Elder network to increase cultural connections

If the Elder network is meant to support people with substance use concerns, are there any substance-use-specific, culturally relevant practices (like sweat lodges or similar ceremonies) that you’d build into that network, based on Rev Reet’s talk and what the research says?

The response addressed the elements of my question by explaining and providing details on why specific practices were not named. Carly spoke to the limits of literature on particular ceremonies and cultural supports in substance use care. It was also clear that cultural safety, through a nation-led collaborative development process with Elders and knowledge keepers rather than a pan-indigenous or research-imposed model, was intentionally designed.

Your presentation does a strong job of clearly framing the problem, grounding it in both data and lived experience, and proposing a solution that builds on the intended work of the BC First Nations Justice Council. You walk through existing services, show concrete gaps in staffing and transparency, and highlight serious issues like the homogenization of Indigenous services and non-Indigenous people performing Indigenous roles. You justify the need for an Interior Elder and Knowledge Keeper network by emphasizing the region’s diverse nations, the central role of elders in cultural wellness, and the limitations of Western approaches to mental health and substance use. You also root the proposal in broader policy commitments such as the TRC Calls to Action, DRIPA, and UNDRIP.

You outline a thoughtful, staged plan. You’re realistic about challenges, including funding, recruitment, security constraints, and access to ceremony for people actively using substances, and you propose concrete mitigation strategies, including fair compensation, staff education, virtual options, and harm reduction–aligned ways to keep culture accessible. Overall, the program is well-conceived and meaningfully integrates cultural safety and continuity between correctional and community settings.

Make the substance use focus more explicit throughout. A lot of the argument is strong on cultural connection and justice reform, but the substance use piece sometimes sits in the background. The elder network is framed as improving overall wellness, with substance use mentioned toward the end.

You do a good job of pointing out the lack of robust research. But the flip side is that it would have been nice to see more evidence. You partly do this with FNHA’s With Open Arms. Still, you could tie your proposal to even modest evidence or grey literature on cultural safety and Indigenous substance use programs.

One way to strengthen the presentation is to clearly name and frame your multi-pronged solution right at the beginning. Early on, you could explicitly state that your proposal has three interlocking components: an Interior Elder and Knowledge Keeper Network, an e-learning program for correctional health staff, and a virtual Indigenous health and substance use service. This will make the final summary feel like a natural return to that original framework rather than an add-on.

It would help to describe how the proposal specifically addresses substance use explicitly. Answering questions like, how exactly does the elder and knowledge keeper network influence substance use-related outcomes (increased readiness for change, reduced shame, stronger connection to OAT or treatment, trauma healing, or safer use)? By clearly linking cultural supports to substance use outcomes, you help the audience see that this isn’t a general wellness intervention.

The evaluation plan could be tightened. You mention storytelling, reoffending rates, and toxic drug poisoning events. Still, you could expand this by adding a few more substance use indicators, such as engagement with opioid agonist therapy, continuity of care post-release, or self-reported connection to culture and hope.