A celebration of wellness and Indigenous culture
Last Friday, the Aboriginal Wellness Program hosted the annual winter celebration for program members and their families to honor their resilience and culture with socializing, Elder led singing and drumming as well as sharing of cultural stories.
The Aboriginal Wellness Program has been operating since 2005 and is an integrated model of mental health, addiction and support services through integration of western counselling approaches and traditional Indigenous healing practices for Aboriginal people living in and around Vancouver.
The program has three full time Indigenous counselors Jennifer-Lee Koble (Métis), Mahara Allbrett (Tsleil Waututh), and Riel Dupuis-Rossi (Kanien’kehá:ka and Algonquin) and each has a caseload of approximately 30 clients with a four month waiting list. Clients range in age from 19 – 76.
Mahara has been a counselor for more than 28 years. As she says, “The Indigenous people I work with have experienced a lot of trauma. This is a time of year that can be difficult for our people and families so we like to bring our clients into our safe environment to participate in cultural ceremonies, storytelling and drumming in community.”
The counselors offer therapy for people experiencing depression, anxiety, grief and loss, trauma, residential school effects and for those struggling with addictions. They also host therapy groups, workshops and provide cultural support and teachings.
Riel has been with the program for five years and says, “All year we witness the strength and courage our clients show in the face of many obstacles related to colonization. This celebration is our chance to recognize and acknowledge the hard work that our program members have done.”
Vancouver has one of the three highest populations across Canada of Aboriginal people living in an urban setting (40,000) as well as the largest concentration of Aboriginal people within BC. There are many negative impacts on the health status of Aboriginal people that exist as a result of ongoing colonization and discrimination.
Jennifer-Lee, who has been with the program for two and a half years, finds her clients and their strength inspiring. “Anytime we can celebrate our culture with our clients is wonderful. This is a time to build community and make connections with others and that is what the holiday season is all about. ”