Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to talk about support for traditional healing practices.

Mr. Speaker, traditional healing practices have been part of the Dene culture practices going back decades. There was no such thing as doctors, nurses or western medical practices in the early 1900s when the Dene people lived nomadic lives.

Mr. Speaker, some of the Dene people have special gifts for working with and using traditional medicines to heal certain illnesses. They are called traditional healers, and Dene naidi k’orel?a in Chipewyan.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the GNWT should seriously explore how traditional healing practices could be supported. I have spoken to a constituent of mine who has been healed by a traditional healer in Saskatchewan. The same constituent tried western medicine practices by seeing doctors and specialists for many years, to no avail. After making a few visits to the traditional healer, my constituent believes that he is healed.

Although traditional healers do not set charges for their service, there are other expenses involved for a person wishing to make a visit to a traditional healer who may live in another province or another part of the Northwest Territories. The cost of expenses for travel and accommodation can add up for one trip alone, and normally a total of two trips are required before a person begins to feel the healing process work.

Mr. Speaker, although traditional healing is different from western medicine practices, it’s similar in terms of healing. I believe the GNWT should consider recognizing and supporting traditional

healing as medical expenses and help support those who believe the only alternative to healing themselves is seeing a traditional healer.