Isuarsivik marks milestone in Nunavik’s journey of recovery

Isuarsivik celebrates 30 years with a mural honouring six pioneers: Jaani Adams, Alec Gordon, Dave Forrest, Mary Aitchison, Roda Grey and Philippe-Alexandre Bourgouin, painted by muralists Niap Saunders and Kevin Ledo. (Photo courtesy of Isuarsivik)

A mural honouring six pioneering individuals for their work in recovery in Nunavik is painted on the wall facing the parking lot at the Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre in Kuujjuaq.

The centre is celebrating 30 years of serving communities in the region.

Among the pioneers is Roda Grey. In 2007, she returned to Kuujjuaq to train as a substance use counsellor at Isuarsivik. She previously worked at the national level with organizations like Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami in Ottawa, during which time she said she felt “detached” from her community.

“I wanted to be a counsellor because I wanted to find out what happened to us in Nunavik,” she said in an interview. “I wanted to be part of the solution when I came back.”

What she found out is that Inuit in Nunavik were battling the loss of traditions, a lack of resources, and intergenerational trauma caused by colonization, all of which led to mental health problems and substance use.

“When I came back, I was naive. I thought if you stop drinking, you are cured forever,” Grey said.

In the 1950s and 1960s, more than 1,000 Inuit sled dogs in Nunavik were slaughtered primarily by the RCMP and Quebec police.

Grey said this mass killing had a long-term impact on Inuit that is still felt today.

“It was a huge change in people, especially in men, because they had no more way of transport to go hunting,” she said.

“My aunt was a hunter in my family, and I remember we were hungry because she could not go fishing.”

As part of the celebrations, Isuarsivik printed a 2.5-metre-long, 30-year timeline in the healing centre’s dining room detailing its evolution over the years. The timeline is also available on the Isuarsivik website.

“We want to look back and see the progress, what’ve done in the past, what worked and what could be improved and keep going from there,” said Etua Snowball, executive director of Isuarsivik.

In the 1990s, Nunavimmiut received addiction-related services through the Quebec government at Pavillon Foster in Montreal, which is still open.

In 1995, Isuarsivik was created through the joint collaboration of Makivvik Corp. and Johnny Adams, Kuujjuaq’s mayor at the time. At first, the centre only offered its services to Kuujjuammiut.

In 2008, the centre reopened under new leadership, after closing its doors twice due to organizational and financial hardships.

Grey became the first Inuk clinical supervisor in Canada in 2009.

She said that during her time working at the centre, clients — who are now referred to as guests by staff — continued to struggle with addiction and substance use after treatment.

“We didn’t have aftercare because we didn’t have enough staff,” she said. “My clients when they finished the six weeks, I don’t know what happened after that.”

Isuarsivik now offers aftercare support.

While it’s difficult to measure the success rate of the program as treatment is different for everyone, Grey said some clients have made full recovery. 

“You put a little seed in people and eventually they will water that little seed and it will grow,” she said.

There have been many changes since 2011 after Grey left. Isuarsivik moved into a new home with 22 beds in 2023 and offers an eight-week treatment program that runs in cycles.

One aspect that remains the same is the centre’s approach to healing based on traditional values.

“We have a lot of trauma with our history,” Snowball said.

“The healing part of it, it’s based on our culture, being on the land and having counsellors discuss with individuals or in group meetings.”

In January 2023, Isuarsivik got a new cabin at Navvaataaq Lake, expanding its on-the-land healing space.

Grey said integrating Inuit traditions and values in the healing process is necessary.

“We had people who were hunters and we took them out on the land. We had to make sure they are in touch with their history,” she said.

“We had to help them understand that where they came from was the healthiest.”

The centre has come a long way and 30 years is a milestone the staff is proud to have achieved, Snowball said.

“What the centre has been to what it is today are two very different things,” he said.

Snowball encourages people to reach out for help. The centre is continuously raising awareness and making its services accessible to the community.

“We need to make sure people know we are here, and we need to work together for the betterment of our future,” Snowball said.