Caroline Kisoun

G rowing up in the far N orth , I never imagined I would be working through a pandemic .

Tese are stories you read in history class, not actually live through. 2020 has been a rollercoaster of emotions and seriously unpredictable. Te hardest adjustment I have had to make was learning how to grieve alone. Loss is constant in this world and this pandemic hasn’t made it any easier.

My job title is First Nations Liaison Worker for the Whitehorse General Hospital, and I have been here for almost a year. I actually started just as the pandemic began and borders started to shut down. My job description consists of navigating services such as Non-Insured Health Benefits, continuing care within the health system, and seeking treatment and support for those living with addictions. But, mostly, my job requires me to interact with our people (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), give them a helping hand, provide comfort, care and emotional support, as well as advocate for our Elders. Yes—we provide cofee/tea for those long wait times in the emergency department! Te best part of my job is connecting with Elders, hearing their stories, bringing them a cup of tea, or sharing a good ‘belly laugh’—it all makes for a good shift.

I originally started my career in the health care field as a Nursing Home Attendant and transitioned over to the hospital, as this job was actually working for our people. I feel accomplished when I know I am able to help ease someone’s worries and anxiety about visiting the hospital. We all know visiting the hospital can be stressful, uncomfortable and, for the older generation, like revisiting past traumas. When people see us walk into the room, they know that we are there to help navigate dif- cult situations. Some days I am helping a family with the loss of a loved one, or communicating between families and doctors, or booking a hotel room for patients that need a place to stay before traveling back to smaller communities. Our ofce consists of a diverse team; we all carry our own strengths and have the same goal—to provide the best care possible for our people. We have a Cultural Programs Coordinator, Mental Health Advocate, multiple Liaison Workers, Outpatient Support and an Indigenous Workforce Initiative worker. Our manager is optimistic and would like to get First Nations representation throughout the Hospital; it is exciting to know that we’ll be able to see more familiar faces around the ofce. We also have some great spaces to utilize. We have the Naku Healing Room, which is a space used for spiritual and ceremonial purposes; it has a wonderful, heated pebble floor and a calming sense when you are visiting in that space. We also have a suite that families are welcome to use that need to be close to their loved ones, or to use as a lunchroom to get away from the ofce for a few minutes.

Working through the pandemic has been interesting. In the beginning, I had all the worries and fear like everyone else. I was afraid that I was bound to contract the virus and bring it home and get my daughter ill, all the while trying to keep my job. But as time passed, I took all of the precautions; I limited the misinformation that we saw flying around on social media and focused on staying positive. I’ve been lucky—my family has been sending extra care packages, loaded with goodies from home; my favorite is drymeat and ‘Eskimo donuts’. I also have great family here in the Yukon. We don’t get to visit as much, but I get phone calls from my great aunt, freshly harvested meat from my cousins that live close to the land, and the occasional medium regular cofee delivered while I’m at work. I look forward to the day I can travel back to the Delta, where the air is warm, and the coast allows me to feel the cool crisp breeze. I am thankful every day for my family, near and far, my unique culture and people, and my home.

Practice hand hygiene, be kind to others, and surround yourself with positive energy.

I remember we didn’t like the smell of fur drying, but my dad would say that we were smelling money!