A group trying to create the NWT’s first trauma healing lodge says its work is advancing but stable operational funding is a barrier.
At a briefing for MLAs this week, Endacho Healing Society founders Roy and Jean Erasmus said their project has moved beyond the conceptual stage and is now supported by pilot programming, a developed curriculum, and ongoing discussions with federal and territorial governments.
Plans for the lodge have been years in the making.
The proposed facility would operate as an eight-week trauma healing program that combines Indigenous land-based healing with clinical therapeutic approaches.
Under the model outlined to MLAs, participants would first enter a 35-day stabilization period intended to support safe withdrawal management and early recovery.
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Roy Erasmus explained that while $7 million in federal funding has been secured for construction, a permanent building alone does not facilitate healing without the resources to staff and maintain it.
He said sustainable operational funding remains the “critical gap,” noting the society finds itself “stuck in the middle” as the federal and territorial governments each look to the other to make the first financial commitment.
“The question today is not whether the Northwest Territories needs trauma healing, because we know that people need it. The question is how do we ensure northerners can access healing when the lodge opens,” he told MLAs.
Roy said the society had demonstrated the effectiveness of its curriculum through a four-week pilot with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation on Mackenzie Island, and is launching a second pilot near Délı̨nę this summer.
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Jean said the program is designed for individuals dealing with intergenerational trauma, complex grief and the effects of racism, describing it as “holistic.”
Roy said establishment of the lodge will act as an “upstream investment” intended to alleviate pressure on various government-funded sectors, including addictions recovery, community safety, and child and family services. He added land-based healing alone is often insufficient if the underlying issues are not addressed.
During the briefing, Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart asked whether the GNWT could be billed for the service to help support operating costs. Roy said the lodge cannot rely on that alone because occupancy fluctuates throughout the year and the society needs a continuous stream of funds to retain specialized staff.
“You got a good counsellor, you don’t want to lose them. We’re going to be training all these people as well, so we need to be able to retain our staff once they’re trained,” he said.
Frame Lake MLA Julian Morse inquired why the society decided to have a permanent building in place. Roy said a permanent base is essential for year-round operation and consistent access to high-level clinical supports like psychiatrists and psychologists.
Jean said that while on-the-land experiential healing is highly effective, delivery of pilot programs is limited by seasonal conditions such as ice breakup, making some locations inaccessible at certain times of the year.
Roy said the program is intended as aftercare, requiring participants to be sober for 35 days before entry. He explained that strong aftercare is needed because many communities lack consistent supports like Alcoholics Anonymous or peer groups, and programs often depend on local volunteers to keep them going.
Yellowknife North MLA Shauna Morgan asked how the proposed healing lodge would address concerns that previous in-territory treatment centres have not been effective, and what would make this model different from earlier attempts.
Roy said similar programs have struggled mainly due to insufficient funding arrangements, including models where centres were expected to raise a significant portion of their own operating costs. He added that changes in staffing and governance decisions also contributed to closures.
Giving positive examples like a similar trauma treatment centre in Nunavut nearing completion and initiatives in the Yukon, lodge project coordinator Hayley Tait said the group is in discussions with the Council of Yukon First Nations on comparable work and is working with territorial colleagues to share best practices and develop a sustainable, long-term model for the North.
