Health and wellness are incredibly important values to everyday life, and from January 9th to 11th, Red Lake Nation’s Chemical Health program hosted their annual Community Wellness Gathering to offer resources for health, whether that be mental, physical, emotional or spiritual.

The event saw a number of keynote speakers discuss topics ranging from nutrition and the benefits of traditional medicine to the importance of spiritual guidance.

While not the sole focus of the gathering, the topic of addiction and overcoming it was a key point that was brought up by several speakers and organizers of the gathering.

Tuesday also saw several organizers dress in ribbon skirts and shirts, as the day was named “Rock Your Ribbons for Recovery Day.” This was to show support and solidarity for those in recovery while also paying respect to Indigenous culture.

“It’s a way we show our support people in recovery through our culture, and the beauty of our culture,” said Red Lake Nation Chemical Health Program Executive Director, Tom Barrett.

Each day of the gathering saw community members flocking to Red Lake Nation College in abundance, creating an experience that will surely be remembered by all in attendance.

“It’s great to see all these people come in,” said Barrett. “That part alone feels really good to me. It’s hard to explain the feeling you get from that.”

The gathering concluded with a raffle offering locally made goods such as scarves, blankets and suitcases as prizes.

By — Justin Othoudt