The Circle of Indigenous Nations Society (COINS) in Castlegar held a celebration in September for the opening of their Sacred Roots Wellness Room. The newly renovated room gives regional medical practitioners and allied health workers a safe and welcoming place to engage with the Indigenous community.
Kailey Taks and Kathleen Cure were both 4th year nursing students from Selkirk College/University of Victoria who were working at COINS for their leadership project when they applied for the First Nation Health Authority's Urban and Away-from-Home (UAH) grant. Both were honoured at the opening ceremony. They were the impetus behind the society applying for the grant and they navigated the application process ensuring the COINS application was successful.
The pride the community expressed for the two women was evident at the opening ceremony where they were the focus of everyone's attention. Not only were Kailey and Kathleen instrumental in COINS getting the grant, but their work also there is deeply personal.
“It was once the office of my granny, who was the co-founder and finance administer for COINS and dedicated much of her life to supporting our Indigenous community," said Kailey. “She passed away tragically, becoming one of our ancestors far too early. When we decided to renovate this space, it felt like a full-circle moment – honoring her memory and her contributions while creating a place that aligns with the values she held dear."
For Kathleen, who is non-Indigenous person, she is able to return the kindness and compassion the community showed her when she lost her father to cancer. She was invited into a healing circle and has been able to participate in many ceremonies as a health care professional.
“We hope that having this resource integrated into the community will better support our Indigenous population by providing a safe space to seek and receive culturally safe care and create a sense of belonging," said Kathleen. “Historically, the Indigenous population has faced discrimination when accessing mainstream healthcare services and as healthcare professionals and providers, we strongly believe everyone deserves fair, equitable access to health care."
Both Kathleen and Kailey are now Licensed Registered Nurses at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital.
COINS was awarded the grant during the last round of funding. It is a non-profit society and was founded in 2013 with a single staff member and program. It has since expanded to 26 staff members and offers a variety of programs and services throughout the West Kootenay and Boundary region. It is one of the few Indigenous health organizations in a region that is very remote and rugged, so much so that some people in the region would travel to Alberta for their health care.
Funding for rebuilding the room came through a grant from the UAH Funding Initiative. The initiative provides grants of up to $25,000 to support the UAH population in areas of primary care, mental health and wellness, the toxic drug response, addressing anti-Indigenous racism and promoting cultural safety in health care.
The deadline for the latest round of grants is November 22 at 11:59 p.m.
