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TuesdayNovember25201413HEALTHWELLNESSADDICTIONSMINNETONKAMEXXTOMSfootwearchildrenswearandaccessoriesshoesandbootsGUESSVOLUSPABUFFDEXCLOTHINGluxurycandlesandhomefragranceheadwearsameorlesservalue30offallsaleitemsla-dee-dah-boutique.myshop.comShipsfromHayRiver.In-storepickupalsoavailable.YouthleadmarchagainstaddictionsinYellowknifeByDALICARMICHAELWalkingaroundthedowntowncoreofYellowknifeonNov.17onemayhavecomeacrosshundredsofyouthandtheirteacherscoachesandmentorssufferingthecoldandmarchingthroughthestreets.TheywerepartoftheTreeofPeaceTOPfriendshipcentreanddrugandal-coholfacilitysannualDontUseDrugsyouthmarchwhichkicksoffNationalAddictionsAwarenessWeekNAAWinthecityeveryyear.Forworkersatthecentreexposingyouthtotherealitiesofdrugaddictionsandsub-stanceabuseisthebestwaytopreventthemfromtakinguprecreationaldrughabits.IfeelitsbettertogettheyouthawareofwhatshappeninginthecommunityatayoungagesaidNoelHernandezavolun-teerwithTOP.IftheystickaroundYellow-knifelongenoughtheycanseeitplainasdayheretheresaproblemwithaddictionsintheNorth.HernandezisinhissecondandnalyearofstudiesinAuroraCollegessocialworkingprogram.ForhispracticumhewastaskedwithputtingtogetherTOPsNAAWevents.Heralliedalmost300studentsbetweenGrades5to12forthemarchallhailingfromlocalschools.Itwasinterestingtoseesomeofthestudentsduringthemarchbecausetherewouldbesomehomelesspeoplewhomayormaynothavebeenintoxicatedjuststand-ingaroundwatchingandjustsomeofthethingstheyweresayingwereYoucantryyoucanquitdrinkinghesaid.Comingfromayouthwhentheyweretellingtheadultstostopdrinkingandthattheycanghttheiraddictionwasalittleinspiringitsnicetosee.WhiletheyouthwereattendingthemarchTOPalsohostedacommunityfairwherere-gionalsubstanceabuseandaddictionssup-portgroupswereinvitedtosharetheirser-vices.ThelocalbranchoftheSalvationArmytheJohnHowardSocietyRCMPofcersandtheYellowknifeHealthandSocialServicesAuthoritywereallrepresented.IncreasingyouthinvolvementAccordingtotheCentreforAddictionsandMentalHealthyouthaged15to24aremorelikelytoexperiencementalillnessandsubstanceabusedisordersthananyotheragegroup.Thosestatisticsalsoplacemenathigherratesofaddictionthanwomen.TheworkersatTOPareactivelyworkingtochangethosestatistics.TheorganizationhascreatedaYouthAdvocacyCouncilagroupofaboutseventeenagersactivelyinvolvedininitiativestocountersubstanceabuseandaddictionswiththeirpeers.WewenttoVancouverinMarchandvisitedwiththeODDSquadandtheytookustotheDowntownEastsidesaidMitchellRoland16actingchairoftheyouthcouncil.TheODDSquadisanor-ganizationfilledwithretiredVancouverpoliceofficerswhonowvolunteertoworkwithyoungpeople.Duringthemarchtheyouthhadthechancetosharewhattheyhadlearnedfromtheirex-cursiontoanareawithsomeofthehighestratesofdruguseinthecountry.AccordingtoRolandthegroupsstrategyisnotabouttellingpeopletheyseeabusingsubstanceswhattodowiththeirlives.Ratheritsaboutlendingacompassionateeartosup-portthepeopletheyseeinneed.SometimeswhenIseepeoplelikethatIwouldtalktothemalittlebitjustonmysparetimehesaid.IjustgettoknowthemandtellthemwhatIdoandalittlebitaboutmyselfandthenaskthemalittlebitaboutthemselvesiftheywanttotalkaboutit.IgivethemresourcesIleadthemtotheproperplaceordowntherightchannels.Peopleoftenassumethatpeoplewithdif-ferentproblemsareaddictedforverystereo-typicalreasonsbutthatsnotalwaystruehesaid.Itsimportanttogetpeoplesopin-ionsandperspectives.PhotocourtesyofTreeofPeaceGwichinyouthmakevoicesheardthroughnewcouncilByMEAGANWOHLBERGGwichinyouthhavebandedtogethertoformtheirownregionalcouncilsetonin-uencingdecision-makingwithintheirAb-originalgovernment.TheregionalcouncilmetforthersttimeovertheweekendinInuvikafterbeingmadeofcialattheGwichinTribalCouncilsGTCannualgeneralassemblyinAugustwherealldelegatesvotedinfavourofitscreation.AccordingtoJordanPetersonwhoworkswiththeyouthcouncilasintergov-ernmentalofficerfortheGTCtheinitia-tivecamefromtheyouthwhowantedtobuildleadershipskillswhilemakingtheirvoicesheard.WereatapointinAboriginalhistorynotjustGwichinhistorythatalotofyoungpeoplearereallyrealizingthatwereprettyclosetolosingourcultureandourlanguageandourtraditionallifestylePetersonsaid.Oneofthekeygoalsoftheregionalyouthcouncilistohelpprotectenhanceandmain-taintheGwichinculturelanguageandprac-ticesandthisissomethingthattheyouthfeltverystronglyaboutthattheynotonlywanttohelptheGwichinTribalCounciltobeabletoaccomplishthosegoalsbuttobeabletopracticeitthemselvesPetersonsaid.WorktoformthecouncilbeganinJanuary.ThoughthegrouphadtowaituntilAugusttobeformallyratiedthatdidntstopthemfrommeetingmonthlyforthersthalfof2014.Nowthecouncilplanstomeetamin-imumofvetimesayearrotatingamongstthefourGwichincommunitiesandholdingonemeetingoutontheland.InbetweenmeetingsPetersonsaidtheyouthareexpectedtoorganizeeventsorproj-ectsforyouthintheircommunitieswhetherthatbecommunityfeastsorsocialeventstopromotethecouncilandcollecttheviewsofyouthtotakebacktomeetings.Theprimaryfocusistocreateavoiceforalloftheotheryouthintheircommunities.ThesearetheleadersofthoseyouthinthespeciccommunitiestobeabletobringtheirconcernstothetabletoworkonthingsthattheircommunitywantsandalsoworkonittogetherPetersonsaid.Lastweekendsmeetingwasmostlycom-prisedoftrainingfortheyouth.Representa-tivesfromtheGTCboardofdirectorsandad-ministrativestaffgavetrainingonhowtorunameetingtakeminutescreateresolutionsholdtheirownelectionsandprojectmanagement.KatherineSittichinliwaselectedpresi-dentandDavieEdwardsvicepresidentofthecouncilwhichalsoincludesNaomiPe-tersonRileyFurlongAngelaKoeDinahAndreandDaphaneFrancis.AfteraproductiverstmeetingSittichinliwhois20andfromInuviksaidmembersarenowgoingbacktotheircommunitiestondoutfromyouthwhattheywanttoseehappen.Therstactivityisalogodesigncontestforthecouncilopentoyouthacrosstheregion.PetersonsaidexperienceonthecouncilwillreadytheyouthforwhateverpaththeydecidetogodownespeciallyiftheychoosetoaimforleadershippositionswithintheGTCinthefuture.Itsbuildingthatleadershipthatweneedamongsttheyouthhesaid.FromleftDavieEdwardsNaomiPetersonRileyFurlongAngelaKoeDinahAndreDa-phaneFrancisandKatherineSittichinliformthenewGwichinregionalyouthcouncil.PhotoJordanPetersonPOLITICSYOUTHYouthmarchalongthestreetsofYellowknifeduringaSayNotoDrugswalkNov.17.TheeventkickedoffNationalAddictionsAwarenessWeekinthecity.