Meeka Project

Meeka Project	Download resources	Order Print Copies	Meeka Celebration
Video Clips	Photos	Northern Context	Background Information

Meeka Project

The Meeka series is a four-part set of beautifully illustrated culturally relevant wellness resources that take a holistic approach to Inuit healing, healthy living, child rearing and teamwork through illustrations and exercises that evoke traditional stories.

The series seeks to enhance substance abuse prevention programs, health care service delivery, and education and training of wellness workers in Canada’s North.

Released in December 2010, the Meeka series was produced in partnership with Tungasuvvingat Inuit (TI), Meeka Arnakaq (Inuit Elder and healer from Pangnirtung, Nunavut) and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA).

Download Resources [PDF]

Electronic copies of the Meeka wellness resources can be downloaded by clicking on the thumbnails below.

Expanding One’s Environment for a Healthy Lifestyle

Order Print Copies
To order copies of the Meeka wellness resources, download the order form and fax it directly to Mission Stream at 613-288-2887.

Meeka Celebration
On November 17, 2010, CCSA and TI hosted a celebration at the Vanier Community Centre in Ottawa to celebrate and honour Meeka’s work and the partnership that brought the project to life.

The celebration included participation by federal Health Minister, Leona Aglukkaq, members of the Inuit community in Ottawa, Nunavut, and representatives from Inuit organizations, Nunavut Arctic College and Nunavut Health and Social Services. The celebration concluded with traditional Inuit drum dancing and throat singing.

Video Clips
One-on-one interviews with Michel Perron, CEO of CCSA; Meeka Arnakaq, Inuit Elder and healer; and Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, were filmed to illustrate the connection of this project to CCSA’s mandate, to capture Meeka’s vision of Inuit-centred wellness, and to underscore the importance of culturally relevant resources for Inuit wellness and healing.

Meeka Manuals Promotional Video
Learn more about the Meeka Project wellness manuals short video, which illustrates the connection of this project to CCSA’s mandate, captures Meeka Arnakaq’s vision of Inuit-centred wellness, and emphasizes the importance of culturally relevant resources. The video features interviews with Michel Perron, CEO of CCSA; Meeka Arnakaq, Inuit Elder and healer; Leona Aglukkaq, MP for Nunavut; Nunavut Arctic College; Inuit Children’s Centre; and Mamisarvik Healing Centre.

To view the video, click on the thumbnails below.

Meeka English Video	Meeka Inuktitut Video

Photos
To view photos of the Meeka Celebration, click on the thumbnail below.


Michel Perron, CEO Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse	Meeka Arnakaq, Elder and healer	The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, MP Nunavut, Minister Responsible for the North and Minister of Health

Michel Perron, CEO Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Reepa Evik-Carlton, Mamisarvik, and Meeka Arnakaq	Meeka Arnakaq, Elder and healer	The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, MP Nunavut, Minister Responsible for the North and Minister of Health

Northern Nunavut Context
Northern health services and prevention programs are particularly challenging in Nunavut as individual communities are not connected by road and community health centres are seen as the point of entry for a majority of health services. While a strong government effort is being made to train more Inuit as nurses, mental health workers, midwives and other health professionals, the majority of service professionals in Inuit communities are still non-Inuit and largely transient—only in the north for short periods of time. These professionals are not always aware or of service needs in the context of Inuit culture, the complexities of Inuit history, and individual community dynamics.

Background on the Meeka Project
The Meeka wellness resources—a project that started in 2006—create better integration of the traditional knowledge of Elders, family and community into current health care practices by providing additional resources grounded in cultural traditions. Community members, Elders, women and youth are all valuable resources in identifying health issues and are critical to community-based program development.

The four-part series of wellness resources was transcribed from Meeka’s original handwritten Inuktitut manuscripts and translated into English, coupled with vibrant illustrations the bring life to Meeka’s original drawings and her vision of wellness among Canada’s Inuit.

Elders are the connection to the past—a time when language, culture and wellness were strong. Traditional knowledge centered on culture and balance is an integral part of wellness for Inuit. Meeka’s collection of traditional knowledge recounts the historical traumas of Inuit colonization and the intergenerational abuse experienced by families of the residential school system—many of the underlying issues that lead to substance abuse among Inuit. This compilation of traditional knowledge and teachings builds a new foundation of strength-based, evidence-informed approaches for working with Inuit to improve health and wellness.

The project’s primary audience is the collective community of Inuit living in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, as well as those in Nunavik (Quebec), Nunatsiavut (Newfoundland and Labrador) and the ever-growing Inuit community in Ottawa.

The partnership between CCSA and Tungasuvvingat Inuit, formalized three years ago, opened the door to working with Meeka Arnakaq and the Mamisarvik Healing Centre—an Inuit specific trauma and addiction recovery program—in supporting the availability of culturally relevant resources that ultimately seek to improve wellness programming.

The current renewal of the Memorandum of Agreement between CCSA and TI is a stepping- stone to developing partnerships with other Inuit communities, First Nations and Métis, and to provide an enriched and collaborative approach to substance abuse.

Date Modified: 2011-06-28