By
Alison Everitt, 1st year MDP student
I
have now completed my field placement with the Health Division in Norway House
Cree Nation. I spent eleven weeks working in the community and I can honestly
say that I learned a lot. Leaving for my placement, I had certain expectations
of what I was going to see and do during my time up north. I thought that I
would write a few funding proposals, sit in on community events, and maybe see
a bear or two. While all of this did prove true in the end – and certainly
taught me a lot – it was the unanticipated knowledge that I found to be the
most rewarding from my time in the community.
The
main memory that I will take away from this experience is the importance of
building relationships within the community. The people that we met in Norway
House were incredible and I was always treated with great kindness. People were
always ready to offer words of welcome [“We’re very excited to have you here!”]
and pieces of advice [“You’re living on West Island? Watch for bears!”] in the
hopes of making our stay in the community as rewarding and comfortable as possible.
As Rachel and I only knew each other when we first arrived in Norway House, the
support that was given to us by community members was greatly appreciated.
What
I soon learned was that this level of support and kindness was the backbone of
the entire community. All of the people in the programs in the Health Division
work endlessly to help as many community members as possible in spite of
limited access to the resources that are often enjoyed in ‘the south’. Local
businesses make significant donations towards community events in the hopes of
making them as successful as possible. Individuals also play their part: for
instance, by the beach there is one family who will sit outside and make sure
that all the children are safe while they play in the water. Family members
also allow the children to leave their bicycles on the lawn outside their house
so that they can ensure that the bikes won’t be stolen.
Our
work in the community repeatedly highlighted the importance of
relationship-building. During my time in the Health Division, one program
manager in particular demonstrated how this rapport is necessary for community
development programs. By observing her interactions with the women who
participate in her programming you could tell that they all really liked her
and also held so much respect for her. This allowed her to talk about topics
such as breastfeeding, and have everyone listen and really value her input. She
really showed me that, particularly in a First Nations community, your
relationships with people are your top priority. Your word is everything; and
once people trust and respect you, then you can start having a meaningful
impact in peoples’ lives. This is when actual change happens. Working with
wonderful people like her was one of the most rewarding parts of this field
placement and it is these relationships that I will never forget.
 |
| Rachel Bach (Front-L) & Alison Everitt (Front-R) at the Norway House Health Division |
This
summer, I saw how things actually work on a reserve. I was able to see what
really needs to be improved and also to see what initiatives are already in
place to try and do so. I can also now appreciate how many opportunities there
are to make a difference, as well as numerous challenges involved in doing so.
For example I learned how small initiatives, like a cooking class, can have
such a large impact for those who participate in it. I now know that a project
or program doesn’t have to be a big, complicated one in order to make a
significant change; it just has to be one that will produce a change that is
actually needed.
In
sum, my time in Norway House taught me a lot of the things that I was expected
to learn on my field placement. However, it also gave me knowledge and insight
that I did not expect to gain and that is why my time in this community was so
valuable to me.
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