A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
Like many, Ontario artist Mike Cywink said he felt overwhelmed in the wake of news that the remains of 215 First Nation children were found buried in unmarked graves near a former Kamloops, B.C., residential school.
Cywink, who is Ojibwe, felt compelled to create something that would pay homage to the victims in his art.
“I was thinking, ‘How can I show the hurt that we are feeling as Indigenous people,’” he told CTV National News.
“The whole concept behind what I did was 215 stars that never got to shine,” he said of his new piece, which features an empty sky and a figure standing over the stars -- representing ferrying them over to the spirit world.
The artist said he has seen the legacy of residential schools in his community, and within his own family members. “There are definitely people within my family living with trauma.”
The lasting effects of experiencing abuse at residential schools, and the legacy intergenerational violence can leave behind, may take time to process, said Winnipeg psychologist Dr. Sonia Marrone.
“When we all hear about little bodies found in a mass grave, I think it brings it into sharp focus for us,” Marrone told CTV National News, adding that the news might affect Indigenous and non-Indigenous people differently.
Finding a way to deal with the trauma is key.
Marrone recommends that if “people are experiencing significant emotional distress,” they should access a mental health professional, such as a registered psychologist or a registered social worker to help them walk through the complicated range of emotions associated with traumatic news or events.
While some may not feel comfortable with a traditional, mainstream pathway to mental health initiatives, Marrone highlighted new research that takes a different approach.
“There have been more and more emerging studies that look at culture as intervention,” she explained. “Cultural expression can be lots of different things, it can be art, it can be language, it can be literature.”
Cywink weaves together elements of what Marrone describes in his work as a mural artist and a mentor to Indigenous teens to help them reconnect with their identity.
“Some of them don’t know anything about their culture, so I’m the one that sparks that fire,” he said. “I like to think that this life, this job, this journey is not about me – it’s about the next generation.”
--
If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy license bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Frito Lay Canada is recalling two of its most popular snacks due to a possible risk of salmonella contamination.
You would be forgiven for thinking Christina Lauren's latest romance novel stars a hunky reimagining of Loblaw chairman Galen G. Weston.
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
After nearly 15 years in business, Shawnda Walker said the past 12 months has been the busiest year yet for her North York head lice removal company.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'