Traditional Carrier approaches to mental health [citation]

The Carrier First Nations, who are the original inhabitants of North Central British Columbia, have endured years of hardship as a result of European colonization. Over time, this has resulted in an erosion of traditional practices and a decline in overall health. There is concern that mental health practitioners are not meeting the needs of the Carrier people because they fail to understand the Carrier worldview. In an effort to better understand and respect the Carrier ideas and beliefs about mental health and mental illness, interviews were conducted with 7 traditional healers about their beliefs and their practices. The traditional healers reported that the concept of mental illness did not exist in pre-contact culture. However, the traditional healers who participated in this research actively practise ceremonies and rituals that seek to restore balance and harmony between the person and his or her environment.