Who We Are

Embracing Life History

In 2011, with approximately a $1.5 million commitment, the former Ministry of First Nations and Métis Relations initiated work on the development of a Northern Action Plan. The initiative was centered on the work of a six-member Northern Leaders Table (NLT) comprised of northern First Nations, Métis and municipal leaders. The NLT faced a number of internal challenges and proved to be ineffective; it was suspended at the end of 2012-13.

The Embracing Life Initiative first came together as an organized body in June of 2013. The Embracing Life Initiative began as a group of agencies and partners that strived to be inclusive and diverse by including representatives from various regions of northern Saskatchewan; Indigenous groups, northern communities, and human service government and non-government organizations/agencies are all included.

13-14

The Embracing Life Initiative began in 2013-14, when the Ministry of Government Relations assumed more direct responsibility for the third and final year of funding. Government Relations provided $48,000 for an October 2013 Embracing Life Workshop, $221,000 for 17 Embracing Life community projects, and contracted QED Information Systems to update Pinehouse's Social Indicator Report and the Ministry's Norther Data Report ($8,000)--a total commitment of $277,000.

16-17

In 2016-17, the Ministry provided $3,835 to the La Loche Friendship Centre for 14 northern youth and five chaperones from La Loche and Buffalo Narrows to attend the "Ignite the Life Youth Suicide Prevention Rally" that was held in Saskatoon, February 2-3, 2017. Government Relations also provided $3,400 to New North to administer funding for Embracing Life Committee members to attend the "Aboriginal Suicide and Trauma: Prevention and Intervention - What is Working, What is Hopeful" workshop in Prince Albert in March 2017.

In May 2017, Government Relations contracted Horizon Strategic Consultants ($2,500) to facilitate a strategic planning session with the Embracing Life Committee. The Embracing Life Committee's three-year strategy focused on five priority areas: to increase cultural responsiveness; engage youth; highlight and promote northern successes; improve early response; and, to seek more flexible funding from a variety of sources. Work in year one and two mainly revolved around the community, youth, and culture sub-committee.

2019 Saskatchewan Health Authority gave Embracing Life $60,000.00.

19-20

2019-2020 Federal funding from the First Nations and Inuit Health branch gave Embracing life $35,000.00.

20-21

2020-2021 Embracing life applied for grants in the amount of 125,000.00 through many agencies to begin the work on a new website and suicide prevention app.

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Vision, Mission and Values

Our Vision

Citizens of northern Saskatchewan value life and are culturally empowered, healthy and thriving.

Our Purpose

The Embracing Life Initiative is a call for action to reduce suicide by sharing the strengths of northern communities and working together through healthy life promotion, suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention.

Our Principles

The Embracing Life Initiative will:

Be inclusive, transparent committed and collaborative in all of its discussions and work;
Engage norhterners with a special focus on youth, and share information, knowledge, and skills;
Strive to build on positive initiatives already underway as well as support new achievable actions;
Seek practical, efficient and effective approaches to issues; and
Evaluate its efforts on a regular basis.

Role of the Embracing Life Initiative - Expected outcomes, Goals and Deliverables

Foster an environment of collaboration and shared accountability by working together in partnership on issues related to health promotion, suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention.
Engage northern communities, First Nations and Metis organizations, community-based organizations, and federal and provincial governments, facilitate group wor, and encourage dialogue and community based solutions to reduce suicides in the north
Act as a platform to support northern communities in developing their own embracing life/suicide prevention strategies, work plans and activities/projects.

Embracing Life Initiative Structure and Supports

The ELI is open to having members on its leadership team that reflect the diversity of northern Saskatchewan.
The ELI has a two co-chair structure that includes one agency/organization representative, and one community-champion representative.
The co-chairs are elected by partners and agency members on an annual or as needed basis

A leadership team, that will meet monthly, and help direct the annual work plan of Embracing Life, will be put together with the following structure:
1. Elder:
2. Co-Chair:
3. Co-Chair:
4. Youth representative (central)
5. Youth representative (eastern)
6. Youth representative (western)
7. Youth representative (Athabasca)
8. Agency Partner
9. Agency Partner
10. Agency Partner
11. Secretariat - Northern Engagement, GR

All agency meetings will be held quarterly for all agencies and partners, and the leadership team will meet monthly on the annual work plan.
A face-to-face meeitng will be held to bring committee members together once per year.
ELI members will set overall priorities, goals, activities, and outputs related to the Embracing Life Initiative.
Decisions of the Committee will strive to be made by consensus.

Minutes will be developed from each meeting and distributed to the membership.
At the discretion of the Government of Saskatchewan, secretariat support will be provided by the Northern Engagement Branch of the Ministry of Government Relations on in-kind basis.
ELI members will work collaboratively to find other in-kind human and financial resources as needed.