PROGRAM

                     Program Information

Healing through Culture, Ceremony, and Compassionate Care

At Okisikow Iskwew Center (OKI), we are committed to compassionate, culturally rooted care for Indigenous youth. We understand that addiction and mental health challenges are often rooted in colonial trauma, intergenerational grief, and cultural disconnection. Our first priority is to provide a safe, supportive, and empowering environment where youth can begin their healing journey.

Program Structure

The OKI program is a 12-week residential healing experience, guided by weekly recovery themes. Youth participate in daily programming that includes:

• Group and individual healing sessions

• Cultural teachings and ceremony

• Land-based learning

• Substance use education

• Recreation and wellness activities

A core part of the curriculum is the “Stepping on the Stones” program, developed in partnership with Avalon Treatment Centers (Tallahassee, Florida). This trauma-informed, highly adaptable program is designed to support Indigenous youth in constructing their own personal path to recovery. Additional modules include:

• Anger management

• Theft prevention

• Domestic violence education

• Healthy relationships and emotional regulation

Cultural Healing & Ceremony

At OKI, we believe culture is medicine. Each day begins with a smudge and morning prayer, grounding youth in traditional Nehiyaw (Cree) practices. Clients participate in:

• Bi-weekly sweat lodge ceremonies (on-site)

• Seasonal tipi teachings

• Elder- and Knowledge Keeper-led workshops

• Community events such as  round dances, powwows, feasts, and sacred gatherings

Youth are guided by Elders from Frog Lake First Nation and surrounding communities, reconnecting with teachings that restore identity, pride, and belonging.

 Land-Based Learning

OKI integrates on-the-land programming as a vital part of the healing process. Youth learn traditional practices tied to the seasons, local ecology, and ancestral teachings. We also host an annual land-based healing camp, where clients spend extended time immersed in ceremony, survival skills, and Indigenous knowledge systems. We also integrate equine-assisted learning into our land-based programming, offering youth the opportunity to connect with horses as part of their healing journey.

Recreation & Daily Living

Balanced wellness includes movement, rest, and joy. OKI clients have access to the Frog Lake Recreation Centre for daily physical activities and team sports.

In their downtime, youth can enjoy:

• A comfortable lounge

• Movies and games

• A reading library stocked with Indigenous-authored books

• Opportunities for quiet reflection, art, and self-expression

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Clinical Collaboration

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OKI’s healing model is supported through a partnership with Avalon Treatment Centers, who have worked extensively with the Frog Lake community. Their founder brings decades of experience in substance abuse treatment and has developed a program that respects both clinical standards and Indigenous worldviews.

Our Promise

Every youth who enters OKI is welcomed with love, dignity, and care. We remind them, every day: You are loved. You are ours. You are home.

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