A non-profit group's bid to bring traditional Indigenous healing practices to health care in Yellowknife is $1 million closer to becoming a reality thanks to a prestigious award.

The Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation, an initiative founded by Be'sha Blondin and Rassi Nashalik and championed by Yellowknife naturopath Dr. Nicole Redvers, received the 2017 Arctic Inspiration Prize during a ceremony in Ottawa.

SA国际影视传媒淚t's pretty amazing,SA国际影视传媒� said team leader Redvers. SA国际影视传媒淓veryone's pretty emotional ... I think it hasn't really sunk in yet.SA国际影视传媒�
The prize, awarded annually to groups that have applied gathered knowledge to make real-world contributions in the North, recognized the foundation's attempts to offer Indigenous-focused, traditional health care alternatives to at risk men and woman in the city.

The foundation took shape in the fall of 2016, when Redvers, Blondin and Nashalik teamed up to bring their idea of Indigenous teachings and holistic interventions in a health care to life.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen we initially started we had taken our lead from our elders who had been working for years to develop an Indigenous wellness centre in Yellowknife,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Not wanting to SA国际影视传媒渨ait aroundSA国际影视传媒� to establish infrastructure, Redvers says the group decided to start looking at launching healing camps in the territory, specially in Yellowknife, with a focus on SA国际影视传媒渉omeless and at risk populations.SA国际影视传媒�
As a result, the foundation's plan to erect two canvas tents and one tepee was born SA国际影视传媒� an undertaking that will be supported by the big win SA国际影视传媒� and the big cheque that came with it.

SA国际影视传媒�(The $1 million) is going to go to the urban-land based healing site within the downtown core. We're focusing on the homeless and at risk youth but also expanding out to some other communities,SA国际影视传媒� said Redvers.
Redvers said they're hoping to set up the tepee and tents next to where the new hospital is currently being constructed.

Originally, she said, the wellness centre was slated to be built on the new hospital's site, but it didn't pan out.
SA国际影视传媒淭hat promise was made and obviously with the new hospital infrastructure, that kind of changed. A lot of the elders were starting to lose hope that this would be a possibility.SA国际影视传媒�

But now, with funding, the foundation hopes to have healing tents up within a month.

Yellowknife's Shelley Wiart, founder of an Alberta-based, Indigenous-focused fitness and nutrition program named Women Warriors, has worked closely with the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation team members.

She said the prize money will pave the way for future funding, a possibly a permanent wellness centre.
SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of the time what happens with Indigenous healing projects is that they can't get the funding dollars because they can't prove it's working,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

SA国际影视传媒淚n this case, they have the funding dollars and now we have to prove that these interventions are as effective as Western intervention, or that they're very complimentary,SA国际影视传媒� she said, adding the foundation's recognition by the Arctic Inspiration Prize was a SA国际影视传媒渟tep towards reconciliation.SA国际影视传媒�

NWT health minister Glen Abernethy, who attended the ceremony with Premier Bob McLeod, stated he has long supported the project, and nominated the foundation for the Arctic Inspiration Award.
SA国际影视传媒淪upporting innovative, community-based approaches to wellness is a vital component of creating thriving and healthy communities,SA国际影视传媒� stated Abernethy in a news release.

SA国际影视传媒淭he GNWT is proud to support the work of the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation to provide members of our community at risk of suicide, substance abuse, incarceration and homelessness with access to traditional healing practices and cultural education,SA国际影视传媒� he stated.

Redvers said Abernethy's support shows SA国际影视传媒渢he government is recognizing the need to use culture as a tool for healing.SA国际影视传媒�

Along with Blondin, Nashalik and Redvers, the foundation is staffed by of Jean Cardinal, Edna Elias, William Greenland, Donald Prince and Magnolia A.R. Unka-Wool.