Rooted in Indigenous culture, the Medicine Within program is redefining recovery through connection, ceremony, and community.

LETHBRIDGE - In 2021, Recovery Alberta’s community mental health and addiction outreach teams in Lethbridge partnered with the Honouring Traditions and Reconciliation Society who received the Indigenous Addiction and Wellness Grant to create the Medicine Within program, an inspiring initiative rooted in Indigenous cultural practices and traditions with a holistic view of wellness. Built on the understanding that healing is physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, the program continues to weave together ceremonies, land-based learning, traditional medicines, and mindfulness to support recovery today.

“The Medicine Within program is a value that is important to continue teaching the respect, caring, and sharing of our traditional protocols,” reflects Elder Sylvia Ann Fox, Ii’sts’pan’sts’aa’kee (Singing Alone from Above). “We need to continue sharing within all walks of life and for future generations.”

The first official naming ceremony for the Medicine Within program was held on March 20, 2026, the first day of spring. Photo credit: Gwen Wirth

The results have been not only measurable but deeply personal and impactful. Over the year in 2025, 186 programs engaged 2,224 participants, with a 91 per cent satisfaction rate and notable increases in mood, energy, and connection. Weekly programming reached residents at River House and the Lethbridge Shelter and Wellness Centre, while community gatherings like the monthly Spirit Café brought Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and participants together through storytelling and art.

From drumming circles and sweat ceremonies to “Horses for Healing” events and cultural outings to powwows and sacred sites, the program emphasizes our connection to culture, land, and to each other.

Through the program, partnerships were forged and expanded in reach, including collaborations with Homefire Health and Wellness, which helped create a ceremonial space at the Lethbridge Train Station named Grandfather’s Holy Lodge, Naatowa pookoowas, marking a significant step in embedding culture into care spaces. For Brandy Tonin, a Recreation Therapist II Team Lead with Addiction and Mental Health Outreach, the program’s impact extends far beyond metrics.

“The ripple effect of connection, healing, inclusion, and reconciliation cannot be fully captured in just a few words,” she said. “The relationships being built are strong and true to the heart. Our Elders have guided us into a new world where barriers and stigma are challenged.”

One moment that captured the essence of this work was a naming ceremony held at the Train Station on March 20, 2026, the first day of spring. Elder Sylvia Ann Fox, Ii’sts’pan’sts’aa’kee, led the ceremony, bringing participants together as a baby received the Blackfoot name Iikinnaapakii, meaning “kind, gentle girl.”

“This naming ceremony was the very first one of its kind for our Medicine Within program. The ceremony was a beautiful display of support, inclusion, person centered care, and a way to validate the ongoing importance of ceremony and tradition. Both mother and baby were recognized, celebrated, supported, and honoured.

Our Elder Sylvia Ann Fox opened the ceremony with a smudge, spoke from her heart sharing stories of strength, the importance of the naming ceremony, and the importance of having support. Witnessing participants being supported with their cultural connections, journey, healing and being invited to ceremony is a significant honour”.

Guided by Elders and driven by community partnership, Medicine Within, now in the fifth year of partnership with Honouring Traditions, continues to grow and demonstrate that recovery is not just about treatment, but about reclaiming identity, strengthening relationships, using culture as an intervention, and restoring balance. With such a successful and meaningful start, partners, volunteers and staff are eager to watch the work grow and prosper for years to come and continue to support patients in their own community and culture.

As Elder Sylvia Ann Fox says, “Soka’pii”—it is good.