Walking the RED Path for Incarcerated Indigenous Women

Walking the Red Path project empowers women, fights stigma, and promotes a connection to culture.

Walking the RED Path (RED stands for Re-forging connections, Empowering Indigenous women to heal, and Driving change for a healthy future) is a five-year Public Health Agency of Canada-funded project that aims to connect with and empower federally incarcerated Indigenous women. The goal is to help them make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.

Indigenous women in Canada are incarcerated at a higher rate than any other population in Canada. They now account for 42% of the women inmate population in Canada, according to the 2018–2019 annual report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator . Federally incarcerated Indigenous women have the highest rates of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) compared to any other group in Canada. With their unique needs, culture, and experiences with colonization, this is an issue that requires a response that is rooted in their strength and culture.

This is where the RED Path Project comes in. We aim to improve knowledge of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) in a setting that focuses their strength and connects them to their Indigenous culture, with an Elder providing support throughout the process.

Currently, RED Path works with Indigenous women in federal institutions and Section 81s to deliver workshops designed by and for incarcerated Indigenous women. Through these workshops and other activities, RED Path has been successful in increasing knowledge of STBBIs and empowering Indigenous women to prevent infection, while fighting stigma and promoting a connection to culture.

Among the many interesting and rewarding parts of working on the RED Path Project is the opportunity to see the power of peer-led support in action. Many people who have worked on the project (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) have their own stories to tell around trauma, addiction, and living with HIV and incarceration. Through this project, we have been able to grow and learn alongside the population we’re working with. In the process, we have made many powerful connections.