Transforming Pain to Hope
Since 1897, Christie Indian Residential School occupied Kakawis, which is located in the Central Region of the Nuuchahnulth Territory on Meares Island, B.C. Operated by the Roman Catholic Church and the government, the impacts of this school to our First Nations communities was boundless. The children that attended this establishment were subject to physical, sexual, emotional, spiritual and verbal abuse, and sometimes death.
In the early 1970s, Christie Indian Residential School relocated away from Kakawis to a site near Tofino, BC. At that time, our Nuu-chah-nulth Elders, the Catholic Church, and some local business people gathered to decide what could be done with old site. The decision was made to transform it into a Family Centre where families can go for safe haven.
Turning the Page
In 1974, the first group attended Kakawis to start their healing journeys. Since then, Kakawis has evolved into a therapeutic healing centre, and we are now called Kackaamin Family Development Centre. In 2009, we moved to a larger more accessible site located in Port Alberni – territory of Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations. We strive to work with families to re-awaken our Indigenous values, cultures and beliefs, to strengthen the Family Circle structure and allow for addictions & trauma healing, wellness and prosperity.
