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HealthWellnessHIVPrevention15TuesdayNovember192013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTacklingtheissueofHIVAIDSinindigenouscommunitiesisonethattakescouragebut18braveyouthleadersfromacrossthecountryaredoingjustthatthroughavideoprojectchampionedbytheNativeYouthSexualHealthNet-workNYSHN.Fivelmsorvideosto-riescreatedbyindige-nousyouthfromacrossthecountryincludingonebyKiera-DawnKolsonoftheNWTpremieredatNorth-ernUnitedPlaceinYellow-knifelastThursdayeveningduringacommunitylaunchaimedatstartingthedis-cussionaroundindigenouscommunitiesexperiencesofHIVAIDS.Featuringavarietyofper-spectivesandanglesfrompreventionandservicestoHIVslinkstoviolencecol-onizationandculturallossthestorieswereintendedtohiteverydemographicandgiveinsightintotheuniquewaysindigenouscommuni-tiesandyoutharedealingwiththeunfortunatestatis-ticsthatplacethemathigh-estriskforcontractionofthedeadlysexuallytransmittedinfection.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGMorethanayearaftertheremainsofAmberAlyssaTuccarowerefoundsouthofEdmontonnearLeducfol-lowingtwoyearsofsearcheffortsRCMPunveiledabillboardonthehighwaycallingonthepublictohelpsolvehermurder.ThebillboardlocatedattheintersectionofHwy.814andAirportRd.nearNiskuasksthepublictolistentotheaudiorecordingofthevoicebelongingtoamanbelievedtohavebeenwithTuccaroshortlybeforeshedisappearedinAugust2010.ItreadsHaveyouheardthevoiceVivianTuccaroAmbersmotherattendedthebillboardunveilingtoleadahealingceremonyinhonourofherdaughterwheresheweptandtoldreportersherdaughtersmurderisaparentsworstnightmare.Policerstmadethecell-phonecallpublicbackinAu-gust2012tohelptrackdownthemaninconnectionwithIndigenousyouthtackleHIVthroughfilmKolsonslmcalledLifeThroughLovefeaturedinter-viewswithhermotherwhodoesresearchandprogramdevelopmentaroundHIVpre-ventionandawarenessalongwithatwo-spiritedTlichoyouthaboutselfrespectandknowingthedangersofunpro-tectedsexandanNWTelderaboutthesacrednessoflove.AnotherlmwastoldfromtheperspectiveofayoungSaskatchewanmanwhocon-tractedHIVthroughintra-venousdruguse.Onefea-turedayoungmanwritingalettertohismomthankingherforbeingsober.Anotherfollowedayoungwomanrediscoveringherindige-nousroots.Theresanarrayofdif-ferentperspectivesfromin-digenousyouthonwhatHIVpreventionmeanstothemsaidKolsonwhoalsohelpedorganizetheevent.Forsomeyouthitmeanssobrietyforsomeyouthitmeansrecon-nectingwiththeircultureforsomeyouthitmeansun-derstandingthestatisticsandtherecognitionofwhatthesetoolsarethatcanhelpuspre-ventfurtherharm.Kolsonsaidshemadethelmasawaytopassdownintergenerationalknowledgetoyouththroughamediumthatcreatesasafespacefordialogueonwhatcanbeadifcultissuetoaddressinmanycommunitieswheretraumaoftenexistsaroundsexandrelationships.BecausestatisticsaroundHIVarenotashighintheNorthastheyareinsouthernjurisdictionsKolsonsaiditsevenmoreimportanttogetthediscussionaroundpre-ventionstartednowbeforethosestatisticsstarttoriseastheycouldwithchangesinsocietylikeaninuxinthepopulationrelatedtoindustry.ItsimportanttohaveadialoguebeforeaboomtakesplaceKolsonsaid.TherearegoingtobealotofpeoplemigratingtotheNorth...soitsimportantthatwecontrolthestatisticsthatmaystarttoinltrateourcommuni-tiesandtheresnotimelikethepresent.HavingindigenousyouthleadthatdialogueisevenmorecrucialsaidErinKon-smooftheNYSHNwhowasinYellowknifeforthelaunch.HIVisaffectingyoungpeoplethemostandin-digenouscommunitiesaremuchmoreaffectedbyHIVthannon-indigenousoneswhichisreectiveofthechallengesinourlives.Soitsimportantthatitcomesfromindigenousyouthbe-causeitsaffectingusthemostshesaid.Weknowthatpeer-to-peerconversationworksbestinthiscasewhenitcomestotalkingaboutsexordrugs.Whenyouhaveyoungpeopletalkingaboutthistogetherthatswhereyouseethebestresults.ThatsaidKonsmonotedthatHIVpreventionisstillacommunityresponsibilitythatneedstobeaddressedatalllevelsandhastoincorpo-rateaholisticinterpretationofwellnessthatconsidersexperiencesofcolonizationandculturallossasitrelatestoselfrespect.WhenyoutalkaboutHIVitsbeingreflectiveofothersymptomsinthecommunityKonsmosaid.Whatitsgoingtotakeistoconfrontalltheissues...Empoweringyoungpeopletoknowtheirbodiesandtakecareofeachother-thatswhereyouovercomethechallenges.Aselectionofthedigitalstoriescanbeseenonlineattakingaction4youth.orgTuccarosdisappearancejustweeksbeforeherbodywasfoundonSept.12012onaruralpropertynearLeduc.TuccaroleftherhotelroominNiskusouthofEdmontonat800p.m.onAug.18tocatcharidetothecityafteryingtotheairportfromFortMcMurrayadayearlierwithher14month-oldsonandafemalefriend.Shegotintoavehiclewithamanandwasnotheardfromagain.Inthetwo-minutephonecallrecordingamansvoicecanbeheardduringTuccarosconversationwithanotherpersontryingtoconvinceTuccaroheisdrivingeastfromNiskutoenterthecityfrom50thSt.butRCMPbe-lievehedrovesouthinsteadendingeastofNiskuinruralLeducCounty.Tuccaroasksfrightenedquestionsdemandingtobetakentothecityandwonder-ingwheretheyaregoing.Themantellshertheyaretakinggravelledbackroadsto50thSt.inEdmontonbeforethesoundbecomesunintelligible.Wereaskingthepublicsassistancetolistentothetapeinhopesthatsomeonerec-ognizesthemalevoiceofthedriverandphonesinvestigatorsBillboardhopestosolvemurderofFortChipwomanJusticeMissingWomenwiththatinformationsaidCst.RaySheltonaninvesti-gatorwithProjectKAREanRCMP-ledunitthatinvesti-gatesunsolvedhomicidesandvulnerablemissingpersons.Thisaudioclipmaybedis-turbingtosomelistenersbutitsimportantthatthepubliclistenstothevoiceandhelpsinvestigatorsidentifythedriverofthatvehicle.Sheltonsaidhebelievestheunknownmalemayhaveinformationthatwouldassistintheinvestigation.Tuccarohadbeenaresi-dentofFortMcMurrayandwas20yearsoldatthetimeofherdisappearance.Therecordingisavailableatwww.kare.caandwww.al-bertamissingpersons.ca.Anyonewhocanhelpiden-tifythevoiceorwhohasotherinformationrelatedtoTucca-rosdisappearanceisaskedtocallProjectKAREtollfreeat1-877-412-KARE5273orCrimeStoppersat1-800-222-TIPS8477.EdmontonresidentscanalsocallKAREat780-509-3356.ReneeMonchalinanAlgonquinHuronMtisyouthfromFortErieOnt.discussesthedisproportionatestatisticsofHIVimpactingindigenouscommunitiesinherlm.PhotoReneeMonchalinPhotoProjectKAREAnewbillboardnearNiskuAlta.urgesthepublictoassistinlocatingasuspectinAmberTuccarosdisappearancein2010.