Gwich'in ready to unveil $4M wellness camp

An aboriginal wellness camp set to open in the bush near Inuvik, N.W.T., next week will bring the region's Gwich'in people closer to having their own addiction treatment centre in the Mackenzie Delta.

Governor General Michäelle Jean is scheduled to visit the wellness camp building on Monday, prior to its grand opening Wednesday.

The $4-million complex, located in a former fish camp outside Inuvik, was funded entirely by the Gwich'in Tribal Council. The facility has its own power generator, kitchen, and rooms for up to 12 people.

"I think it's important for us to start taking some responsibility and to help our own people, and find our own answers, rather than always looking to outside sources," said Denise Kurszewski, the council's regional wellness manager.

Money to develop the wellness camp came from millions of dollars in oil and gas revenue that flow each year from projects on Gwich'in land.

"The tribal council decided, 'Well, rather than continue to wait and depend on government to do it, we'll do it ourselves,'" council president Fred Carmichael said.

"It just goes to show that you can make good use of development funds."

The wellness camp will initially be a venue for healing workshops and community events, but the council hopes to eventually start an alcohol and drug addiction treatment program.

"There was a lot of focus on economic development, on self-government, aboriginal rights," Kurszewski said.

"People began realizing that without healthy people, you can't really have a healthy economy, or a healthy land, or healthy communities, or healthy politics, or healthy anything."

Jean's visit to the wellness camp will be part of a four-day tour of Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, which starts Sunday.