variety of pedagogical features, including a glossary, reflective practice questions, discussion questions, activities, and additional resources

Educator Information
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction

SECTION 1 CONTEXT FOR INDIGENOUS CHILD AND YOUTH PRACTICES
Chapter 1 Self-Location
Chapter 2 Storying Identity
Chapter 3 Living History
Chapter 4 Wise Practice: The Self (Part 1)
Chapter 5 Wise Practice: Working within Spaces and with Others (Part 2)

SECTION 2 CHALLENGES
Chapter 6 Canadian Child Welfare’s Impact on Indigenous Children, Families, and Communities
Chapter 7 MMIWG2S People and Gender-Based Violence
Chapter 8 Trauma
Chapter 9 Legislation, Calls to Action, and Policy

SECTION 3 CHILD, YOUTH, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY APPROACHES
Chapter 10 Heart-Centred Practice: Fostering Love through Indigenous Approaches to Child and Youth Work
Chapter 11 Supporting Kinship and Family Relations
Chapter 12 Community Wellness: Land, Water, Language, and Community
Chapter 13 Resurgence and Resistance: Re/Centring Indigenous Children and Youth through Strength-Based Approaches
Closing Heart-to-Heart Practice

Child and Youth Care Certification Board
Glossary
Index

Additional Information
308 Pages | 6.75" x 9.75" | Paperback