In partnership with North Slave Métis Alliance (NSMA), Supporting Wellbeing (SWB) delivered training to eleven NSMA members from August 24-28. The training took place at a new site on the grounds of Aurora Village, about a ten minute walk from the main lodge. This is the fifth SWB training provided to Indigenous groups in the NWT this year.

Participants & Staff

The NSMA’s Health and Wellness Committee brought together eleven participants. Included in the attendance were several Elders and one youth. Participants learned how to support wellbeing on the land, including modules covering conflict resolution and suicide prevention.

The training was led by SWB facilitators Kat Thomas and Cole Hardisty. Marie Speakman joined the group as the Emotional Support Person, checking in with everyone and providing one-on-one counselling for individuals when requested. Marie had the group laughing all week, and everyone felt comforted by her presence sitting in the circles.  SWB’s new Program Coordinator, Maslyn Scott, assisted with logistics. She made the facilitator’s jobs so much easier and helped keep everything running smoothly! 

Site Care 

Aurora Village (AV) hosted everyone at a beautiful site in the bush; which included a wall tent, a fire pit, and a large tipi built by AV staff member, Marvin Noel Lizotte. All of the staff at AV provided amazing care for the week; bringing refreshments out to the site twice a day, and serving the most delicious lunches from the main lodge. NSMA staff member Joey Gionet was the vigilant bear monitor, patrolling the camp and walking with people at break times.

On-The-Land Activities

For every SWB training, time on the land is included in the curriculum, as it gives time and space to process and regulate thoughts and emotions. It also gives more context for the material, and an opportunity for participants to practice what they have learned.

For this training, NSMA member and participant, Janell Dautel, guided activities on both days. On Tuesday, she brought the group on a medicine walk. The group picked cranberries, gathered horsehoof fungus, collected cool rocks, told stories, and laughed together.

Thursday afternoon was full of different activities and knowledge sharing: Marvin shared the teachings of the tipi and several medicines, NSMA’s youth participant Lexi led a lesson on creating beaded lanyards, and Janell showed everyone how to create their own medicine bag with moose hide and sinew. Most participants finished their bag before the training was completed, wearing them proudly on the final day of training.

Takeaways

At the end of the five days together participants received certificates of completion and took some group photos together. The participant-led closing circle punctuated a productive week of introspection and discussion, and highlighted the personal meaning of the week’s activities for each person present. 

I’ve always approached issues at camps as ‘how can I fix this as soon as possible?’ Now I know how to sit with someone and work on a solution together.

Thank you to everyone at North Slave Métis Alliance and Aurora Village for a fantastic week.  We hope to partner again in the future! 

Interested in having Supporting Wellbeing training in your community? Click here to request a training.