By Kathy Gallant

Suicide prevention workshop opens dialogue on Flying Dust FN

Aug 29, 2018 | 5:10 PM

Suicide isn’t an easy topic to discuss, but a three-day workshop on the Flying Dust First Nation near Meadow Lake is bringing the discussion to the forefront and giving community members tools on how to support each other.

Facilitated by Métis social worker Andrew Bear, the event is equipping educators, youth workers, health staff, parents and community members with how to deal with the topic in an indigenous-based holistic manner. Bear created this, and a few of his other workshops from a blend of his own life experiences and the education he received. After a childhood filled with violence and a second-degree murder conviction in 1982, Bear went through the penitentiary system. Afterward, he got his Bachelor of First Nations Social Work and then Ministry in the late 1990s, and has been working in the field ever since.

The sessions are meant to give real-life, tangible ways for people to help others at risk of suicide.

“We’re talking about techniques that we can to use for people in the community,” Bear said. This will help people if they’re thinking of suicide or going through depression, we’re going to talk about those things and give people tools to work through that.”

Over the next three days, the workshop will teach attendees about what warning signs to look for, dealing with unaddressed trauma or abuse, finding hope, ways to communicate with those going through a crisis, and the cultural components and positive tools that can be used.

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Marie Gladue, a Flying Dust band councillor who works with the health portfolio, said it was important to have Bear come speak. The First Nation has lost a few people in the last years to suicide, and she said it’s important for families to have a concrete plan. She said Flying Dust hopes to host another one of Bear’s sessions on grief and loss training as well.     

“The effects of suicide are huge,” Gladue said. “It affects the whole community, and we don’t want to lose any more youth and other people. It so needs to be addressed.

Jon Mirasty, a teacher at Kopahawakenum School, wanted to take the training this week to enhance his knowledge and help others.

“I work with youth, and [suicide] is a tragic occurrence in our community and a lot of aboriginal communities,” Mirasty said. “It’s nice to be aware of it, and with mental health and suicide, I don’t think there’s an exact ‘cure’ yet, but it’s good to have a certain direction to go in and be educated to help.”

Cheryl Bear, a youth worker on Flying Dust, mirrored Mirasty’s thoughts on learning these important skills, and said growing up, she would have appreciated an open dialogue on the overall subject of mental health.

“We didn’t talk about these things,” she said. “Flying Dust is such a strong community, but people don’t always see the struggles behind it. I really like having this training here. It’s important to have the conversation going.”

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath