Precious Ones

In that time, overdose deaths have tragically continued to rise, hitting marginalized communities hardest, including many Indigenous Peoples.

Deep-rooted systemic racism and long-standing biases have made it harder for those who need help most to actually get the care and support they deserve.

Traditional Indigenous healing law teaches that we are born with everything we need. The Uut Uustukyuu Healing Society are working to connect people to the medicine inside each of us through their new program, Ahusma Care (“precious ones/patient partners”). Through their network of Indigenous traditional practitioners and collaborators, healing will be taught through plant medicine, healing ceremonies, cultural connections in community and hospitals, or through modern prescription care, health monitoring and follow up.

This new program will provide community-based healing services for the most vulnerable Indigenous and non-Indigenous Ahusma (precious ones) across Vancouver Island.

The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) is contributing funding to support Ahusma Care in its healing and reconciliation efforts. This funding will help the Uut Uustukyuu Healing Society deliver care services to those who need it most, ensuring they don’t fall through the cracks. It will further bring together Elders and youth for mentorship opportunities focused on recentering Indigenous medicine, spirituality, culture and language and fostering community connections and learning. 

Indigenous medicine practitioners have been providing these services in communities since time immemorial. Before colonization, these healers were the only formal health care providers in the land. Over the last several decades, Knowledge Keepers have been working to safely revitalize these practices and integrate them into the modern healthcare landscape. Ahusma Care is a step forward in these efforts to awaken ancient healing traditions and embed them in care services for Indigenous Peoples.

Diocese of Victoria