Welcome Message From Executive Director

Greetings and welcome to the Siksika Medicine Lodge’s (SML) official website. This site serves as a point of contact for all people who are in need of SML’s services or wish to learn more about our organization. We are committed to providing youth treatment services for First Nation and Inuit youth, families, and their communities.

Please take the time to go through this website and come back for a visit regularly. We will be updating our site regularly with news of events and activities happening, offering volunteer and employment opportunities and much more! Please feel free to send us your thoughts on our activities. We hope to hear from you soon!

Yvonne Olivier
Executive Director, Siksika Medicine Lodge

What is the Siksika Medicine Lodge?

Siksika Medicine Lodge is given the authority through the National Youth Solvent Abuse Program (NYSAP) of the First Nations & Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) of Health Canada to establish the solvent addiction services for First Nations & Inuit Youth in Canada on the Siksika Nation.

Siksika Medicine Lodge is a service for First Nation, Metis, & Inuit youth in Canada 12 to 17 years of age with solvent abuse and/or substance abuse problems.

The Lodge is a ten-bed residential treatment facility that operates on 4-month cycles; rotating genders three times a year in January, May, and September.

Our treatment program is based on First Nation Culture and Spirituality. It combines both traditional and contemporary approaches to holistic treatment. Youth receive 24-hour supervision by qualified staff.

We are one of ten national treatment centres across Canada. This national network is known as the Youth Solvent Addiction Committee (YSAC). This national program was established in 1996 with treatment centres becoming operational in 1996 and 1997. This committee is comprised of the Executive Directors from each of the treatment centres; meeting at least three times per year.

The YSAC network offers a host of resources to support the treatment centre operations through a national coordinator who is responsible for the work plan established by the committee. YSAC coordinates and collects national data that helps to demonstrate the ongoing effectiveness of the national youth solvent addiction program for each centre.

We have received Siksika Nation Chief & Council’s support that this centre must be managed autonomously through an independent board non-profit incorporation. With that, the Siksika Nation Chief & Council designated this building a Youth Solvent Abuse Centre. The Founding Board of Directors is from each of the respective Treaty 6, 7, & 8 areas in Alberta.