Wiikwemkoong celebrates opening of Spirit Healing Lodge

By Rick Garrick

WIIKWEMKOONG UNCEDED TERRITORY — Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre Inc. (Rainbow Lodge) is celebrating the grand opening of its new 20-bed facility, the Jiingaabe Noojmoo Gamik – Spirit Healing Lodge, held on Sept. 8 in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre had discussions and collaborations with various Wiikwemkoong organizations prior to and during construction of the new facility, which began in 2019 and was completed in 2021 through capital funding from Indigenous Services Canada – First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.

“We’re just very excited about it and we’re very happy with the support and the collaboration it has taken to make this a reality,” says Rolanda Manitowabi, executive director at Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre. “We’ve always had an eight-bed facility and a long wait list, so we’ve advocated this for many years.”

Wiikwemkoong Ogimaa Kwe Rachel Manitowabi says the new facility is a place for spiritual newness and healing, noting that systemic oppression and systemic discrimination are “issues we all continue to work at reconciling.”

“This lodge is for all Anishinabek and is one of the many ways we intend for the unity and strength of moving forward together as one people,” Ogimaa Kwe Rachel Manitowabi says. “A word in our language reminds me of the work people seek to accomplish at the lodge, Aandaadzi, which means rebirth in life. The new Spirit Healing Lodge provides a place for that rebirth for those who seek it – all will be welcome in a good way for this work. This may be hard work, but heart work is always worth it.”

Rolanda Manitowabi says staff are adjusting to the new environment since they moved to the larger facility earlier this year, adding that they are expanding their community-based services.

“Those services include individual counselling, groups like family support programs, Medicine Wheel teachings, harm reduction groups, support groups for the community, women’s healing circles, community education on various substances, and risks of problem gambling,” Manitowabi says. “We’ve worked with Elders, we’ve had groups on forgiveness and grief and loss as well as physical activity programming. We deliver and continue to deliver the Partner Assault Response Program, Cannabis Education and we hope to return to the schools for character building and education in various classes.”

Manitowabi says their goal is to move towards family programming in the future.

“We have new programming as well, one of the new programs that is coming is a long-term out-patient program to help deal with trauma from a culturally-based perspective,” Manitowabi says.

Manitowabi says an application form for the 26-day residential addictions treatment program, which serves First Nations people over 18 years old from across the Ontario region, is posted on their website.

“But if they’re from the community, all they have to do is give us a call if they’re wanting to become a client of ours for various types of programs or services,” Manitowabi says. “We have community-based services that are just open to the general public — you don’t need to be a client of Ngwaagan Gamig.”

Manitowabi says Rainbow Lodge originally began operations as an alcohol treatment centre in 1976 before being incorporated as Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre Inc. in 1992, when they began providing services for individuals living with alcohol and drug challenges.

“We went from an alcohol treatment centre to a poly-substance abuse treatment centre; we’ve trained our staff in cognitive behavioural therapy and cultural teachings,” Manitowabi says. “We became accredited, we became ISO certified (International Organization for Standardization) — it’s been a lot of change and we’ve been advocating towards more community services and more beds, so we’re very happy with the expansion that’s occurring.”

The grand opening celebration included a Sunrise Ceremony, Elders opening prayer, a welcome song by Thunder Earth, official opening remarks by dignitaries, tree planting and ribbon cutting ceremonies, a facility tour, a feast and a giveaway and round dance.