'They rediscover themselves' northern Ontario First Nations turn to land-based addiction treatment

Vic Linklaterbelieves the solution to many of the problems facing his community can be found out on the land.

He is the coordinator of Moose Cree First Nation's new land-based withdrawal management facility a cluster of cabins in the bush 14 km south of Moose Factory expected to welcome its first patients later this month.

"Like any other community out there addiction here is pretty bad. But there are also good people out there. There also is goodness," says Linklater, whose brothers have struggled with alcoholism.

"We knowwho is who in this community and who is doing what."

Linklatersays at the root of many addiction stories in his James Bay Cree community is the historic trauma of colonization and residential schools. He says addressing that history is part of a general "rebound" for Indigenous nations.

"I have a really strong connection and a strong passion to to change this mindset, to change this history of our people from what it's viewed as in the popular media to becoming strong independent proud Cree people," he says.

Moose Cree is also hoping to get funding to hire support workers who can work with recovering addicts who return home to Moose Factory and struggle to not fall back into the same lifestyle.

"I think for those who are in recovery it's like a major let-down for them. We want to celebrate those who have actually gone through the process, have gone to detox, have gone to treatment and we want to be able to support them and celebratethe road to recovery," says Dorina Vincent, Moose Cree's director of health services.

"Like ifyou fail and start using again then you should get back on,go back to treatment and do it again and we'll try and pool our resources to support you."

Some 300 people have gone through the seven-day program Diane Wesley runs in Constance Lake First Nation since it opened in 2015.

"They come in, they look pale, they're grey-looking. It's almost as if they have no spirit in them. By graduation, their faces are glowing," says Wesley.

"They rediscover themselves."

She's crowded the seven days with presentations, sweats and traditional medicines, because as a recovering addict herself, she says the worst thing is to be left alone with your thoughts.

Wesley is now hoping to launch a 28-day treatment program this summer, based out of the former Eagle's Earth conference centre in Constance Lake.

Batchewana First Nation recently bought the old Salzburger Hof resort on Lake Superior and plans to open a 24-bed treatment centre this summer.

Chief Dean Sayers says the centre will focus on applying the teachings of the lake to individual addiction journeys.

"I've been to far too many funerals with people that have overdosed," says Sayers, who has also noticed more petty crime in his community and more families struggling to pay their rent.

"It's just traumatizing our people."