Going Back to the Roots: Using the Medicine Wheel in the Healing Process

This article describes Building A Nation, a store front program located in the heart of the core neighbourhood (west side) of Saskatoon and its use of the Medicine Wheel in providing a blend of traditional and western support services including supportive therapy to those who come through its doors. This article begins with a discussion of the need for culturally safe and competent counselling programs and how Building A Nation meets that need. Following this the paper discusses the Medicine Wheel and how the Medicine Wheel is used in the Building A Nation program. This article is a step toward completing the recommendation by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation that Building A Nation “provide more clarity about how western and traditional healing methods complement each other or blend together (Aboriginal Healing Foundation 2006, p. 275).