A message from the Wellness Team, Office of the Chief Medical Officer.

The summer season is on the horizon. It's a time for hunting, fishing, berry-picking, and other traditional food-harvesting activities, as well as recreational activities. It's also a time for sharing, storytelling and knowledge transfer between First Nations Elders and youth—during safe and physically distanced visits, of course!

Getting out on the land and waters provides the opportunity to connect with the land, nurture our spirits, and learn more about our traditional territories and areas of harvest from our Elders and Knowledge Keepers. First Nations people have passed knowledge on through ceremony and storytelling since time immemorial, and we continue this strong oral tradition to this day.

Through the #GoodMedicineFNHA hashtag, Hereditary Chief Richard Williams (dineetsogees) of Lake Babine Nation shared a video of himself harvesting Devil's Club near Lake Babine.  In the video, Richard provided information on this traditional medicine, including its benefits and how to find it.  He also challenged the youth and young people to get out on the land and learn from the Elders.

This year, during these strange times, we must remember to keep a safe physical distance or consider a new method of virtual sharing in order to keep our Elders, family and community members safe. Learn more about precautions and safety considerations here.

Keeping these precautions in mind, we encourage you to arrange a visit or activity with an Elder you know today. How do you plan to connect with the Elders in your life during these times? Share your ideas, videos or stories with the #GoodMedicineFNHA hashtag on your social media.

For more inspiration from Elders and youth, watch the FNHA's #EldersSpeak and #YouthSpeak videos.