b'HEALTH FORUMSharing Our Stories, BY LENNY CARPENTERSharing Our StrengthsHealth Forum celebrates positive Photovoice project that teaches youth in communities how to tell a story messages while tackling health issues through photographs.Its life promotion-based, says Jones. They learned how to frame a picture D espite the health issuesA major highlight for the organ- and how to tell their story with a picture, prevalent in First Nationsizers was the keynote presentation bywhich gives their story a longer life and communities, organizersToronto Star journalist Tanya Talaga,what makes their life worthwhile.of the Chiefs of Ontarioswho was coming off the prestigiousStories from our Roots was created in 13th annual Health Forum tried toMassey Lectures series last fall. Talaga,partnership with the Chiefs of Ontario, focus on the positives and successeswho wrote about the Thunder Bay FirstOntario Brain Institute and the Univer-throughout the three-day event heldNations youth inquest in the 2017 booksity of Western Ontario with the aim of February 26-28 at the Holiday InnSeven Fallen Feathers, was presentingbuilding leadership skills, resiliency and Toronto International Airport. about her latest book All Our Relations,strength in First Nations. The theme of this years forumwhich tackles the high rate of IndigenousThe forum also featured a presenta-was Sharing Our Stories, Sharingyouth suicides. tion by the founders of Indigi-Con, Our Strengths. She really gave a good positivean Indigenous take on Comic Con. Its to give more of a voice formessage to everyone that was there aboutThe brainchild of Kira Flynn and Ira allowing communities to come in andthe stories, that we can keep going,Timothy of Oneida of the Thames, tell their stories, says Carmen Jones,says Bernadette deGonzague, Chiefs ofIndigi-Con was first held last summer Director of Health at the Chiefs ofOntarios Senior Health Policy Analyst.and has been adapted into an inter-Ontario. Because with health, we hearSo I think that (was) a real draw for theactive demonstration where they do a lot of negative stuff all the time so wecommunity people. a superhero type of a health promo-wanted to reinforce that we do have a lotAnother highlight was the videotion program, says Jones. Featuring (of) strength and positive messages topresentations by youth who engagedIndigenous superhero Nurse Hope, the bring forward. in the Stories from our Roots, apresentation included discussions about mental health and positive role models.The forum was preceded by the health departments second biannual Research Symposium on February 25, which included presentations from experts on topics such as aging, diabetes, opioids, chronic diseases and cannabis.One fact that stood out for the organizers was the rate of aging for First Nations people compared to the general population. We see frailty at the age of 45, where the rest of the population are seeing (similar conditions) at 65, says Jones. These are the types of stats that were informing the communities (about) at the research symposium.On the positive side, they are seeing more programs and activities going on in communities to address diabetes. More-over, they are finding success in tackling drug addiction.46l ISSUE 1 2019C hIEfS ofo ntarIoA dvocAte magazInE'