Fort McPherson (May 05/03) - The Tetlit Gwich'in Council wants to offer transitional programs for Yellowknife Correctional Centre prisoners at the T'loondih Healing Camp.

Chief Abe Wilson said the council is in negotiations with the Department of Justice to develop healing programs for the inmates.

"Hopefully we may have something by September. It's just in the planning stages right now but this is a big thing we are doing," he said.

Janice Laycock, spokesperson for the Department of Justice, confirmed the assistant deputy minister responsible for corrections has been discussing the possibility of a contract with the Tetlit Gwich'in Council.

The T'loondih Healing Camp serves as a refuge for troubled families and individuals and is used for counselling those traumatized by residential school abuse.

Located about 20 miles from Fort McPherson, the camp is accessible by boat in the summer and ice road during the winter months.

The Gwich'in Tribal Council transferred ownership of the camp to the Tetlit Gwich'in Council in January. Prior to that, the camp was rarely used because of its distance from Inuvik.

This initiative is part of Wilson's plan to make better use of the facility. He envisions providing traditional healing programs to help the inmates learn how to re-adjust to society once released from jail, and also give them an opportunity to go trapping and fishing.

"We are looking at programs like cultural and spiritual teaching and ceremonies, transition independence and making connections to family and the community.

"There is a whole series of programs that we want to deliver," he said.

If given the nod of approval by the Department of Justice, Wilson said, the project would create valuable employment opportunities for the community.

"For at least one program it would take four to six weeks, and we are looking at about five programs per year. So they are going to need cooks, a maintenance person and probably some of the elders to offer teachings and all that," he said.

The Tetlit Gwich'in Council has met with Justice officials several times over the past few months. The next meeting is scheduled for the May 5 in Fort McPherson.

"We're been working on this for over a year now and we are working on it very slowly to make sure we are dotting our i's and crossing our t's to make it work," he said.