Karen McSwain is a recipient of a University of Manitoba Duff Roblin Fellowship, and a Northern Scientific Training Program research award administered through the University of Manitoba. In the past there have been few mental health services in Manitoba First Nations communities, but currently First Nations are developing innovative approaches to mental health which uniquely suit their communities. Answers to this question can be found within the knowledge of those already working in First Nations health and social services, that is, within the knowledge of those who are part of the process of developing their communities' approaches to mental health.
Health is a state of balance and harmony of all the aspects of the medicine wheel.
The massive losses and abuses suffered by First Nations through the process of colonization have destroyed the wholeness and balance of First Nations. The priority mental health problems of depression and anxiety, suicide, and substance abuse are symptoms of imbalance and disharmony, and the consequences of the losses and abuses suffered. Healing means returning individuals, families, communities and the nations to states of balance and harmony. The solutions to mental health problems must include rebuilding community resources through political self-determination and rebuilding positive cultural identity. Mental health systems are being constructed by First Nations blending western health and social service models with native traditional approaches.