Catherine Davis shares her perspectives developed through her work with the Alderville First Nation Student Services. Student Services provides mental health support, education, and referral services to elementary and secondary students of Alderville First Nation and their families. Their services include prevention and life promotions programs delivered to children, youth and parents, as well as, case management and coordination of the assessment and consultation processes. She discusses some of the “costs” these initiatives involve (like sacrificing the learning of Indigenous languages to prioritize increasing graduation rates) and talks about the challenges of trying to build a system in which Indigenous communities can have both.
