Dakota Tipi member draws on own experience to help others through new recovery program

A member of Dakota Tipi First Nation in southern Manitoba is working to create a more traditional path to addictions recovery for Indigenous people in his community — and beyond — with a new program that draws on cultural teachings.

Jonathan Pashe, who has lived in the Dakota community near Portage la Prairie for nearly 20 years, has struggled with addiction to alcohol and drugs for 15 years.

He hopes his new program, called Warriors in Recovery, will help others avoid what he went through.

"It affected my home, work, family life significantly," said Pashe. "I was fired from many job positions, left out of family events, because they were scared of what condition I would arrive in, and if I would cause any trouble."

Pashe has been in recovery since 2021, and has since become a strong advocate for addictions recovery.

"I hold this dear to my heart," he said.

Warriors in Recovery had its first official meeting in March, where the group focused on providing participants with Indigenous approaches to 12-step programs offered by groups like Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous.

The Dakota Tipi group is doing that by drawing on cultural teachings such as the seven grandfather teachings — respect, love, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility and truth —  and a 12-step program based on the medicine wheel, which incorporates some of the the seven grandfather teachings along with hope, faith, integrity, willingness, forgiveness, justice, perseverance, spiritual awareness and service.

"We wanted to take a more traditional approach to helping our people heal, our First Nation people," said Pashe. "We believe that this is one of the best ways to do it."

Warriors in Recovery team member Sierra Myran agreed that the approach was the best means of helping participants.

"We wanted to do something that would help our community … specifically following our traditions," she said.

Myran has also struggled with addictions.

"I didn't care who I hurt, as long as I got what I wanted," she said. "I wasn't drinking or using to have fun either — I was trying to die."

As a part of Warriors in Recovery, Myran also says she wants to work to prevent people from going down the same path.

Reaching out to northern Manitoba

Warriors in Recovery has had participants in its Zoom meetings from across Canada, ranging from Ontario to British Columbia, and from northern Manitoba communities like Thompson.

The focus for the team now is to expand their role into more northern Manitoba communities.

"I talked to Norway House and The Pas — they're interested," said Pashe.

Work has also started on bringing in training for the group in first aid, suicide prevention skills and opioid crisis intervention, which the group is hoping to have ready for May.

The team is also looking into a training program called Wellbriety, where they can receive training from other First Nations communities that run their own 12-step programs.

A wellness walk is also planned to take place in the Dakota Tipi First Nation in May.

Group meetings for Warriors in Recovery take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and have had up to 15 participants take part.