Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation offers healing through on-the-land wellness camp

A new land-based healing program offered by Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation (LKFN) in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., is helping participants reconnect with nature, traditional skills, and themselves.

Led by Michael Cazon, an addictions outreach worker for LKFN, the initiative is designed to introduce people to the land as a tool for wellness and recovery.

The program takes participants out onto the land where they learn traditional survival skills, harvesting practices, and Indigenous teachings. Cazon says the experience promotes physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being.

"You don't have any time to think negatively," Cazon said. "If you miss a rabbit, you just reset your rabbit snare, and hopefully, you'll catch one tomorrow. So each day is a new beginning." 

Cazon said being on the land has been an essential tool in his efforts to turn his life around. He's been sober for almost 15 years and knows what it's like to feel powerless to drugs and alcohol. For him, the land became a path to healing.

"I was powerless over alcohol and drugs. That was my higher power," he said. "Now, my higher power is nature."

Cazon says his addiction meant that he missed out on seeing his children grow up and also missed connecting with elders, some of whom are gone now.

"I used to get up in the morning obsessively thinking, 'OK, where am I gonna get money to buy the next drink?'" Cazon recalled. "Now today, I think, 'thank you, Creator, for giving me a new day on Earth, with a gift of breath. Thank you so much' — and then my day starts."

The program is open to men and male youth aged 15 and older. Participants will be immersed in traditional activities, away from the distractions of modern life. Cazon hopes the experience will help people reflect on their lives and consider a new path forward.

"There's always something different happening out on the land, whereas when you're in the community, you're doing the same thing every day." He said. "So when you're out on the land, every day is a new day, and you don't know what to expect."

'Mother Nature ... has all the answers'

Jonathan Antoine knows from experience how this kind of land-based healing program can help.

Four years ago, he participated in a similar initiative called "Journey to My Best Self," led by Bev and Frank Hope. He spent 10 days in the bush near Jean Marie River, N.W.T., living in a canvas tent in temperatures as low as –40 C. The experience, he says, changed his life.

"It brought me back to when I was staying with my great uncles," he said. "To, you know, a simpler time, where you just had to rely on getting warm and staying warm."

Many Indigenous people in the North have become disconnected from the land due to urbanization, Antoine says. Healing programs like the one in Fort Simpson aim to reverse that trend by bringing youth, adults, and elders back to traditional ways of life.

"The land is part of us," he said. "Just to, you know, laugh, cry, just have a good time when you're out there. Spring is around the corner. So it's a sign of renewal, too."

For Antoine, the healing process went beyond the physical aspects of survival. Learning Dene laws and spiritual teachings on the land helped him embrace sobriety and regain a sense of purpose.

He had struggled with alcohol in the past, attempting to quit multiple times but always finding himself pulled back in during holidays or birthdays. When close family members passed away due to alcohol-related causes, he knew he needed to make a real change.

"You start to realize that life is too short. Just enjoy yourself while you're on this earth, and also enjoy it with Mother Nature because she has all the answers," he said. "It's amazing how when you step into sobriety, there's great reward."

Antoine's life has since taken a new path. He put more effort into his film career and has travelled the world as both a tourist and filmmaker. His films, which showcase traditional knowledge and cultural stories, have been screened at film festivals around the globe.

Antoine believes these on-the-land programs should be available in every northern community, not just for those in recovery, but for anyone seeking connection to their culture, identity, or inner peace.

"It's learning in the bush. It's key for the Indigenous communities to move forward," he said.