Kingsclear First Nation's healing week is a chance to heal with family and community

This week, Kingsclear First Nation, Pilick, is taking some time to heal. 

The Wolastoqew community of 700 on-reserve members is dedicating the entire week to healing and comforting one another from grief. Justice Gruben, 24, is helping to organize events this week and he says it's important the community comes together. 

"When we come together like this and we're laughing, we're engaging with one another and we're teasing one another and just joking around and having fun, its such a strong form of healing," said Gruben, who is Inuvialuit and Wolastoqew. 

He said he was always taught that when Indigenous people come together in a good way that it can be healing, and many of the events this week are focused on dealing with grief as a community. 

Healing week takes a holistic approach

Kingsclear First Nation, about 15 kilometres west of Fredericton, started the healing week seven years ago to help deal with suicide in the community. Gruben says his mother helped launch it.

This year, events are focused on strengthening community bonds because COVID-19 took a toll on community members mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, said Gruben.

The programming is taking a holistic approach to helping, including beading workshops, healing quilts, painting programming, and talking circles, with each day also offering a community feast.

Gruben says he was moved when a group of kids, ages nine to 10,  prayed and sang in the Wolastoqew language. He sees it as proof that a generation is growing up without the shame of being who they are.

"I learn so much in these spaces and I never take these things for granted," said Gruben, a leader in health and wellness promotion. 

He says they also planned a speaker series, a death ceremony, a sweat lodge, and the healing week will end with a powwow on April 2. 

A chance to heal with family and community

Terry Young is a Wolastoqew knowledge keeper from Kingsclear First Nation, but he lives in Montreal. He said he made the 794-kilometre trek to his home community because he felt it was important for him to take part in the healing week. 

Young says he's had death in his family during the pandemic, and because of the border restrictions he wasn't able to grieve with his family.

Healing week offered him a chance to do that. Young will also help facilitate a death ceremony. 

"It allows us the opportunity to grieve together and it allows us to release our pain," said Young.

"We eat together as a community and then we remember those people who are on their spirit walk and we thank them for being in our lives." 

He said he feels its something the community really enjoys and looks forward to. And he hopes other Indigenous communities consider hosting a healing week, too.