After some delays because of the pandemic, the Central Interior Native Health Society (CINHS) held the grand opening Thursday for its Cultural Centre called Natsoolyis (Let Us Rest).
The centre has been open at
The centre has a big open space with a kitchen tucked away at one end.
Staff offer clients a variety of opportunities toward cultural connection and healing like creating natural medicines like devil’s claw salve and cottonwood salve.
“A lot of our clients ask for that kind of thing,” Caroline A’huille, cultural coordinator at Natsoolyis, said. “We’ll also go berry picking and we’ll be drying salmon in the future, while offering the chance to make jams to our clients, too.”
Natsoolyis hosts group support programs like Women Against Violence where women can learn how to communicate better and learn about setting their own boundaries and at the same time participants have the opportunity to explore their culture with crafts like beading, shawl-making, vest-making and baby-welcoming activities as a way toward healing.
“We’ll also be providing meals three days a week at lunch time,” A’huille said. “Whatever left overs we have we will bring out to the people in the tent cities or those who are in need on the streets.”
A’huille is basing the cultural centre’s activities on one thing she knows is true.
“If you know your roots you know who you are in whatever beliefs you have and then you can become whole,” A’huille said. “Once you know the basics you can carry on with any type of dreams and goals that you have. It’s pretty difficult to move forward if you don’t know who you are or what you’re made of. Understanding your trauma in your history - there’s ways to heal from those - and we’re here to help with that.”
