Étude de cas contextualisée des trajectoires et perspectives de femmes autochtones ayant vécu l’itinérance à Montréal et à Val-d’Or

Over the past decade, the high proportion of Indigenous people amongst the homeless population of Canadian cities has spurred the attention of a growing number of researchers. Studies have considered a wide range of aspects regarding Indigenous homelessness, including the causes and categories of said homelessness, the conditions in which intervention is possible, and the different pathways leading indigenous individuals to homelessness. This thesis presents the results of a contextualized case study drawing from qualitative and collaborative research on the perspectives and life trajectories of fourteen homeless Aboriginal women in the urban areas of Montreal and Val-d'Or. Inspired by intergenerational trauma and intersectional analytical approaches, this thesis gives priority to the reconstruction of women's life stories by situating them in their socio-historical context. In addition to presenting the similarities found in participants' childhood, adolescence and adult life trajectories, this thesis brings to light the connections between the violent and marginalizing experiences that have marked their lives and the traces left by colonial and patriarchal structures enacted by provincial and federal having intervened in past and present Aboriginal communities. Furthermore, drawing directly from Aboriginal women's perspectives, this thesis focuses on the conditions of individual and collective resurgence revealed in shared life stories, uncovering forms of resilience and supporting elements which have contributed to participants' personal healing. In placing emphasis on participants' awareness of the linkages between past and future generations, this research seeks to illustrate participant Aboriginal women's rationale about the context in which they grew up and their multiple attempts to stop the transmission of intergenerational trauma within their families and also within their communities. This thesis concludes that contextualized case studies can serve as tools which allow for the emergence of renewed perspectives regarding the realities and aspirations of homeless Aboriginal women in Quebec. Furthermore, it highlights that the Province of Quebec, like all Canadian provinces, must continue to assess its own colonial history and build on existing initiatives that recognize the impacts of this history in communities and Quebec society. In parallel, the youth protection system, which many see as a contemporary replica of the residential school system, is an example of an institution which must pursue its efforts to implement the principles of reconciliation. Finally, this thesis invites researchers and decision-makers addressing homelessness to place the perspectives of the main stakeholders at the heart of their initiatives, including those of a new generation of indigenous women leaders, artists and intellectuals. It is only by taking these voices into consideration that a future different from the past can be imagined and constructed.

Keyphrases: Violence, Discrimination, Women, Indigenous, Pathways, Homelessness, Intergenerational trauma, Intersectionality, Resilience, Healing