C O N N E C T E D N O R T H : A J O U R N E Y O F T R A N S F O R M AT I O N & W E L L- B E I N G
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Focus on Well-Being
The focus on Well-Being is designed to provide a mechanism to engage young people using technology in health
promotion in a manner that is inclusive, responsive, and interesting. Technology has been found to be an effective
means of capturing and sustaining interest in health promotion topics and a vehicle for engaging them in dialogue and
exchange (Norman & Yip, 2012).
The intergenerational and localized effects of Residential Schools, colonialism, systemic racism, and community
upheaval that those in the North have experienced are manifest in many different health and Well-Being issues (The
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015):
• Internalized racism is the source of immense pain and shame experienced by children.
• Cycles of abuse and violence as an effect from Indigenous peoples being divided, separated, isolated
and abused.
• The isolation and perceived distrust of elders and traditional knowledge-keepers from engaging the
school system because of their experiences with Residential Schools.
• Heightened vulnerability to mental illness among youth in Northern communities beyond the already
high rates seen by youth in general across Canada.
Well-Being in the context of many Indigenous communities is not something that is simply promoted, it is also about
reconciliation, remembering and reclaiming past traditions, and connecting to traditional ways of living and knowing
(Katz, 2017). This means creating pathways to Well-Being that recognize these qualities and features in programs moving
forward. Connected North has sought to provide this bridge between the present situation and the power of healing.
