Lac La Ronge hosts healing summit to tackle community crisis

The Lac La Ronge Indian Band is charting its own path to healing with a three-day community healing conference, taking place July 8 to 10 at the La Ronge Urban Reserve.

The event, being held for the first time, will bring together Elders, youth leaders, frontline workers and families for a gathering focused on Indigenous wellness, cultural revitalization and collective healing. Programming will directly address urgent community crises, including the opioid epidemic, youth mental health, intergenerational trauma, and the long-term impacts of wildfires and displacement.

“This conference is about coming together in the face of pain, grief and loss, and walking forward as one,” said Chief Tammy Cook-Searson. “It’s about supporting one another, honouring our stories and walking a healing path together.”

The summit features keynote addresses from Indigenous and national leaders, including Joe Calendino, a former Hells Angel member turned youth mentor; harm reduction advocate and former gang member Guy Felicella; former Olympian Waneek Horn-Miller; and La Ronge’s own Joey Genereaux, who shares powerful messages on personal growth and resilience.

Local voices will include Elders, knowledge keepers, youth advocates and first responders. A cultural and healing village will operate throughout the summit, offering paddle-making, moose hide tanning, fish and moose meat preparation, fish net-making, snowshoe-making, carving, art therapy, a healing tent, traditional medicine, birch bark crafts, beading, Elder-led teachings and more.

Daytime sessions will feature workshops on trauma, addiction, land-based teaching, education pathways and crisis response. Evening programming includes live entertainment, traditional meals and community celebrations. Children’s activities will include a petting zoo, bouncy castles and family-friendly events.

“We recognize the pain in our communities—from the opioid crisis to the trauma of the wildfires,” said Cook-Searson. “This conference is our commitment to lead our healing in a supportive environment, with our community members as the main focus.”

This story was originally published in the Humboldt Journal. It is republished under a Creative Commons license as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.

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