“Do people care?

“Why isn’t the entire territory mobilizing? We are losing our people; humans that make up the fabric of who we are are dying.”

Lauren Manekin Beille voiced her concerns on the opioid crisis during an interview Wednesday.

This, A Way Forward Gathering, was the first of three for building support for Yukoners coming together to address the opioid crisis in new ways. The two future gatherings will review at the previous discussions to look for answers.

Manekin Beille teamed up with Doronn Fox to try to find ways to mitigate the crisis.

Holding Sacred Fires for community is one of the ways suggested to start discussions and relationship-building in support of Yukoners coming together to address the opioid crisis in new ways. The first one of three was held Wednesday at Long Lake.

“I talked to 125 people, 75 of them running businesses in town, and here is what I found out is that everybody cares, nobody has any answers, and there is so much division between us as people that people aren’t stepping out of their comfort zones to go into this very scary place; it’s scary to be curious, what if I offend ... ?” said Manekin Beille.

“What if I learn something that my heart can’t hold, and the safest bet is to not show up for all acceptable and unacceptable reasons in the world.

“It’s become less of a conversation on the toxic drug crisis and it’s a human crisis problem, it’s this ability to see one another, to care for one another and value one another ... so we’re talking about the opioid crisis because that is unacceptable, we’re talking about homelessness because in a territory like this, that’s unacceptable.

“However, I think the work is this, those two people getting together that may not talk ... so we walk down the street and see humanity in one another is the work that I am doing, how to do that?”

Asked what can be done about this, Fox said of the fires, “This is how we do it, this is our way of doing it and let’s do multiple fires that build off of one another; let’s show up, let’s be together; let’s build relationships; let’s tell stories,” Fox suggested.

Manekin Beille continued, “Let’s make connections between people who otherwise wouldn’t; let’s see the humanity in one another so you don’t walk down the street and not see one another again.”

Manekin Beille is also holding a dinner inviting the business people, the RCMP, and the Departments of Justice and Health and Social Services to talk about what’s happening and look for a solution, though she is not sure who will show up.

“I think fear is a barrier; I think we are afraid of having hard conversations; we are afraid of being uncomfortable; we are afraid of holding ourselves accountable ....

“I don’t think the world can move forward if we don’t start doing that really hard work,” she continued.

Fox said, “I started speaking to my elders, my contacts, my mentors, people, and they told me how much I’m investing and the need for the community to make this movement successful is if I go in full-bore ... you (Lauren) have business in your circle, I have community, Indigenous, and I am from here in the Yukon; we need to bridge the gaps in both worlds to try to figure a way forward,” Fox said.

“The Sacred Fire, utilizing it to create safe space to bring worlds together, different worlds, different ages, different cultures, everything,” he continued.

“The thing that’s been expressed by non-Indigenous people in the Yukon for years is just mind-boggling for me, is that non-Indigenous people have lived here for years that have never been part of any ceremony; they just don’t know how to be part of ceremony or be comfortable within ceremony and having fire allows them to show up to put tobacco in, to learn about our teachings, ask questions,” Fox said,

“It’s bridging that gap with them, not feeling comfortable about being involved, or, as Lauren is learning, how we tease.

“A lot of people who come here ... even today, we had a couple of people here, that are limited in their ability to express because of their position, from the hospital, to organizations, to government; they’re limited in the ability to express the real problems or issues because of their position,” Fox said.

There have been many deaths from opioids in the Yukon recently.

The next fire will be June 21 at Fish Lake, and another is set for July at a yet-to-be-determined location.

“Is there care and compassion in our community?” Manekin Beille asked.

“Something absolutely innovative and different has to happen right now ’cause we can’t wait anymore; it’s too devastating.”