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ANFC creating regional guide to healing

Brochure will list up to 75 local practitioners focussing on physical, mental, spiritual and social aspects of health
20200718 ANFC ext_CZ_WEB
After receiving a grant from the Alberta government, the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre is creating a brochure to be used as a handy resource to connect them with various healthcare and holistic providers in the Athabasca area. Chris Zwick/T&C

ATHABASCA – The Athabasca Native Friendship Centre is creating a brochure that will give people a handy reference to healing practitioners in the greater Athabasca region. 

Sometimes, seeking out someone who provides massage, acupuncture, counselling or other health-related services can get frustrating. With that in mind a new brochure with all that information is being put together by the AFNC and should be available by September, says AFNC program coordinator Charity Jardine. 

“We can't do much programming because we can't gather, but we can reach out to people through some kind of COVID relief. So, we applied for the Mental Health and Addiction COVID-19 Community Funding,” Jardine said. 

The funding for the project – $8,500 – was confirmed in a visit from Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken July 9 and Jardine had already been busy gathering the information. She said the premise is based on the medicine wheel — physical, mental, spiritual and social. 

“When you look at medicine from a First Nation's point of view there has to be balance between all of them. If you're neglecting one aspect then the others will suffer, so you don't want to neglect any of those aspects,” she said. 

She gave a few examples.

Under physical would be physical therapists and doctors; mental includes counsellors; spiritual is faith leaders; and social would include the ANFC and Family and Community Support Services. 

“We have a number of massage therapists in town and alternative therapies. We have several life coaches and a lot of people have come out of the woodwork. Most people I could find on the Internet just doing a regular search. So hopefully this booklet would help people to not have to do searches.” 

Jardine is currently laying out the booklet she estimates will have 75 listings mixed with inspirational quotes and photographs by Lance Cardinal. Cardinal, who is Jardine’s cousin, recently made news for his mural that was unveiled at IKEA in Edmonton. 

And because the ANFC is based in Athabasca they are only accepting listings local to them, Jardine said. 

“(People) have a few weeks give me their information if they feel like what they're offering to the public is health-related in any way of those four ethics,” she said. 

You can contact Jardine at 780-675-3086 Tuesday to Friday or [email protected] by Aug. 4. 

Heather Stocking, TownandCountryToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @HLSox





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