Ilagiitigut anngiangijaqatigiinnirq ilurqusivuttigut took home the $1 million prize in 2021 for their project that aims to 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 on individual and collective wellness. Starting in 2023, entire families and pregnant women from Nunavik will be welcomed to the new Isuarsivik 32-bed facility to follow a reformed recovery program. The activities will provide opportunities for the family to heal as a whole, by addressing intergenerational trauma in an age-appropriate manner. Inuit values and culture will guide the daily life, and all guests would have the opportunity to build their self-esteem through the development of skills and the strengthening of interpersonal relations with their family. Guests will spend extended periods of time on the land to benefit from its healing influence and reconnect with themselves. By addressing the root causes of individual and collective distress, this ground-breaking approach will not only reduce the harm caused by substance abuse, but it will also break the vicious circle of trauma, prevent its transmission to the next generations and foster a better future for all Nunavimmiut.
