A Sober Walk was held to mark National Addictions Awareness Week in Battleford Thursday. (Submitted photo/Kanaweyimik Child and Family Services)

By Angela Brown

Focus on wellness

Sober Walk promotes healing during Addictions Awareness Week

Nov 29, 2019 | 3:44 PM

Supporters took to the streets of Battleford Thursday as a sign of solidarity for what was called a Sober Walk to promote wellness.

The event marked National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW) that runs from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1.

“It’s trying to educate the public on [the benefits of] sobriety and living that good healthy lifestyle; that is the overarching goal of National Addictions Awareness Week,” Darlene Rediron, prevention manager with Kanaweyimik Child and Family Services, said.

The aim of the walk was also to educate people about the programs available through Kanaweyimik Child and Family Services, to offer support to people trying to overcome addictions problems.

About 20 staff and participants of the Warrior programs took part in the walk to promote wellness. The group braved the bitter cold and marched from Kanaweyimik Child and Family Services offices to near the Fred Light Museum and back. The event was organized by the Kanaweyimik Child and Family Services prevention programming staff.

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Staff and participants from the Warrior programs joined in a march to raise awareness. (submitted photo/ Kanaweyimik Child and Family Services)

“It was actually a little bit cold but we had our drummer with us playing an Honour Song,” Rediron said of the walk. “At the halfway point we stopped and said prayers and smudged. We had our Elder with us who said a prayer for all those people being impacted by any type of addiction, including children and youth.”

The Warrior programs often help people dealing with intergenerational trauma related to residential school abuse who may also struggle with addictions issues.

“It’s a program similar to lifeskills to help people to resolve their childhood traumas or any kind of abuse,” Rediron said.

The 10-week program aims to help participants achieve wellness and healing using the four principles of the Medicine Wheel — spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing — as part of the Indigenous teachings. A longer 18-week program is available for victims of domestic violence.

Rediron said help is there for anyone who needs it.

“We want to encourage those people impacted by addictions to continue to focus on their goal of either sobriety or recovery, and to know that there are services available in the Battlefords area, including our First Nation resources,” she said.

Rediron added this could include counselling, as well as connecting with “our biggest resource, our Elders.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow