Today on pihtikwê - Visits with First Nations Psychologists, our guest is Dr. Chris Mushquash.

Our hosts Dr. Brenda Restoule and Dr. Alanaise Ferguson engage in a lively and thoughtful conversation with Dr. Mushquash about his journey into psychology, the role spirituality plays in his practice, ways to overcome colonial disruption of traditional healing practices, how to provide positive healing environments for young people where and when they need it, how investing in children creates significant improvements in communities and much more.

Dr. Mushquash is a proud member of the Pays Plat Ojibway First Nation on the North Shore of Lake Superior. He is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, and Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University and the Division of Human Sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. 

Dr. Mushquash is also a registered clinical psychologist providing assessment, intervention, and consultation services for First Nations children, adolescents, and adults at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care. He is currently the chair of the Institute Advisory Board for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health. In 2017, Dr. Mushquash was inducted in the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.  

Dr. Alanaise Ferguson is a member of the Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation and a Registered Psychologist in the Province of BC. She holds an academic appointment at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Syilx Territory. She has trained and clinically supervised hundreds of Counseling Psychology students over the past 9 years in her academic roles at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia.  

Dr. Brenda Restoule is an Anishinabe-kwe and member of Dokis First Nation in the Robinson Huron Treaty. She is a Registered Clinical Psychologist in Ontario who works in First Nation communities and also leads the First Peoples Wellness Circle, an Indigenous led national not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to raising the profile of Indigenous mental wellness using Indigenous Knowledge and evidence.

The purpose of our podcast series is to mobilize and share Indigenous Knowledge related to trauma repair, recovery from addictions, community survivance, and care across Indigenous communities in Canada.  Our goal is to provide listeners with access to conversations about the lived experiences of First Nations psychologists and leaders in the mental wellness field. We will discuss how that relates to challenges and successes in navigating and working within systems of care, as well as strength-based and cultural approaches to healing for Indigenous people. The podcast episodes will discuss topics related to: 1) Strength-based approaches to care  2) Challenges and successes in the field  3) Personal perspectives and experiences; and  4) Analysis of the systems of care  This podcast series is developed by the Healing from Trauma and Reducing Addictions group, part of the Ontario Network Environment for Aboriginal Health Research (ON NEIHR) Program. Situated in 10 sites across Ontario, ON NEIHR is demonstrating how health systems should move away from Western biomedical treatment of Indigenous medical illness to holistic, culturally based interventions instead (which include sacred aspects of healing: physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental dimensions). This program is funded by the Government of Canada, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This group is led by Dr. Holly Graham, Dr. Brenda Restoule and Dr. Alanaise Ferguson.

pihtikwê is produced by David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions. Our theme music is Kâkike, written and performed by Fawn Wood, an award winning Cree-Salish musician and songwriter. You can learn more about her music at fawnwood.ca