On the evening of Sunday, Oct. 27, residents of Fort Simpson gathered inside the local recreation centre to celebrate sobriety, whether they were in recovery themselves or supporting a friend or loved one who is.
"I was really happy that so much people came out and donated and helped clean and set up and did a really great drum dance as well," said Mary Masuzumi, the organizer of the event. "As the feast was continuing on, going on to the dance, a few of [the attendees] were coming up to me and telling me that they had been sober for roughly — some of them — for 25 years or 38 years.
"It was really a really good impact on everybody. Everyone felt very happy about it."
Masuzumi, who specializes in recovery coaching and is nearly seven years sober herself, organized a similar event in Norman Wells in the past.
The objective is not only to celebrate sobriety, but to dispel the stigma associated with addiction. With roughly 50 people in attendance over the course of the evening, including Sahtu MLA Danny McNeely, she hailed the event as a success.
"It was really nice for everyone to come together," said Masuzumi, making sure to thank all the volunteers and donors who made the night possible. "Danny McNeely did a speech. None of the [other] participants spoke, but it was more meaningful that they came out we all enjoyed a good meal together."
Masuzumi said she received positive feedback from the attendees of her event. Many of the comments related to the sense of the community that the event created, which was music to the organizer's ears.
"They all mentioned that they feel distanced when they return from treatment and having to go back into civilization or coming back to their home community is a struggle," she said. "Even if I see them on the street, they all mention that they've been feeling very lonely, kind of out of place, or they're wanting to ask questions but they've been in a cycle of having a certain group of friends or family members or just knowing people who are in that lifestyle."
Masuzumi, who has been a certified recovery coach since June, is hopeful the gathering was a source of inspiration for people in the earlier phases of their recovery journeys, particularly given the prevalence of attendees who have been sober for longer periods.
"It's like, if you have any questions, there's not just me," she said. "This is where the community came together and we're learning that this person has been sober for this long.
"My own recovery works for myself," she added. "Maybe someone will take something from my story and it will help them, or they can take something from another person's story, and maybe it will help them.
"Even myself, now I know I can talk to some of [the other attendees] if I'm having a hard day."
After the success of the Oct. 27 celebration, Masuzumi said she would "love to" facilitate similar events in Fort Simpson in the future, and that she also hopes to see other people organizing similar events in other NWT communities.
Anyone who is interested in doing so is welcome to reach out to her, she said.
"If anyone has any questions about hosting one of these events within their own community, they can definitely reach out to me on Facebook," she said. "I'm not wanting to keep this all to myself. I want to have a ripple effect within the NWT. That's definitely needed — to change the perspective."
