4 —- Wednesday, October 28, 1998 - North Shore News

Program breaks cycle of vi

Native men benefit by Change of Seasons

Katharine Hamer Contributing Writer

ROSS Muehlforth says his life was a mess before he got involved with the Change of Seasons Program.

“My lite was quite chaat- ic. Thad no real direction, no career, no meaning! rela vionship,” said) Muchiforth. Now he is a cCordinator with the program,

Chanze of Seasons is a counselling Program designed to help First Nations men tackle their problems with domestic vic- lence.

The program is based on the Capilano Reserve in North Vancouver and was laanded in 1992. It is the only one of its kind in Canada.

The name was chosen by Squamish Band elders. The name illustrates “the change of seasons in a man’s life,” said Muehlforth. “Fall and winter can often be a dark time, whereas spring and summer are about renewal — and that's the Change of Seasons.”

So far, 300 native men have completed the 16-week program. The approach com- bines traditional psvchother- apy techniques with work- shops tailored to the specitic needs of the First Nations community.

“Change of Seasons is about breaking the cyclical pattern of abuse”, said Muchlforth. .

“Abuse and violence are learned behaviour,” Mucehlforth said, pointing out that native men are par- ticularly at risk from harmful cultural influences in Western society.

“We're at the bottom of

the totem pole,” — said Muehltorth. “We're oppressed daily. Our culture, language, and traditions have all been outlawed. It’s had a major impact on_ First Nations communities.”

Native men, said Muchiforth, feel powerless in their communities. They believe they have lost their traditional role as providers and protectors, and their feelings of weakness cause them to lash out at their partners.

He is quick to emphasize that there is no justification

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EATON’S

goal of

tor the abuse of a lowed one. But, he said, the Change of Seasons program tries to encourage men to change their pattern of behaviour,

“The program is about the healing and forgiveness of the self” he said. “Men need to know thev have the opportunity to change. We can’t change them, but we can give them choices.”

Muehltorth believes thar all men have been taught since childhood not to reveal weakness.

“Think about when a two year old scrapes his knee,” he said. “His father will always tell him not to cry te tbe a man. We need to learn that we don’t have to be ashamed of our feetings.”

The program: has grown fargely by word of mouth over recent years. Men. are sometimes referred to Change of Seasons by main- stream counsellors.

Participants are mostly from the Jocal community, but several have come to the program trom other parts of the Lower Mainland and even as far afield as Ontario.

“We work pretty closely with provincial ministries as well,” said) Muehlforth. “Court- mandated men who've been convicted of assault are often given the option of completing the Change of Seasons program as an alternative to a prison sentence.”

Mucehlforth believes that incarceration only exacer- bates the problem of domes- tic violence. By choosing to pursue the program, native men give themselves a real shot at dealing with their aggressive behaviour.

Dr. Morgan L. Brache

Dr. Mitch Rubin

The program is abe open to naw native men involved in relavionships with native WOMCH.

In addition to its reguiar sessions, Change of Seasons runs ao short program in wiger management over the summer months.

A follow-up program designed to deal with contlict resolution and) communica- tion issues for participants for whom “the violence has ended but the emotional abuse nas continued,” is being developed. “Its a long-term process.”

Mucehltorth — anderlines the importance of program counsellors having had first hand experience of partici- pants’ problems. He says that his own fife has improved infinitely since he first: took part in Change of Seasons.

“always had) problems with relationships before,” he said. “LT had a history of domestic violence, and the longest zelationship Thad only lasted a vear, The short- est was BVO weeks,”

Now, Muehlforth says, he has been ina relationship for six years, and he's “very

NEWS photo Terry Peters

PROGRAM coordinators Robert Nahanee, left, and Ross Muehiforth stand out- side the Change of Seasons office at the Capilano Reserve.

much in love.” [t's a success story he attributes in no

small part to Change of

Seasons.

Dr. Rosalynd Holdsworth

Dr. Sabrina Class

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