Every Nunavimmiut has been directly or indirectly impacted by substance abuse. For a long time, the focus of addiction intervention has been the substance itself, or in other words, the symptom of the problem, rather than the root cause. This project proposes to address substance abuse by focusing on intergenerational trauma, the reclamation of Inuit identity and culture, and connection to the land. The project would bring together elders, addiction counsellors, hunters, scholars and community members to create a marriage of best practices in the field of addiction and Inuit traditional knowledge regarding individual and collective wellness. The activities would take place in a 32-bed facility, providing opportunities for families to heal as a whole, by addressing intergenerational trauma in an age-appropriate manner.
