A group of young people from the five Sahtu communities converged on Tulita from June 3-6 to share their thoughts on the region's drug and addictions problem, and how best that problem can be solved.
"I really feel enthusiastic about the outcome of these sessions," said Sahtu MLA Daniel McNeely, who was in Tulita for the three-day workshop. "It was emotional to listen to the experiences shared by the youth, and to hear what these young people have been through.”
The workshop — organized by Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated (SSI) and focusing on "life promotion and harm reduction" — followed a similar event in Fort Good Hope in late April. The Fort Good Hope event was open to Elders, leaders and other communities members who collectively decided it was important to involve the region's young people in any discussions about tackling the drug problem.
"Part of that dialogue and that conversation, everybody agreed we want to hear from the youth community, so we should invite the youth community to have their input into the development of the Sahtu drug and addictions strategy," said McNeely. "From that recommendation, SSI sponsored the youth workshop here in Tulita."
The Tulita workshop included three youth from each of the five Sahtu communities. Each group of young people was joined by a chaperone from their community. Alyssa Carpenter and Cara Manuel were on hand to facilitate the event, and several other community members — McNeely included — were brought in to provide additional support. There were also counsellors from the GNWT's Health and Social Services department on site in case any of the youth felt the need for private sessions.
It took the youth some time to get comfortable, according to McNeely, but once they did, they became very engaged in the workshop.
"When talking with this youth age group, you’ve got to build confidence and trust so they can speak openly in this kind of a setting," he said. "They are building self-confidence and feeling comfortable. I’m very encouraged."
On the final day of the workshop, the youth put together a series of "recommendations and resolutions," which will be worked into the region's drug and addictions strategy.
As an MLA, McNeely plans to push the GNWT to support the initiatives the youth came up with up, particularly as the territorial budget is being reviewed.
"I can advocate for the government programs to financially support what the strategy is going to be," he said. "The territorial government is going through their budget, so there’s going to be some supports there with addictions recovery. I’ve already had some favourable discussions with the minister to financially support these different activities — the different activities could be educational workshops, on-the-land workshops. I think this region really needs an on-the-land treatment centre so you can regain the cultural strength that this region had once upon a time.”
After spending several days with the youth in his region, McNeely retains a sense of optimism — even in the face of the many challenges facing the NWT in 2024.
"The end product is to address a strategy to battle the drug and addiction problem here in the Sahtu," the MLA said. "I’m really feeling comfortable with the outcome and looking forward to the strategy, and more importantly, how to implement it.
"We're in good hands."