A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
Matt Garrow, Strategic Policy and Planning Division Director; Beatrice Johnson, Economic Development; N. David White, Founder of White Pine Healing Lodge; David Zimmer, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Ontario; and Grand Chief Abram Benedict at the entrance of the future White Pine Healing Lodge.
Grand Chief Benedict, Minister Zimmer and Dave White as they take a tour through the building for the White Pine Healing Lodge.
The building is in various stages of construction; the administration and several bedrooms are completed. Minister Zimmer and Dave White stand in an area where additional bedrooms are ready for drywall and completion.
At the end of the tour, Dave White, Bea Johnson, Minister Zimmer and Grand Chief Benedict gather around to review paperwork submitted to the Minister.
Dave White is well known for his political views in Akwesasne. What many aren't aware of his commitment in creating and building a drug and alcohol healing lodge in Akwesasne. Mr. White wouldn't be the first in Akwesasne to have this dream, but he is the first to take this dream, frame it and be so diligent and driven until this dream becomes a reality.
"I've seen to many of our youth die from drugs and alcohol. It's a disease and we have to do something about it. Drug use is rampant in Akwesasne, as it is in many communities, small and large everywhere. I've been seeing different kids. When they are so high on coke, to come down they have to take a sleeping pill. But when you mix that, boom two hundred heart beats per minute and their hearts blow. Methadone. I gave someone a ride to the methadone program. I walk in and there are fifty people at the methadone place waiting to go in. It's packed. The more I saw and the more I read, I said no. This isn't right. Maybe this is my calling. They (clients) will walk in with their head down and they will walk out with their head held high. We have to get them back on track. If we can save some people then we can save some lives. Now we have grandparents raising their grandchildren. Statistics aside, my son was telling me, 'Dad, you don't know how bad it is out there'.
Approximately 4% of the general population suffers from alcohol abuse.
Approximately 5% of the general population suffers from substance abuse.
In consequence, approximately 9% of the general population suffers from substance use disorders (SUD's).
SUD's peak between the ages of 18 and 20 years old, affecting as much as 20% of the population.
Which could be estimated at 5% of the population of Akwesasne (north and south) translating into approximately 670 individuals living in Akwesasne would be affected.
On Friday, White had the opportunity to share his dream and plan with the Ontario Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, David Zimmer and MCA's Grand Chief, Abram Benedict, taking him one step closer to achieving his dream.
White once ran a plumbing supply out of the building, but with the Canadian Customs moving their checkpoint, the business crumbled. He then tried to turn it into an office complex but when the drug and alcohol abuse situation hit close to home, he then knew he had to do something. "Maybe this is my calling", he added after the tour of the building.
"There are so many people in trouble. We've got into a big crisis here and there will be no office complex here, this will be a treatment center".
The White Pine Healing Lodge received a grant for $50,000 to hire a manager and an assistant to continue the formal development and hiring of staff and development of programs. The foremost and main objective is to procure additional funding for counselors, therapists, doctors, cooks and maintenance.
White had identified five areas of "Needs and Requirement" for the treatment center:
Community Development: "Community Development process is a collective and seeks to enable individuals and communities to grow and change according to their own needs and priorities at their own pace.
Health: "The White Pine Healing Lodge will recognize health as a dynamic state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity"
Education: "The White Pine Healing Lodge vision of a successful facility is to have the best qualified staff. We will work diligently with the help of leadership to set up a training program to provide the interpersonal skills, trauma and addictions knowledge needed for this Healing Lodge".
Economic Development: "The White Pine Healing Lodge will employ between 20 to 24 employees and will make successful social changes.
Cultural Development "Culture gives us identity and meaning. Culture is where we feel most at home. If culture is what connects us, the White Pine Healing Lodge will engrave a policy to provide to provide a tool to strengthen the connection"
Another step in the development of the Lodge is setting a board of directors in place to oversee the entire treatment center. Once a board of directors is set in place to oversee the White Pine Healing Lodge, Mr. White will then take a back seat, knowing he has put his heart and soul into the creation of the White Pine Healing Center.
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