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8TuesdayFebruary32015HEALTHWELLNESSCANCERFortSmithtohostplanningmeetingforNWTcancersurvivorcareByMEAGANWOHLBERGResidentsofFortSmithwillhaveanoppor-tunitytosharetheirexperiencesandideasforimprovingcareforcancerpatientsandsurvivorsintheNorthwestTerritoriesatacommunityworkshopthisweek.Allmembersofthepublicaffectedbycancereitherdirectlyorindirectlyincludingfamilymembershealthcareprovidersandsurvivorsthemselvesarewelcometoparticipateintherst-everworkshoponthetopictobeheldattheNorthernLifeMuseumonThursdayFeb.5from1000a.m.to400p.m.WewanttogetanunderstandingofwhatsortsofthingsourcommunitywouldliketoseecomeoutoftheprojectaswellaswhatkindsofthingstheyfeelarelackingintheexistingcancercaretreatmentsystemsaidworkshoporganizerKrystalBrown.AttheworkshopparticipantswillworkondesigningademonstrationprojectforthecommunitythatwouldseeFortSmithpatientsandsurvivorsworkwithhealthprofessionalsonindividualcareplanstoimprovetheirexperiencenavigatingthecomplicatedhealthcaresystembothdur-ingandaftertreatment.Survivorcareplansnotonlyclearlyoutlinethepatientscareteamandtreatmentplanfortheirspeciccancerjourneybutincludeaholisticapproachtowell-beingthatfocusesonemotionalspiritualandpracticalimpactsoftheprocess.Whenyourediagnosedwithcancerthroughouttheprocessyoucanhaveupto20differentcareprovidersBrownsaidsoithasalltheircontactinfo.Andsomecareplansaredifferentforcertaintypesofcan-cersotherecanbeaparticularcareplanmodeldevelopedspecicallyforbreastcancerpatientsorprostatecancerpatientsorlungcancerpatients.Theplansalsoplaceastrongemphasisonfollow-upcareforsurvivorsaftertreat-mentends.Amajorproblemthathasbeenidentiedbycancersurvivorsisthatpost-treatmentpeoplefeltthattheywerecutloosefromthesystemBrownsaid.Theresalackofinformationandunderstandingaroundpossibleside-effectsfromtreatmentwhattoexpectwhatsortofsignstolookforforremissionnutritionalin-formationhowtheyshouldbetakingcareoftheirbodiesandwhatsortsofthingstheycanexpectintermsoftheirenergylevels.Theworkshopisalsobeingconsideredanimportantrststepincreatingasenseofca-maraderieamongcancersurvivorsandfamilymembersinthecommunitysaidLouiseFra-seraformernursebreastcancersurvivorandadvisortotheproject.Differentpeoplehavedifferentcancers.Noteverybodygoesthroughthesamesituationanditsnicetogettogetherjusttobrainstormtotalkshesaid.Youneedthatsupportandonlyaper-sonwhoshadcancercanreallygiveyouthat.Thefamilycangiveyoualltheloveandtender-nessbutyouneedthatfromothersurvivors.EverystoryisdifferentandweneedthosestoriessoitcanhelpusimprovetheprogramsthatwehaveandevenhowpeoplearetreatedwhentheygotoEdmontonorYellowknifeFraseradded.Theworkshopwillleadtoapilotprojectforthecommunitylaterthisyeardependingonfunding.ThoughitissponsoredbytheNWTBreastHealthBreastCancerActiongroupitincludesallformsofcancer.AsimilarprojectisunderwayinFortGoodHopeaswell.Thosewhoareunabletoattendthework-shoporwhowouldliketomeetindividuallycancontactBrownat872-2599orbyemailatklb88uvic.ca.WalkingWithOurSisterswandersofftoWhitehorseColonialismracismnamedasfactoringcauseincommunityconversationsByDALICARMICHAELThesacredspacethathostedtheWalkingWithourSistersWWOSexhibitlastmonthinYellowknifehasbeenpackedawayupperbyupperastheunnishedslippersrepre-sentingtheunfullledpotentialoflostindig-enouswomenpreparedfortheirtojourneytotheirnexthomeinWhitehorse.WhilethememorialinstallationisgonefromthePrinceofWalesNorthernHeritageCentreorganizershopethediscussionsithelpedfacilitatewillremainaspeopleintheNWTandfamiliesacrossCanadacontinuetodealingwiththeproblemofmissingandmurderedindigenouswomenandhealingfromtheirlosses.TheexhibitisprimarilyabouthonouringwomenfromtheindigenouscommunitywhohavebecomemissingandmurderedsaidLilaErasmusavolunteerorganizerandmod-eratorforthenalofthreeteach-insessionsassociatedwithWWOSYellowknife.Asyouwalkthroughitmakesitallreal.Youunder-standthatthesewererealpeoplethattheyhadfamilythatlovedthemdearly.Theyweremotherstheyweresisterstheywereauntstheyweredaughters.Wehadaffectedfami-liesfromtheNWT.Secondarilyitisaboutcreatingaware-nessandstartingthosediscussionsinourcommunityaboutwhysomanyindigenouswomencanbetargetedformurderandgomissingwhytherearerarelyanystatskeptandwhythegovernmentdoesntfeelthatitsnecessarytoputtheirresourcesbehindnd-ingoutwhyndingthegapsandprevent-ingitshesaid.FourcommunitysessionsheldfromSep-tembertoDecemberandthreeteach-inpan-elsunderthethemeUncomfortableTruthsandNewRelationshipsheldinconjunctionwiththeinstallationgavepeopleintheNWTachancetohashoutthemanyissuesaroundthecomplexproblem.ThenaldiscussiontookplaceonJan.26attheChiefDrygeeseSchoolinDettah.AsAboriginalwomenwewanttoknowwhywehavea20percentmorechanceofbeingmurderedandgoingmissingthananynon-indigenouswomaninthatroomErasmussaid.WhyisitthatsomanyorganizationsthatcanmakechangedontdoanythingaboutitWhydowenotwanttoknowFourwomensatonapanelinthenalsessionandaddressedracismandcoloniza-tionaselementsthatstronglyinuencethenegativetrend.StephanieIrlbacher-FoxwhohasaPhDandhasworkedwithindigenouscommuni-tiesforsomanyyearshadaverypowerfulmessageaboutthedifferencesbetweenthecolonizedandthecolonizersandhowthosestructuresareputinplaceErasmussaid.Whenyoutalkaboutthestructurescreatedbycolonizationthesestructuresarecreatedasawaytopreventthosethathavebeencol-onizedtokeepthecolonizersonthetop.Dr.MarieWilsonoftheTruthandRecon-ciliationCommissionspokeaboutthelastingimpactofresidentialschoolsandhowtheycontinuetocontributetomoderndayprob-lemsbydrivingthemunderground.ShetalkedabouthowsomeindigenouspeoplefeelshamefortheircultureErasmussaid.Therewereindividualsthathadsaidtheyneverfeltthatshameintheirhome.Itwasntuntiltheycameoutoftheirhomeandoutoftheircommunitiesthattheystartedfeelingshameforbeingindigenous.Thereweregrandmothersandgrandfatherswhomadesuretheirfamiliesdidntspeakthelanguagebecauseofthatshame.Thewomenalsoaddressedwaystohelperadicatesomeofthoseproblems.WegooutgeteducatedbecausewewanttocomebackandhelpcommunitiesErasmussaidechoingstatementsmadebypanelistLianneMantlawhowenttoschoolfornursingtobringhealthcaretotheTlichoFirstNation.RepresentingtheyouthvoiceJaceyFirth-Hagenadvocatedformorecommunity-basedactivismtogureoutwaysofpreventingmoreviolenceagainstindigenouswomen.Ithinkthattherewasawholelotofaware-nesscreatedErasmussaid.Thatisgoingtobethelastingimpactandsomethingtrulypositivethatcomesoutofitforourcommuni-ties.Ithinkthatweregoingtoseefromthispointforwardpossiblymoreofthesediscus-sionsweregoingtoseecommunitymemberspossiblydefendingtheindigenouscommuni-tieswhentheycomeupagainststereotypi-calattitudes.Iwouldhopethatwewouldseemorediscussionslikethis.PhotoTessaMacIntoshJUSTICEMISSINGWOMENThe1800uppersintheWalkingWithourSistersexhibit-whichrepresenttheunnishedlivesofmissingandmurderedindigenouswomenacrossthecountry-mayhavemovedonfromYellowknifebutorganizersarehopingtheawarenessithelpedcreatearoundtheissuewillbelasting.