We use the words “healing” and “wellness” a lot. The friendship centres now have what we call healing camps. We have a teepee in Lac La Biche. It goes 24 hours. There are people from all over the world coming, and we share our experiences. Once a couple of veterans saw that, they said this could be our contact point. When people come, we can sit here and talk. It has everything there.
We are partners with the Alberta forestry in that. We're starting to partner with everybody and celebrate the military, and show videos and pictures and communicate in that way. People of other cultures are also coming to the table, such as with reconciliation. We have a lot of things in common to share now, and it's working; it's coming.
We all have to be patient. It's not going to be fixed overnight, or whatever term you want to use with regard to getting there, to what that looks like.
Across Alberta, everybody has a different way to celebrate and bring communications forward. In the northeast, we've done it with camps. We have healing camps in small places. It's not that everybody is sick, but can you support your partner who is there with you?
My mindset is always one day at a time. You never know what's lacking in the system, but with that one word or one voice, you'll go away and never forget. That is key in this.