Alyssa Carpenter says it’s all about providing the things she wishes were available to her when she was growing up and sometimes struggling with her mental health.
As lead founder and project director of the Western Arctic Youth Collective (WAYC), Carpenter currently works to empower Gwich’in and Inuvialuit youth in the Beaufort Delta region of the Northwest to create change. Through group culture programs, facilitators talk openly about mental health.
It is for this accomplishment that Canada’s Pauktuttit Inuit Women’s Organization recently named Carpenter the 2024 Young Inuk Woman of the Year.
Carpenter said she had faced many challenges in her life, but was especially thrilled when she heard she had won this award.
“I started crying,” she said, adding that the call came while she was dropping her child off at daycare.
reach out a hand
Carpenter, who studied social work at Aurora University, Yukon University, and the University of Toronto, said she initially planned to work with seniors and seniors after graduating from undergrad, but she became drawn to working with youth about six years ago. Told.
“I have become increasingly aware and understanding of how trauma affects our family… [and] The younger you are, the more you can help people understand themselves and understand that it’s not their fault… [then] We can find ourselves, heal and understand what is happening in our communities on a social level,” she said.
In 2020, Carpenter founded WAYC, a grant-dependent nonprofit organization that currently employs several people. The federation organizes camps, gatherings, and workshops based on the needs of young people, such as tattoo gatherings, drum-making workshops, and track and field camps. Carpenter said youth are also involved in planning and implementing the program to build community capacity.
Through WAYC’s programming, Carpenter and other organizers create a space to talk about mental health and trauma. Carpenter also shared some of her own journey with young people, speaking about it in an interview with CBC News.
Carpenter, a social worker who lives in Whitehorse, said her own past personal struggles have motivated her to create a space for young people to talk about mental health. (Courtesy of Alyssa Carpenter)
Carpenter, now based in Whitehorse, grew up between Sachs Harbor and Inuvik, N.W., and while she was blessed with athletics and sports in her youth, she still struggled.
“My mental health wasn’t great as a child, and it wasn’t great as a teenager either. But like many young people, we try to hide it until we reach a breaking point. I’m good at it,” she said.
“I hit a breaking point when I was 21 and was planning to end my life at that time, but not many people know that,” she said.
During this time, Carpenter struggled to get the support she needed, both because she didn’t understand what was going on in her head and because people around her didn’t talk about mental health. He said he did.
“We strive to understand people who are trying to understand themselves and to be able to show compassion, care and patience, and to let them know that they need help,” she said. Told.
However, such support may not always exist, especially in smaller communities. That’s where WAYC comes in.
“When I say WAYC is the program I needed when I was younger, I mean getting young people to open up and talk about what’s going on and what they’re seeing. I’m trying to understand,” she said.
Specifically, she tells young people that they should not blame themselves for the trauma they may have endured.
“We’re just trying to encourage them as well as help them have difficult conversations. If they need support or help, we’re there and our community has a lot of support for them. There are people who can help.”
Keeping WAYC running isn’t without its challenges, Carpenter says. Funds are always needed, but the pay for the work is not high. But for Carpenter, the death of his older brother by suicide in 2022 is the driving force behind his work.
connect with culture
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami reports that a wide range of research shows that connection to culture and language has a positive impact on mental health.
In its 2014 report on the social determinants of health for Inuit people in Canada, the association found that the ongoing effects of colonialism, including the legacy of boarding schools, are having a “detrimental and irreversible impact on health and longevity.” ”.
“Cultural erosion can have a negative impact on mental health and well-being, leading to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and even suicide,” it says.
The report also cites research showing that preserving linguistic and cultural traditions helps Inuit develop a positive self-image and contributes to good mental health and well-being.
Because of the positive connection between culture and mental health, WAYC helps youth connect with culture through its programs, Carpenter said.
Carpenter says there were times in her journey when she distanced herself from her cultural practices and identity.
“That’s a big piece too, don’t let that happen.” [cultural connection] go. I left it alone for a while and felt very embarrassed. I think that’s why this award was so overwhelming. [at one point] I felt so ashamed of who I was,” she said.
Today, the opposite is true, and Carpenter says it’s important to introduce yourself through your family tree. She is the daughter of Franklin Carpenter and Yvonne Nakimayak, and the granddaughter of George Doolittle and Violet Doolittle, and Frank Carpenter and Florence Carpenter.
If you or someone you know is struggling, seek help from:
This guide, published by the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you care about.