While on a visit to Whitehorse the federal government minister in charge of development, infrastructure and services that benefit First Nations people hopes to partner on Indigenous-led substance-use treatment and other projects in the territory.
Patty Hajdu, the government’s minister of Indigenous Services and MP for the Thunder Bay, Ontario area, arrived in Whitehorse on Feb. 22.
Hajdu, whose previous cabinet seat was as Health minister, said one of the main reasons she is here is to have discussions around healing and wellness.
Along with the Yukon’s overall substance use emergency, emergencies have been declared by the Carcross/Tagish First Nation and the First Nation of Na Cho Nyak Dun. Overdoses in the territory over the past few years have disproportionately claimed the lives of Indigenous people.
“I came off Health and into Indigenous Services Canada and before I was elected, I worked substantively in the alcohol and substance use, and housing and homelessness. So this is an area of my professional career that I’ve been focused on for many decades,” the minister said.
Hajdu said that across the country, she has heard from First Nations people that Western ways of treatment for mental health and substance-use issues are not working for them. She is hearing about housing and wellness projects already in the works for the Yukon and those planned for the future.
The minister said she will meet with the Council of Yukon First Nations and tour its family preservation wellness centre. She is also hearing more from the Kwanlin Dün First Nation about a healing lodge it is working on and meeting with the Yukon Aboriginal Women’s Council.
Looking to the future, Hajdu said the federal government had received a feasibility study for a First Nations-led treatment centre in the territory. She said the study came in December and it is under review. The next step in the process is design.
“It would be, I think, Canada’s honour and responsibility to be a partner in this work, because obviously Canada has had a large role in the pain and trauma that has resulted in so many people struggling with substance use,” Hajdu said.
The minister said that such a centre in the Yukon would fit into a nationwide trend of substance-use treatment she is seeing across the country. She offered the examples of healing lodges constructed by the community of Ahousat on a small island off Vancouver Island and the Choose Life suicide prevention program in northern Ontario as promising First Nations-led wellness initiatives going on in other parts of the country.
Asked about the possibility of further Indigenous land claims and modern treaties for the Yukon First Nations and other Indigenous groups, Hajdu responded positively.
“I think whenever we can foster the tools of self-determination, including self-determination over land, that’s definitely the gist of the philosophy of this Liberal government,” she said.
“Certainly that isn’t work that we do alone, though. Of course, we have provincial intent, territorial partners who oftentimes, some of that land is considered land of the province or territory. So this is something that I think all provinces and territories need to work towards.”
She said she has seen the economic and wellness benefits of settled land claims for First Nations people across the country.
The minister said that emergency management will also be a key agenda item as she meets with Yukon and First Nations officials this week.
Hajdu’s visit also includes the unveiling of a housing initiative being undertaken with the Liard First Nation. The announcement of the details takes place the afternoon of Feb. 23 after the News’ print deadline.
Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com