Ke Alahou, Volume I, Number 3, 1 January 1980 — Transcultural workshop [ARTICLE]

Transcultural workshop

by Stella E. Johnson from The Native Voice In this serene setting of autumn sptendour on the ÜBC grounds of Vancouver, 8.C., this *workshojT was held in the Lecture Theat-re of ÜBC Health Sciences Centre with psychiatrists, people in the professional supportive organizations, and; Native Indians representing their supportive groups to deal with these problematic areas so as to develop a rapport into finding or seeking solutions and also to get grass roots knoWledge into what now seemingly appears to be quite a problem. The evening of Friday, September 21st was set aside for the registration of the participants and interested persons attending this workshop _ at St. Mark's College. Dr. Wolfgang Jilik, Chairman of the CPA Section of Native Peoples Mental Health fujly prepared his program for the participants the fpllowing Saturday, Sunday and ; Monday. Saturdays' program began in the morning with the addresses of weleome by Dr, W. Jilik, Chairman; Dr. W, Webber, Dean, Faqulty of Medicine, ÜBC, Dr, D. Waterson, Acting Head, Dept, of ÜBC. Courtesy was extended to a panel of Native Elders consisting oL Mr, Isador Tom pf Lummie, Wash.; Mr. Walker Stogan of Musqueam, Mr. Samuel Sam of Saanich; Ben Paul, Vocational Counsellor, DIA, Northern District; Chief Richard Malloway. Then there was-the panel of 'Native Community Health Representatives of B;C./_ chaired by Mr. Wilbur Campbell t Native Consultant.on Native Health and 3 years as Aleohol Consultant. The Panelists conslsted pf,Charlotte Joe of Duncan and julie Adams of Canyon City. These overworked C.H.R.'s expressed their eoncern in the markpd increase in social problems siich as alcholism, suicides, etc. and this particularly in the Vancouver Island Zone. Also, there were the, problems of unemployment, marital break-up, isolation, etc. Mental Illness is something new to Natiye Indians, in t{ieir past. culture and even their knowledge of geaetic laws through their crest, family systems. T]hese were many facets of Indian cultural life whieh some Elders and speakers stressed and thaKt was this void in the spiritual part of his makeup whieh the Indian of old was in constant contact with Nature and Natural Laws. There were the tribal laws and eihics whieh was closely intertwined with his life and personal conduct, They were very disciplined people and very conscious of this fact as it reflected on their families and their tribal communities. His senses then were acutely perceptible to any situation, difficulty or circumstance. In the afternoon the theatre was divided in 2 so there could be 2 panels in progress. I listened to 'Northern Ontario and Native Mental Health,' this was by Dr. Harvey Armstrong, a psychiatry professor at the University ofToronto.

An iiupica&i\ e īiuiu uf iiHyrußi iu mu psychiatrist wiiu \vas Dr, Clare Brant, he was of Mohawk origin. He spoke of the programs that were implemented wilhin their regionai jurisdiction, e.g. Moose Factory. The hospital there had been built originally for T.B. whieh was the disease of prime eoneem then bul now is a general hospital with an outpatient elinie to deai with patients and their psychiatric problems w r hich were mostly aleohol related, The nurses administered the treatments and they the psychiatrists were the consultants, Di\ Jack\Vard spoke of the programs instituted on Manitouhn Island on Lake Huron. The final panel of the afternoon with the timely topic 'Suicide Among The Young' whieh was chaired by Dr. P. Tet r iuansen of pri\aie practice. The Panelists were Joyce Whiie* a Nanaimo CH.R.* a young Amenean lndian Anthropologist and a researcher oi the "Whiio C!oud Conter' of North Uakoia, a Xative lndian Social Worker from Shuswup area and Betty \Vest, A Dr. Cbristip Norris of Clalgarx ,'whu ih

an Amenean Indian who spoke of the program instituted in the University of Lethbridge, the. 4 Native Studies Program.' Carolyn Bugge of NITEP, who is an Academic Counsellor spoke of th progress of this particular prjogram. In the evening there w r as a banquel at Kingsland. Sunday morning's program begān when views were expounded by representatives of various Native organizations. Mr. Ērnie Willie represented the Union of B.C. Chiefs. Raymond Obomsawin of the NaUonal Indian Broiherhood of Canada, as well as Dr. John Coombs, Rose Charlie of the Indian Homemakeers of B.C. Dorothy Settee of the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood, who spoke of recent implementation of a program and its success that was having Medical Interpreters & Visitors so patients knew of their rights and understofed the medical rhetoric. Then. there was the delightful vvit and humor of Wilf Pelleti>rof thr Canada. Mr }oe Washinglon of I.ummie. Wash closed with a diseourse and Salish prayer and son,g The Afternoon's panel was on *Psychosocial

i' - ■-■■■ Situation of the Native C)iild ana Family,' chaired by Dr. C Attneave. The were Danakonda Kennedy Kish and Stella Johnsqn yf Toronto. Miss Kish is an Objiway and .is a Social Worker and deals mostly with ypung natives of the skid road area of Toronto. Celina Woods of Kumtuks School was also a panelisL The pros and cons of this very coniplex piohlem was dealt with audthe participation of the listenersmade it a very lively session, . Last but not ieast of this arduous day was the panel on 'Native Education on 'llehol and Drug Problems' whieh was chaued b v \ Caroiui GoodwinvPanelists were Daqa Lawienee who is the principal of the Nati\e Adult Lducation Centre and his co-wprker Mart> Aspmall who could relate and be compassidnate towanis the problems of students since shc eanui from a background of Resideniial School /eannK with their most austere wa* n<J conducive to the growth of a pei\son-in whieh tlie a innate desire of the expression lo make choicps were supj§|issed by lhese Victorian attitu,desf |hus strippirTg tho

students of their heritage and identity. joe Johnson, an Aieohoi & Drug Counseiior of the Native Courtworkers & Counseiiing was angered by the iaek of alt§n4ance of the psychiatrists in this panel. Tom Anaquod, also of the Courtworkers, the iaek in institutions in Native Communities and noī oniy the intellectuai part of a person but the heart comes into piay as to the wholeness of a person, Don Robbins of the Drug & Aleohol Commission was the last of the panel to speāk. Don couid reiate as weii as Miss Kish coming from a backgroundT of numerous foster homes whieh were far froji} a normal happy househoid atmqsphere. Don's counselling to these Aicohoiics & Addicts couid attest to h|s repertoire into their ways of relating and identifying. From this iaymaii's ears and listening to the expertise of aii eoncerned it was a revelation as weli as an education. Dr, laek Ward was the oniy psychiatrist through this paneland he thanked the panelists and admonished |4ative lndians iu getUag a wniien history to heip iu their identiL\^p