Taking Charge of Your Health

Della Adams
October 20, 2011
Akwesasne

"They saw the need to develop a program to preserve knowledge and revive it."

Della Adams, Mohawk

Self-determination requires determination. It’s born from the search for an adequate solution to a problem and the will to implement it. When the Akwesasne Council asked members of its community to express their views on the health system they wanted, the vast majority—especially the elders—hoped for the return of traditional medicine. The Council heard them. It then developed a collective tool that combines ancestral knowledge and modern practices. The health centre has grown steadily since it opened in 1997. They’ve never had to advertise. The people who go to the centre are the best ambassadors!