Mr. Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories, in collaboration with Indigenous governments, pursue federal funding to help set up healing centres in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Nokleby.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I also again think one is an extremely important motion. We've been hearing a lot about oh, treatment centres don't work. But, however, I think it's because of the way that we are labelling the centre. By using the term "treatment centre," we are bringing up a point of view of a clinical southern/western medicine style centre, and I don't believe that's what Regular Members have been asking for the last while and instead using the term as a healing centre I think is smart, first of all, to remove the idea or this barrier that seems to be in the Minister and the department's mind around we can't have a treatment centre here in the North.
I do think it's disingenuous to say that we didn't want that as a priority when we all first started as I believe that that was a goal for all of us but that bureaucracy led us to believe that we couldn't have that. So at the time I think that was a change and the reason for that. However, I think that going forward, it is clear that our people are desperately crying for help here in the North. I don't have the data in front of me about recidivism and how much we have people relapsing when they come back from southern treatment; however, I would imagine it's quite high. I've spoken personally with people in, say, Fort Simpson, where they've come back from rehab and their option for followup is one AA meeting once a week held in public in their town, and that is the only support that they have to stay sober upon returning even though their families and children relying on them, and they call us to tell us that they need help, and we are the ones that are having to provide that support. So it is time for this government to start actually healing our people here and based in a manner that is culturally appropriate and is directed by the Indigenous governments and organizations, not by the colonial system and HSS. Thank you.
Mahsi. The motion is in order. To the motion. Mr. Johnson.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. As is stated in the report, this is one of the TRC Calls to Actions, and we use the wording wellness or healing centre very specifically to not say treatment centre. There are a number of things going on in the territory that work well to this motion. I know the Gwich’in have set up a wellness camp. We are hoping that is a great success, and we would like to see similar things. I know the department is working to set up more aftercare. I believe aftercare services can certainly fit into what we are asking for in a healing centre. I know there has been repeated requests for more immediate detox services and some sort of place someone can go when they say, hey, I want to go for treatment, and then they're told, yeah, okay, we got you a place in two weeks from now. What are they supposed to do for those two weeks? And so I think there's a lot of potential to work with our Indigenous governments to have a variety of, you know, you can call them well healing centres, you can call them wellness camps, they can be on the land. They might look different depending what those specific Indigenous governments want. But I do think it is time for us to revisit this and pursue that federal funding. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mahsi. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called. All those in favour? All those opposed? All those abstaining? Motion is carried.
Carried
Mr. Johnson.
