The damage done by the devastating wildfires of 2023 continues to impact the health of the Northwest Territories, delaying the opening of a trauma-informed healing centre in the South Slave region.
Not only is the former treatment centre on the Kátł’odeeche First Nation being used by the band after its office burned down one year ago, but the evacuations themselves were also a traumatic event for thousands of people who were displaced.
Yellowknife author Patrick Scott speaks at the 2024 Voices for Peace Symposium on Sunday at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. (James O’Connor/CKLB)
Roy Erasmus told the 15th Annual Voices for Peace Symposium on Sunday in Yellowknife that he and his wife Jean’s plans to open a healing lodge in that former treatment centre will now likely be delayed until 2026.
Erasmus said there is pervasive trauma in Indigenous communities, stemming from colonialism, racism, and the legacy of residential schools, leading to substance abuse and violence.
“We’ve been working on that now for a while, and with the assistance of the territorial government as well as the federal government, we’ve done a feasibility study we’re ready to move to the next step,” said Erasmus, who runs Dene Wellness Warriors and who has been training Northern and Indigenous counsellors for the planned treatment centre.
“There’s always delays and Hay River (area) is probably worse off because of the lack of contractors. So we don’t know if it’s actually going to happen. We’re hoping that it will … we’ve got the support of every regional government.”
Patrick Scott co-authored the recently released We are a River: 100 Years of Treaty 11, published by CKLB’s parent organization, Native Communications Society of the NWT.
“We need to walk around the block and show respect to the person living on the street.”
– Patrick Scott
“It’s remarkable, quite honestly, and when we talk about mental wellness, both individually and collectively, we’re really talking about how well we relate to one another,” said Scott.
“I can’t be mentally well, contained within my domicile, I can’t isolate myself from my environment, whether it’s human or natural, and be mentally well or physically well. Reaching out to each other, in my view, this is experiencing God in the greatest form.
“Life is about loving one another, and I think that is what Christianity is in its purest form: Do good to those that hate you. Turn the other cheek. Love your enemy. Lord, let me say that again, love your enemy.
“When you care for your neighbour, which means you’re caring for your community, when you’re actively engaging and caring your soul grows and your spirit strengthens and heals you, as well as healing those you are relating to.”
Others who spoke were the NWT’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola and Imam Aizaz Khan.
Khan is a Toronto-based imam from the Ahmadiyya Community, a sect of Islam dedicated to peace and interfaith cooperation, which organized Sunday’s event.
Some 75 people attended the 2024 Voices for Peace Symposium on Sunday at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. (James O’Connor/CKLB)
