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WellnessgatheringfocusesinonAboriginalhealthPolicymakershealthexpertsandfrontlineworkersclosingcaregap16TuesdayMarch102015HEALTHWELLNESSABORIGINALHEALTH6.8103inx6.3125inByDALICARMICHAELHealthexpertsfromacrossthenationgatheredinYellowknifelastweektoaddressthewidegapbetweenAboriginalandnon-AboriginalpeopleintheNWTwhenitcomestohealthstatus.DelegatesattheWeavingOurWisdomGath-eringheldattheExplorerHotelfromMar.3to5spenttimeacknowledgingthebarriersmanyAboriginalpeoplefaceinaccessingcarebeforediscussingbestpracticestoeffectivelytakeaction.Therearemanyfactorsthatnegativelyinu-encethehealthandwell-beingofourresidentssaidMinisterofHealthandSocialServicesGlenAbernethy.Theseincludestruggleswithincomeeducationearlychildhooddevelopmentfoodin-securityandhousing.Otherissuesincludementalhealthfetalalcoholspectrumdisorderdiabetesandeventheimpactsofclimatechange.PresentersDr.JanetSmylieoneoftherstMtisdoctorsinCanadaandDr.CindyBlack-stockexecutivedirectoroftheFirstNationsChildandFamilyCaringSocietyofCanadabothspoketotheneedtoeliminatesocialeco-nomicandracialbarriersinordertoreachawidergroupofAboriginalpatients.TothatendDr.SuzanneStewartwhospe-cializesinindigenousmentalhealthandhealinginpsychologyrecommendedthattheGNWTandallitspartnersmakeastrongefforttoin-cludetraditionalhealingmethodsaspartofitsmainstreamprogrammingineverycommunity.IthinkitsreallytimefortheGNWTtostartutilizingthetraditionalknowledgeresourcesofthepeoplebecausetheyhavereallybeenover-lookedinthegovernmentprogramsandprovi-sionsthathavebeenmadeStewartsaid.SpeakerSimonBrascoupactingCEOfortheNationalAboriginalHealthOrganizationandboardmemberoftheInstituteforAb-originalPeoplesHealthnotedthatalreadyexistingprogrammingandinfrastructurecouldbeusedtohelpthosedealingwithbothmentalandphysicalissues.FirstNationsInuitandMtiscommunitiesallhaveelderswhotalkaboutthehealingpowerofthelandBrascoupsaid.Ivedoneresearchonthesciencesideandonthetraditionalknowl-edgesidethatallindicatetheeffectivenessandsafetyofland-basedhealingprograms.Dr.StewartherselfaYellowknivesDenenotedthatfrontlineworkersalreadyonthegroundcouldmeasurewhatprogramsarework-ingforclientsandwhatelementsofcarecouldbeimprovedineachregion.AswellshepointedoutthebenetsofhavingAboriginalrepresen-tativesintop-levelpositionstoensureprogramsareproperlyimplementedandfollowedthrough.SomethingIthinkthatsbeenusefulthatIveseeninothercommunitiesacrosstheprairiesandineasternCanadahasbeencreatingcom-munitycouncilsandelderscouncilstoadviseportionsofgovernmentthatserviceAboriginalpopulationsshenoted.Anotherrecommen-dationisreallyhavinganAboriginal-specicpositionwithinthehigh-leveladministrationofdifferentdepartmentsandorganizations.IftheNWTwantsitshealthcaresystemtobeasuccessBrascoupsaidpolicymakerswillhavetoworkwithotherfacetsoftheGNWTtocreateaholisticsystemofhealing.OneoftheproblemsIdidnthearanybodytalkaboutwasjusticeBrascoupsaid.InoneofthecommunitiesthatIworkedinayoungmanratherthanbeingsenttocorrectionalin-stitutionswassentencedtoserveinthecommu-nitybutalsoparticipateinland-basedhealingprograms.ThereareafewofthoseprogramsinCanadaandcommunitieshavesaidtheyreallywork...Justicehastoworkwithsocialservicestodeveloptheseprograms.OpeninguptheconversationAmixofrepresentativesfromAboriginalgov-ernmentsandnon-governmentalorganizationscommunityleadersyouthandeldersstafffromtheHealthandSocialServicesauthoritiestheGNWTandHealthCanadaallcametogethertomakethegatheringascomprehensiveaspossible.ThesessionswereaireddailyviawebcastgivingonlineaccesstopeoplefromFortSmithtoSachsHarbour.WhatIlikedwastherewerepeoplefromeveryregionoftheNWThereBrascoupsaid.IthinkitsafantasticwayofsharingpeoplesstoriesandtheirlessonslearnedandgivingthecommunitiesstrengthtocontinueonthiswellnesspathandIthinktheyoutharekeytomakingtheseprogramsandcom-munityinitiativeswork.Stewartalsohighlightedthecommunalnatureofthegathering.Therewasareallygreatbringingtogetherofcommunityfrontlineworkersandpolicymakersaswellasacademicswhoweredoingreallycutting-edgeworkintheeldshesaid.Mygreatesthopeisthattheoutcomeofthisconferencecreatesareportthatactuallydoescreatepolicyandprogramchange.PhotoDarylDolynnyColleenStevensonsummarizesoneoftheWeavingOurWellnessgatheringpanelswithart.