Addiction and Resilience with Melissa Desjarlais

Air Date: November 22, 2022

Summary

In this episode, Holly Toulejour talks about addiction, self-care and resilience with Melissa Desjarlais.

SERIES

Dene Teachings About Resilience

HOST & PRODUCER
Holly Toulejour
Peter Skinner

Episode Guest

Melissa Desjarlais is a 38-year-old Dënësułiné woman from Buffalo River Dene Nation, who currently resides in her home community, serving there as a National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program worker. Prior to returning home to Buffalo River a year ago, Melissa held roles as a daycare director and spent six years working in the oil fields. Melissa has had to overcome her own struggles with alcohol addiction, which is why she decided to pursue her current career path and help others along their healing journeys. Melissa’s healing journey began in 2019 –it was at that time that she started reconnecting to her language.Melissa grew up speaking Dënësułiné but had drifted away from her language as she grew older. She’s proud to be able to still speak her language, which she says is becoming a lot more normal for her these days. It’s important to her to help keep her language alive and reconnect to her culture and history as part of her ongoing healing journey and her identity as a Dënësułiné woman. Melissa is currently studying at the University of Blue Quills, taking the Addictions Counselling Program, and has nearly completed her first-year certificate of the two-year diploma program. She hopes that sharing her story through this podcast will help others facing similar challenges that she did. Melissa is a proud mother of four, and is looking forward to getting married next year!

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