Dilico Anishinabek Family Care is looking for ways to start healing within First Nation communities, particularly with youth.
The child welfare agency is hosting a two-day conference at the Airlane Hotel and Conference Centre Monday and Tuesday titled Revisiting Our Journey: Healing Starts with our Youth.
Dilico’s acting assistant director of mental health and addictions John Dixon said the conference helps bring people together from multiple sectors. More than 160 people from several First Nations communities as well as local Aboriginal organizations and other child welfare groups attended the conference.
“They all can come together and share knowledge, strategies and best practices of what is working for our people,” he said.
This is the second annual conference Dilico’s mental health and addiction services has hosted and Dixon said they’ve chosen to again focus on youth because they are the future leaders.
“We have to make sure we focus and invest our time in properly equipping the broader system to implement strategies that are culturally competent, culturally safe to work with our youth,” he said.
The conference featured a variety of speakers on topics like using traditional drumming as a source of healing and building resilience in Aboriginal youth.
Christopher Mushquash is an assistant professor of psychology at Lakehead University and spoke about how people can use both western healing techniques and traditional Aboriginal healing measures when dealing with youth that are traumatized, depressed or struggling with addiction issues.
“I’m hoping people will recognize the importance of using western science-based approaches to healing but as well recognize there is a huge amount of knowledge in traditional ways that have a lot to offer our healing,” he said.
“The youth are really the leaders that will be coming up behind us so if we prepare the way for them we can ensure they’re in the best position to achieve what it is they wish,” Mushquash added.