Community support worker Kyle Arnold says detoxing from drugs is one of the hardest things he’s ever done, but seeing dozens of members of Long Lake #58 First Nation going through withdrawal together in a safe space “is absolutely beautiful.”
Long Lake #58 is an Ojibway community about 300 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont. On Friday, 42 of its members arrived at the NorWester Hotel and Conference Centre — which is partially owned by the First Nation — to participate in a 10-day detox program.
The community has booked more than 50 hotel rooms, where participants receive on-site medical and social support and hourly room checks, as they go through withdrawal from alcohol or drugs and prepare for a full treatment program.
“Generally when people go into a detox … it’s with strangers. This, they’re here with family members, with community members, with people they grew up with,” said Arnold, a longtime advocate.
“It creates a sense of trust right off the bat where they can be vulnerable and they can open up.”
Fewer than 600 people live in Long Lake #58, with the majority of members living in Thunder Bay or Winnipeg.
The First Nation does not have a dedicated detox centre in the community and the only such facility in the northwestern Ontario city has just 25 beds.
Long Lake #58 First Nation supports dozens of its members as they detox
This isn’t the first time the First Nation has brought people to the hotel to help them.
Noreen Agnew, the First Nation’s band representative manager, said the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns shone a light on how many people were struggling with alcoholism and addiction.
“People started talking about how they were tired of living that life. They were tired of just struggling with addictions and trauma, so we developed a program that would help our community,” Agnew said.
That program — the Better Together Wellness Strategy — aims to encourage collective healing through sharing circles and other cultural programming.
“They’re doing it together, right? They’re able to be stronger, support each other and connect with each other,” said Agnew.
The Thunder Bay district — which includes Long Lake #58 — has the highest opioid-related death rate in the province, according to Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner.
Detoxification clears the body of harmful substances and is typically one of the first steps in addiction treatment. During the process, the mind and body go through several changes while adjusting to the lack of substance use. This can result in withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, nausea, feeling restless or agitated and intense cravings, while putting people at risk of seizures or heart failure.
“So many different medical issues come into play, right, when you take that substance away that your body is so used to,” said Arnold. “Having a nurse practitioner here gives people the opportunity to safely withdraw in a supported environment.”
He said that for the Long Lake #58 community members at the hotel, the first few days were challenging, but they’re starting to feel better.
“We’re starting to see people [have] that life come back into them, in the colour of their skin and the smiles, the laughter,” he said. “That’s the benefit of going through a medical withdrawal.”
Support workers are also available at the hotel to help people sign up for Indian status cards and provincial health cards, as well as connect with child and family services.
Before they could come to Thunder Bay, participants had to complete pre-detox sessions to show their commitment to the program.
After the 10-day detox, they will complete a two- to three-week treatment program at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care in Thunder Bay, and then return home for land-based, cultural healing.
“Once you get them stabilized, they need to be able to connect to the community and continue their healing, as far as having sweats, and drumming and continuing that connection to the culture,” Agnew said.
Arnold’s hope is that Long Lake #58’s model inspires other First Nations without on-site detox facilities to do a similar initiative.
“Look at the trust that that builds among their members,” he said. “I think it’s groundbreaking and I hope that other communities can learn from it and more people can get supported.”
His message for those starting their recovery journey? “There’s nobody that’s ever too far gone.”
“There is help,” he said. “Reach out to your supports, reach out to your community, but don’t give up — because we do recover.”
