Gladys Cook, a survivor of sexual abuse in a residential school, recently was honoured when the school building at the Agassiz Youth Centre in Portage la Prairie, Man. was renamed the Gladys Cook Education Centre. The centre is a correctional facility for boys aged 12 to 18.
Mrs. Cook has volunteered at the center twice a week for the past 24 years, offering spiritual guidance to the young inmates and teaching them about native spirituality. Mrs. Cook holds “sacred sharing circles” with the inmates. Approximately 12 to 13 boys participate in each circle, where they are taught patience, listening skills, and respect.