Yorkton Tribal Council's Addictions and Mental Health conference returns for third year
Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC) is hosting a three-day Mental Health and Addictions Conference, geared at an Indigenous-led response for the crisis.
2022’s version is called “Restoring Hope,” and it’s the third year the conference has been facilitated by YTC.
Speakers from across Saskatchewan spoke of culture, languages, traditions, traditional medicines and its connections with addictions, along with work towards suicide prevention, trauma recovery, the opioid crisis and overcoming addictions.
Melanie Knutson is an addictions worker with YTC, and the mental health crisis team coordinator. She also led much of the organizing leading up to the conference.
“It’s for all six of our YTC First Nation communities,” she said. “It’s mostly for our frontline workers to focus on different topics and different information.”
In the first two days, the conference has welcomed around 200 to the Gallagher Centre, with Thursday’s agenda featuring more on the opioid crisis in Indigenous communities.
“Already in our communities, they have less supports and resources than urban centres do … a lot of our communities were shut down (during COVID-19) … they didn’t have access to mental health supports and addictions supports,” Knutson said.
She added that most addictions centres are looking at a backlog of around six months for treatment, created by the pandemic.
“They’re stuck on their communities, so what are you going to do? So that’s where addictions increases quite a bit,” Knutson said, before explaining the link between rises in overdose deaths and suicides.
“It’s a perpetual cycle of trauma. Everyone uses for a reason, it’s not something that’s random.”
Knutson said with the pandemic ending, numerous addictions and trauma related deaths are occurring on reserve. The addictions worker said an increase in funding will lead to more supports from YTC to its member communities in the new year.
Bringing together these six Indigenous communities also brings an Indigenous way of thinking, and perspective, said Knutson.
“Indigenous culture is all about family and holistic health. They’re very much following the medicine wheel, of if someone is struggling with addiction, there’s another piece or another part of their life that is out of balance … it’s very important,” she said.
Since 2020, Saskatchewan has experienced over 1,000 overdose deaths.
Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service Chief Coroner Clive Weighill said Indigenous populations are “overrepresented for the size of their population.”
So far in 2022, 355 have died due to overdoses as of Oct. 31, with Saskatchewan set to surpass the record set in 2021 of 410.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it’s too late
She was lying in bed on a Thursday morning, thinking about the man she loved, hoping to win his freedom before time ran out.