Achievements recognized at First Nations Women’s Day event

Renee Tookenay’s battle against addictions, both her own and others as well, led to her award at the First Nations Women’s Day 3rd Annual Recognition Dinner.
“For the last 10 years I’ve been trying to help others as well as trying to help myself,” said the Fort William band member during the Oct. 5 award dinner. “Sharing and giving through my experience helps others at the same time as it helps me. We journey together.”
Although Tookenay had previously volunteered to help people battle their addictions over the past 10 years, she faced her biggest battle over the past couple of years when she became addicted to painkillers after suffering injuries to her feet.
“So that is what started the prescription addiction,” she said.
Tookenay knew what could happen when using prescription drugs and although she didn’t want to use the drugs, she eventually began using them to help with the pain from her foot injuries.
“It can happen to anybody,” she said.
Tookenay found the most difficult aspect of quitting prescription drugs to be the pain and suffering experienced during the withdrawal stage.
“I didn’t want to suffer and I believe nobody wants to suffer the pain of coming off it,” she said. “Your body is aching. Your mind is saying you want it but mostly it’s physical. It’s really strong.”
Tookenay was pleased with the support she received from people, organizations and her family.
“I hurt a lot of people in the process,” Tookenay said. “They didn’t enable me. They didn’t try and sugar coat it.”
She said it is important for family members to stand up and tell the addict what they are doing is wrong and they are hurting themselves.
“Nobody wants to see their family in pain, so how do you want to help that person?” she said. “You don’t want to see them like this, not able to move and bedridden.”
When Tookenay was addicted to the prescription drugs, she didn’t see all the options available to her even though she had been helping others with similar addictions previously.
“It wasn’t that I enjoyed being high,” Tookenay said. “It was basically that I would suffer, I would be in pain, not because of my feet anymore, it takes over your whole body. My back was aching, my hands were aching … everything was aching.”
Tookenay now uses cultural ways, supports in the community and her Creator to deal with issues stemming from her prescription drug addiction.
“Don’t be afraid to suffer and it will get better,” Tookenay said. “Pain is inevitable, but be strong and get through it. It doesn’t last; it goes away. The body does heal itself again.”
Elaine Anderson, Margaret Bighead, Miranda Bouchard, Cindy Crowe, Melissa Deschampes, Dawn Harvard, Tracey Linden, Sarah Matasawagon, Patricia Mishibinijima, Rosalind Moonias, Bernice Pelletier, Keirsten Sagutch, Dawn Willoughby and NAN’s Women’s Council also received awards during the award dinner, which took place at the Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel and Suites in Thunder Bay.