<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0"> <meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> <title>Circle Project - History</title> <style> <!-- td{font-size:12pt;font-family:Times New Roman} a:link{color:black;text-decoration:underline} a:hover{color: #800000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: normal; text-decoration:none} //--> </style> </head> <body topmargin="0" leftmargin="0" style="background-image: url(http://www.circleproject.ca/images/bg_circle_pr.gif);" alink="#000000" link="#000000" vlink="#000000"> <table style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="780"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 162px;" valign="top"> <p style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="center"><img alt="Circle Project Logo" src="http://www.circleproject.ca/images/circle_logo.gif" style="border: 0px solid ; width: 125px; height: 125px;"> </p> <p align="left"><font color="#000000">&nbsp;</font></p> </td> <td style="width: 6px;" valign="top"> </td> <td style="width: 608px;" valign="top"> <p align="center"><font face="Times New Roman" size="6"><br> <b>Circle Project Assoc. Inc.<br> </b> </font><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">2nd Floor, 1102 8th Avenue, Regina SK, S4R 1C9<br> Tel: (306) 347-7515&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fax: (306) 347-7519</font> </p> <p align="center">&nbsp; </p> <hr color="#000000" size="1" width="90%"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 162px;" valign="top"> <p align="left">&nbsp; </p> <p align="left"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><a href="index.html">Home<br> </a><a href="mission.htm">Our Mission<br> </a><a href="file:///C:/Users/Photo%20Archivist/Documents/Web%20site/Circle%20Project%20Web%20Site/history.htm">History<br> </a><a href="annualreport.htm">Annual Report<br> </a><a href="founding_elders.htm">Founding Elders<br> </a><a href="programs.htm">Programs<br> </a><a href="children_centre.htm">Children's Centre<br> </a><a href="infant_toddler_centre.htm">Infant &amp; Toddler Centre</a><a href="student_centre.htm"><br> </a><a href="culture_community.htm">Culture &amp; Community<br> </a><a href="events.htm">Special Events<br> </a><a href="partners.htm">Community Partners<br> </a><a href="staff_council.htm">Elders, Council &amp; Staff<br> </a><a href="membership.htm">Membership<br> </a><a href="good_food_box.htm">Good Food Box<br> </a><a href="contact.htm">Contact Us</a></font></p> <p style="width: 164px;" align="left"></p> <p align="left"></p> <hr align="center" color="#000000" size="1" width="90%"> <p align="left"><font color="#800000"><b>Mission Statement</b><br> </font><small><i>"The Circle Project provides support and programs based on the Aboriginal vision of wholeness, balance and healing.&nbsp; By promoting positive human development, we encourage people to help themselves through education, cultural awareness, family and community."~Oct 1997</i></small></p> </td> <td style="width: 6px;" valign="top"> </td> <td style="width: 608px;" valign="top"> <p align="left">&nbsp; </p> <p align="left"><font color="#800000" face="Times New Roman" size="5"><b>History</b></font><font face="Times New Roman" size="5"><br> </font></p> <p style="text-align: center; font-family: Times New Roman;"><small><span style="font-style: italic;">"Thus was born the Circle Project...the turning point to change."</span></small></p> <p style="text-align: right;"><small><span style="font-style: italic;">Dr. Michael Bopp</span></small></p> <p align="left"><font face="Times New Roman" size="5"> </font><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">In the early 80s, the Catholic Church leaders in Regina recognized that they were not reaching the Aboriginal community.&nbsp; Many cultural problems were occurring.&nbsp; Unemployment and welfare dependency were around 90%.&nbsp; The drop out rate for Aboriginal students was above 85%.&nbsp; The suicide rate was one of the highest for any population in the entire world.</font> </p> <p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Aboriginal people were actually caught between two cultures by not having their extended family and community to lean on; this leads many to look for ways out of the confused life in which they found themselves.&nbsp; They were &ldquo;a people at the end of their collective rope.&rdquo;&nbsp; (Kieffer, 1984:16)</font></p> <p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Even though there were about forty agencies in Regina providing a broad spectrum of services to the Aboriginal community, they could not seem to address or alleviate the situation.&nbsp; The elders felt that these patterns of oppression have permeated them, and they were undermining the good intentions and the dedicated efforts of the staff.&nbsp; After consulting with some Aboriginal agencies, they decided to go to the people for guidance.</font></p> <p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Fifteen participants, consisting mostly of Aboriginal people representing a variety of agencies and groups in Regina, participated in the dialogue.&nbsp; The action that resulted was the formation of a new agency, which would belong to the native people and serve the real need for community development via self-healing.&nbsp; Thus was born the Circle Project &ndash; the turning point to change.</font></p> <p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Today&rsquo;s Circle Project Assoc. Inc. is an urban based, Aboriginal organization that provides programs and services in Regina and surrounding areas.&nbsp; Although our program participants are both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, our main focus is working with Aboriginal people in a community based setting.&nbsp; The Council (Board of Directors) maintains an Aboriginal majority as part of the mandate.</font></p> <p><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Programs and services are delivered through an integrated program model, which was developed by the Circle Project in 1997.&nbsp; The linkage of programs creates a network of services, which serve as stepping stones for vulnerable individuals and families as they work toward independence and sustainability.</font></p> <font face="Times New Roman" size="4">The Circle Project has been operating since 1988.&nbsp; It is supported by the Archdiocese of Regina, City of Regina, Regina United Way, Provincial Departments, Service Clubs and the community at large. <span style="color: black;">We are a non-profit charity.</span></font> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 162px;" valign="top"> </td> <td style="width: 6px;" valign="top"> </td> <td style="width: 608px;" valign="top"> <hr color="#000000" size="1" width="90%"> <p align="center"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">&copy; </font><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">2004 Circle Project Assoc. Inc.&nbsp; All rights reserved.</font> </p> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </body> </html>