Community

Due North: Indigenous Healing Through Education

By Courtney Hayhurst

Around the world, and in North America in particular, Indigenous rights, needs, and voices are being heard louder and stronger than ever before. In Prince George this has been noticed happening in many aspects of the community, but most recently Prince George has been making strides within the school district. Not only has the education curriculum expanded to include more local Indigenous topics, but the past few months has seen incredible conversations between members of Lheidli T’enneh, Mcleod Lake Indian Band, and SD57.

Lheidli T’enneh members and the Dayi (Chief) started conversations with SD57 to propose that a seat on the school board be reserved for local members of the Lheidli T’enneh. September of this year, 2020, saw this proposal expanded with support of Mcleod Lake Indian Band, which resulted in the proposal of two new additional seats within the school board to be reserved for their representatives. These discussions have led to full, unanimous support from every current board member approving of these changes. Now, all that waits is receiving approval from the Provincial government.

In an interview, Lheidli T’enneh Dayi, Clayton Pountney, offers his perspective on the importance of education in Indigenous communities, and what this might mean for Prince George, the Province, and Indigenous people. Dayi Pountney remarks not just on the importance of inclusive education for indigenous youth, but also about the importance of building communities and working together.

Beverly Best, Manager of Aboriginal Student Engagement at UNBC and member of Stellat’en First Nation, also offers her perspective on issues of education and inclusion in a separate interview. Beverly talks about how this request is not just about education, and that it is also about inclusion; inclusion of indigenous history, people, and culture, and making room for indigenous needs and voices to be heard, and valued, as equal to all others.

In education, Indigenous perspectives, history, and teachings have been excluded for many years through racist laws, bills, and residential schools. In the article “Characteristics of Indigenous Healing Strategies in Canada” published in 2019 in the JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, author Ziwa Yu states that Indigenous people have had their teachings, cultures, and languages attacked by these racist institutions and societal structures, which left many “... with a confused cultural identity that is compounded with shame, self-hatred and powerlessness”. According to the article “Beyond Recovery: Colonization, Health and Healing for Indigenous People in Canada” published in2009 in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, authors Lavalee and Poole argue that the colonial practices that have (and still do) occur in Canada such as the 60’s scoop, child welfare, and land reclamations “...contribute to denigration of identity, cultural genocide, grief, anger, hopelessness and helplessness. All of these factors are linked to suicide, mental health and recovery”.

Research has been produced by academics to try to understand what impacts these colonial practices from the past have on Indigenous people now. From these studies, it has been found “...that being Native meant you are somehow less than and do not deserve good things” (Lavallee and Poole), and that those who fully identify as Indigenous often feel as if they “...do not fit societies’ stereotypical view of what an Indian looks like” (Lavalee and Poole), which serves to further degrade their identities.

Healing from these traumas is difficult, not just for an individual, but at an institutional level as well. Academics argue that “In order for healing to occur, Indigenous peoples need to be involved in retelling the colonial history and acknowledging the impact of historical trauma” (Yu), but in order for this to occur, there must be participation and buy-in from municipal, provincial, and federal bodies. These organizations need to acknowledge and validate the “... Indigenous cultural activities characterized by an ongoing connection to the past, based on specific beliefs, values and practices that go back to the time prior to European contact” (Yu), while still taking into consideration that “... the pathway to healing is inherently variable and highly relevant to personal agency and individual readiness” (Yu).

Indigenous healing is a broad, complex, and difficult topic to tackle. Not only are there difficulties in personal healing journeys regarding mental health and identity, but institutions and entire communities also have to combat how to support each individual journey to healing as well. In Prince George, part of the way the community has facilitated these difficulties is by building connections between communities and bringing Indigenous voices and perspectives into positions of power. An example of this is the potential addition of Indigenous seats to the SD57 school board.

For both Dayi Pountney and Beverly Best, education is not only important to the indigenous members in the community. In their opinions, building these connections, including indigenous members, voices, stories, and teachings into education and its governing body helps to build a more inclusive, holistic, and knowledgeable community. Including local Indigenous perspectives into a position on the school board allows for struggles surrounding identity to start being healed through the sharing of their histories and perspectives to all members of the community.

Listen to the interviews with DayiClayton Pountney and Beverly Best below to learn more about what it means to be represented and included in the community.


Bibliography:

Lavallee, Lynn F and Jennifer Poole. “Beyond Recovery: Colonization, Health and Healing for Indigenous People in Canada”. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, vol. 8, no. 2, 2009, pp. 271-281.

Yu, Ziwa. “Characteristics of Indigenous Healing Strategies in Canada”. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, vol. 17, no. 9, 2019, pp. 1933-1940.


Plaid Friday is Here! Shop Local This Year!

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Today is Plaid Friday and the City of Prince George is encouraging everyone to shop locally. So put on your plaid and support small and independent businesses. From restaurants to antiques, and groceries to boutiques, downtown Prince George has everything. Shop locally not just today, but this holiday season.

For a full list of places to shop and eat click here.

Image courtesy of Downtown Prince George. 2020. Find them on Facebook here.

Due North: Autism in Prince George

Image courtesy of Autism Canada (autismcanada.org)

Image courtesy of Autism Canada (autismcanada.org)

By Courtney Hayhurst

When it comes to mental health, there are lots of misconceptions and pieces of misinformation out there. Of those that experience mental health challenges, those with autism are often amongst the most misunderstood. That autistic people are emotionless robots or that vaccines cause autism are just two examples of some of the deep misunderstandings that surround the autistic community. These misunderstandings can lead to discrimination and stigmatization, and contributes to the acceptance (or lack thereof) of the autistic community.

Acceptance of the autistic community in Canada, as well as around the world, is lacking. Accepting people with autism into social circles, incorporating their needs into events, or even accepting autistic people into the workplace is something society still struggles with. From a 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability, the general population held an employment rate of 92.7%. Comparatively, autistic adults held a 14.3% employment rate. This data exemplifies the amount of work Canadians still need to do regarding the acceptance of people with autism.

Along with a lack of acceptance also comes mental health impacts. Cage and Di in the 2018 article “Experiences of Autism Acceptance and Mental Health in Autistic Adults”, found that acceptance, either from external sources (i.e. family, friends and society) or internal sources (i.e personal perceptions of autism) greatly impacted the mental health of autistic adults. This study discovered that depression is greatly impacted and predicted by the level of acceptance from external sources. Families were found to “...have a large role in helping autistic individuals develop the skills needed to become successful adults in society” as said by Cage and Di. In addition to this, the study also found that social support received from family and friends were not  correlated with feelings of loneliness in autistic adults. The acceptance from external sources has been found to be a “...protective factor against depression”. Internal perceptions of acceptance also impacts symptoms of depression, and Cage and Di found that the greater acceptance a person has, the lower the symptoms of depression.

The above research offers some excellent insight into the well being of the autistic community, though it is focused mainly in London, England. Canadian data from the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability offers a much more local dataset which actually still aligns closely to the findings of the European study mentioned above.

According to the 2017 survey, of the autistic population in Canada only 16% describe their health as good, or very good. This is directly contrasted to the 70% who describe their health as either good or very good, but are of the general population. This vast difference between the two communities shows that Canada is still lacking the necessary support systems and acceptance levels to maintain the good mental health of those in the autistic community.


Corey Walker, a Prince George and Northern BC autism advocate, is familiar with the struggles that the autistic community faces day to day. In addition to being an advocate, Corey has also been personally diagnosed with aspergers, and through both his personal and professional journeys he has incredible personal experiences fighting for acceptance in Canada. In the interview below, Corey discusses stigma, autism, and how communities can come together to become more accepting.

In Prince George, one organization in particular has dedicated a part of their mission to building an inclusive space for the community. In the past few years Theatre North West has successfully incorporated “Relaxed Performances”, which are dedicated to those with disabilities, sensory processing disorders, and even to parents with small children. Marnie Hamagami, Executive Director of Theatre North West, helped to build this program, and in the interview below discusses why creating inclusive spaces matters, and what they mean to the community as a whole.


Works Cited:

Cage, Edith and Jessica Di. “Experiences of Autism Acceptance and Mental Health in Autistic Adults”. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 48, no. 2, 2018.




Due North: Creating a Safer Downtown Community

Image courtesy of the City of Prince George

Image courtesy of the City of Prince George

By Courtney Hayhurst

If you live in town, have visited an urban center lately, or frequent the downtown core in your area, you are probably familiar with some of the social issues that many towns and cities face around the world.  People without homes, those who struggle with addiction, and those with mental health struggles often frequent the downtown core of communities, though their voices often go unheard. Some of the most commonly heard voices in regard to downtown areas and vulnerable populations, alternatively, are those of business owners.

A 2019 article by CBC details the perspectives of downtown business owners and their views of homeless populations. The article details comments of local business owners in Prince George and Kelowna, who fear for their safety due to discarded needles, human feces, as well as shoplifting. Many of the local business owners in the article demanded a call for immediate action to create a safer downtown core, but responses from Town Hall admitted that it is a much more complex issue. Prince George mayor Lyn Hall commented that these issues are outside of the City’s control, and that the Province of BC is experiencing an opioid crisis. While many of the local business owners are frustrated with the perceived lack of action the municipal and provincial governments are taking, the issue, as Lyn Hall said, is quite complicated.

When it comes to vulnerable communities (those who struggle with addictions, mental health, and those who struggle to maintain stable housing) the stigmas associated with them can lead to harmful outcomes and also can influence the perpetuation of behaviours associated with stigma as well. Studies have revealed that rejection, as well as the fear of rejection, can lead to coping mechanisms, such as isolation and withdrawal, that further harm the mental wellbeing of those vulnerable populations, as said by B.G. Link et al. in the Journal of Health and Science and Social behaviour 1997 publication of  “On stigma and its Consequences: Evidence From a Longitudinal study of Men With Dual Diagnoses of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse”. In addition, Link et al. found in the same study that the level of stigma that is perceived by those who struggle with addictions themselves can continue even when drug use is reduced or ended, and remains strongly associated with mental health symptoms. In the article published in 1989 “Social Stigma and Self-Esteem: The Self-Protective Properties of Stigma”, authors Crocker and Major concluded that there are some emotional, psychological, and behavioural responses and strategies of stigmatized individuals that can either lessen or exacerbate the effects of stigma and discrimination. 

In addition to the stigmas as perceived by vulnerable communities themselves, there is stigma placed on them from other parts of the community as well. Stigma, and discrimination because of stigma, is prevalent even in Health Care, for example. As found by Muncan et al. in the 2020 publication of “‘They look at us like junkies’: Influences of Drug Use Stigma on the Healthcare Engagement of People who Inject Drugs in New York City”, those who struggle with addiction are often dismissed and discriminated against in hospitals and clinics, even when they are hoping for treatment for non-drug-related injuries and illnesses.

Muncan’s et al. study found that “Of the 32 participants, 23 (71.9%) reported some form of enacted drug use stigma including, but not limited to, discrimination (i.e., being treated negatively as a reaction to injection drug use status), and dismissive attitudes of providers at hospitals and clinics”. Muncan et al. makes note that such discrimination and stigmatization of these vulnerable communities may “...discourage illicit drug users from getting health care due to fear of poor treatment by healthcare providers, or fear of trouble with the authorities”.

To provide some local context to the above studies, Jordan Harris and Sebastian Nicholson have offered their personal and professional experiences working in downtown Prince George. Jordan Harris, executive director of the POUNDs project, has extensive experience working in health care and servicing vulnerable populations. From providing safe injection sites to building programs to productively involve vulnerable citizens in the community, Jordan knows first had the types of stigmatizations and misperceptions that surround these communities. Sebastian Nicholson, Interim Education Manager of Positive Living North, has a lot of first hand experiences with these vulnerable communities as well, but Sebastian also works very closely with other businesses and organizations to help educate them about HIV/AIDS and HCV.

 Both Jordan and Sebastian come from perspectives of service providers, offering support services to vulnerable populations (which includes those who struggle with addiction and mental health, as well as those who lack stable housing). Jordan, familiar with the ins and outs of offering life saving medical care, and Sebastian, as a leader in the education of sexual health and addiction, offer their informed, experienced, and empathetic perspectives on downtown Prince George, and what needs to happen to create safer spaces for everyone in the community.

Jordan Harris, Interview Date October 7, 2020

Sebastian Nicholson, Interview Date October 28, 2020

Works Cited:

Crocker, Jennifer and Brenda Major. “Social Stigma and Self-Esteem: The Self-Protective Properties of Stigma”. Psychological Review, vol. 96, no. 4, 1989, pp. 608-630.

Link B.G., E.L. Struening, M. Rahav, J.C. Phelan, and L. Nuttbrock. “On stigma and its Consequences: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study of Men With Dual Diagnoses of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse”. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, vol. 38, no. 2, 1997, pp. 177–190.

Muncan, Brandon, Susan Walters, Jerel Ezell and Danielle Ompad. “ ‘They Look at us Like Junkies’: Influences of Drug Use Stigma on the Healthcare Engagement of People Who Inject Drugs in New York City”. Harm Reduction Journal, vol. 17, no. 53, 2020.