A member of the Sweet Grass First Nation is doing an awareness walk this week for those with mental health and addictions issues.
On Aug. 10, Lance Albert along with members of the Fire Keepers Support Group were scheduled to begin their Stop the Cycle awareness walk.
The aim is to raise awareness of ongoing battles people face with mental health, addictions, physical, sexual and emotional abuse issues related to intergenerational trauma.
Albert was scheduled to begin his walk at the Sweetgrass Clinic and arrive in the Battlefords at Kanaweyimik Child & Family Services Inc. at 91 - 23rd St. W. in Battleford, and then Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre Inc. at 1202 – 101st St. North Battleford.
Upon reaching those locations the plan is to present awareness information such as pamphlets with phone numbers about services. Other organization representatives will be meeting them along the way including Battlefords and Area Sexual Assault Centre, Lifeways Integrative Wellness and Canadian Mental Health Association.
Albert said he is doing this because he had undergone “some of the darkest points in my life, as a result of my addictions to drugs and alcohol” in the past year.
“Drugs and alcohol had total control of my life and eventually ruined my life,” he states in a news release.
“During this dark time, I shut out the world and all of those around me. With the help of my wife and my sisters, they had pointed me into the right direction of these amazing service providers.”
Albert says that if he can bring hope and awareness to help or prevent someone going through what he went through, “this will all be worth it. We as a community need to come together to support each other in stopping the cycles of intergenerational trauma and addictions. We need to promote mental health awareness, positive wellness, and living a better life for our future generations.”
