b'HEALTH & WELL-BEINGAPPRECIATING OUR DEDICATED NURSESIt took more than a location andWe were extremely fortunate to beEveryone came together to bold ambitions to bring ONWAsjoined by Indigenous nurses whoensure the clinic could provide Mindimooyenh vaccine clinic toworked arm-in-arm with our staffoptimum support and services Thunder Bay. Launching the massvolunteers to get this clinic off thewhen the community needed vaccination clinic during the COVID-19ground and keep it operational whenit the most. The extraordinary pandemic was only possible thanks tothe community needed it most,dedication and skill of the nurses the dedicated work of ONWA staff andand other volunteers will forever volunteers, including a committed groupsays Cora McGuire-Cyrette, Chiefbe a part of the Mindimooyenh of Indigenous nurses.Executive Officer at ONWA. Health Clinics story. Despite planned closure in June of 2021, the clinic later returned to operations thanks to funding support from Indigenous Affairs Ontario due to continued demand for safe and accessible Indigenized healthcare. The clinic has since become a permanent fixture in the Indigenous healthcare community in ONWAs Indigenous Housing partner Ontario. Today, it provides a broad range of healthcare supports, land-based activ-Serving the housing needs of Indigenous women, girls,ities, and traditional cultural events. Our 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, their families, and their communities. healthcare model reflects both traditional and western forms of healing and blends 1-866-391-1061 them with a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, says Ortolan. Its an approach that recog-OntarioAboriginalHousing.ca nizes Indigenous womens responsibilities, their wisdom, and their pivotal role within their families and communities.The team at the Mindimooyenh Health @OntarioAboriginalHousing @OAHSSC Clinic continues to grow and expand access to its services. Theres still lots of need, which makes this clinic a priority for ONWA, says Ortolan. We see the differ-ence made when communities have access to preventive and promotive healthcare. It helps set a strong cultural grounding that helps our Indigenous communities heal and access resources that enable them to New Horizons forwalk that road in a good way. Women are the centre of their communities, and when 2S-LGBTQ+ Older Adults women are healthy, the community is too.Two-Spirit Outreach ProgramGROWING MOVEMENTProviding Two-Spirit education training, culturallyThe Mindimooyenh Health Clinic is only relevant programming, and 2S-LGBTQ+ one-on-oneone of numerous success stories within the Indigenous healthcare community. support.In fact, the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) gathered in For more information about Two-Spirit Outreach Services and OlderNovember 2023 to celebrate the 25th Adults Programming, visit us at newhorizons2slgbtq.ca or email usanniversary of the 10 initial Aboriginal at Leisha@oahas.org Health Access Centres in Ontario, which paved the way for increased innovation in Indigenous healthcare.24Fall/Winter 2023'