Ka-Na-Chi-Hih fundraiser more than just laughs
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY – Three Robinson Superior comedians were featured during the Comedy Night fundraiser at Ka-Na-Chi-Hih Specialized Solvent Abuse Treatment Centre’s 19th Annual SAAFE (Solvent Abuse Awareness for Everyone) Walk in Thunder Bay.
“I really enjoyed the crowd again,” says Ron Kanutski, who performed for the third time at the SAAFE Walk. “There seems to be some new faces all the time, so it’s always changing up. We’re still getting a pretty good crowd out, so that’s pretty cool.”
Kanutski, a Red Rock Indian Band citizen, performed during the Sept. 21 SAAFE Walk Comedy Night fundraiser along with Janine Desmoulin, from Pic Mobert, Todd Genno, from Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, Pat Cheechoo, from Constance Lake, and The Nish King, from Aroland.
“For me, laughter is everything,” Kanutski says. “When you deal with heavy situations, you’ve got to find a release and I think laughter is the way to go. As Ojibwa people, we always have lots of humour.”
Wikwemikong’s Teresa Trudeau, the traditional healing coordinator with Anishnawbe Mushkiki who works out of the Ka-Na-Chi-Hih building, says the Comedy Night fundraiser is held to raise funds to purchase supplies for up to 12 youth undergoing treatment at Ka-Na-Chi-Hih.
“That’s the maximum, 12, that can stay here, and it is always full,” Trudeau says. “They’re from all the NAN territory. We’ve had clients from Labrador. And we’ve had someone from Inuvik.”
Trudeau says the SAAFE Walk also raises awareness in the community about Ka-Na-Chi-Hih’s program.
“It’s a great place to be working here,” Trudeau says. “The young men here, you can tell these boys have had a really good upbringing. They carry with them a lot of the grassroots teachings: kindness, respect, honesty and humour. Somewhere along the way they got messed up in the wrong things, but being here for them is a good decision.”
Trudeau says laughter is a “big part” of the healing process.
“Teasing has always been a way of our people,” Trudeau says. “Teasing was even often used as a discipline. If somebody did something wrong, they were teased about it. They weren’t chastised or punished, they were actually teased as a way of correcting their behaviour. And I notice they do that to each other here — they tease each other a lot, but it is all in good humour and they do care for each other.”
Darlene Maki, Ka-Na-Chi-hih’s treatment coordinator, says comedy is also used as therapy with the youth.
“When I was a counsellor, I would use comedy with the boys,” Maki says. “It helps them relax and feel good about themselves.”
Vince Simon, Ka-Na-Chi-Hih’s executive director, says the Comedy Night show has been featured at the SAAFE Walk about six times over the years.
“Laughter is good medicine,” Simon says. “Laughter is a universal language — everybody understands it.”
The SAAFE Walk was held along the recreational trail along Balmoral St. from the Ka-Na-Chi-Hih building on Dease St. to just past the Neebing-McIntyre Floodway bridge and back again.
It included a feast with walleye and moose, a presentation on overcoming solvent abuse by Pikangikum’s Craig Owen and a variety of songs by Terri-Anne Strongarm, from Regina, Sask.