Bent Arrow was co-founded by a CYC Alum & Distinguished Alum Shauna Seneca and her husband Brad in 1994. They wanted to serve Indigenous youth with culture and ceremony being the foundation of their service delivery. Every day is started with intention through smudge and prayer. Rites of Passage were observed which are rooted in healthy development (life cycle). All of the elements that had been fractured or discontinued through historical trauma (e.g., the displacement of children and fracturing of families through Residential Schools, 60’s scoop and other traumatic events) were re-introduced into and re-connected through Bent Arrow’s service delivery model. Throughout the experiences at Bent Arrow, the belief that culture is medicine has proven to be correct. Bent Arrow knows that if we practice as if in ceremony, participants are more likely to have better outcomes. Bent Arrow also learned that if youth were struggling, that those around them were also struggling. As a society, they grew very mindfully with that knowledge and now have a spectrum of services for babies all the way to elders and seniors. Finally, Bent Arrow learned that if youth weren’t islands, then Bent Arrow also couldn’t be an island, and so began a culture of collaboration that is still in practice today. They have strong partnerships with their government partners, police service, the City of Edmonton as well as well-established partners in the non-profit sector.

The prevalence and relevance of CYC practice in parallel with Indigenous practice culture and ceremony continues to bring their mission alive which is a commitment to building on the strengths of Indigenous children, youth and their families to enable them to grow spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally so that they can walk proudly in two worlds. Shauna was succeeded by Cheryl Whiskeyjack, also a CYC Alum and Distinguished Alum whom Shauna mentored and led until her passing in 2006. Bent Arrow continues to welcome CYC students into their organization to develop, grow their practice, and contribute to the wellbeing of others.