Cross Lake Event Reflection

Cross Lake Event Reflection The workshop opened my eyes and help me understand how the people of the Cree Nation are living in the reserves. The reserves lack the adequate services, have limited accessibility and employees have insufficient training. There are no birthing services in their community and the pregnant are forced to fly to Thompson alone without any family or close peers to support them. I learned that the people of the Cree Nation values the process of birthing and dying significantly and all of the community gets together to celebrate life. Moreover, most youths age out of the system as they are repeatedly admitted, and their cases are usually not followed through. The type of care they receive are temporary and is considered
“Band-Aid” work and, overall, does not resolve their mental health issues. There is also a constant turnover with the employees of the health services. This is detrimental to the mental health of the Cree nation because relationships (which is crucial to treatment) are rarely built. The provincial and federal government are policy-driven, and are not considering their needs. Despite everything, the community continues to be resilient, preserving their spirituality as they hold many ceremonies, practicing their Christian faith, coping and finding balance. One thing I would do differently in my practice is to really take that time to build a strong rapport with my clients. I will do my best to be respectful and understand where people are coming from. I will keep in mind that there are factors that hinders them in sharing and trusting that we will be able to give appropriate care. For instance, children that go through the child care system may not have that important family support, and predisposes them to not disclosing their internal battles (e.g. being two-spirited), and can lead to suicide. I will be able to form that relationship by following-up and encouraging continuous connection and communication.