By paNOW

Medicine Wheel centers upcoming aboriginal diabetes convention

May 6, 2014 | 6:12 AM

It’s a twist on the aboriginal Medicine Wheel.

On Wednesday, the 11th annual Saskatchewan Aboriginal Gathering on Diabetes will take place at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre.

This year’s theme is the Diabetes Medicine Wheel, which is a variation of the aboriginal Medicine Wheel.

“We want to touch on the four aspects of being an aboriginal with diabetes,” said public and programs director with the Canadian Diabetes Association Lauren Suchan, which encompasses nutrition, medicine, as well as spiritual and physical health and well-being. “So we want to try and tie all of these themes together with diabetes and with the aboriginal medicine wheel.”

According to Suchan, 90,000 are living diabetes or pre-diabetes in Saskatchewan, and out of those, people living in aboriginal communities have a three to five times greater risk of having the disease. “They are a population who is at higher risk of getting diabetes.”

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A lot of factors come together to make the risk higher in aboriginal communities.

“There are a lot of interwoven factors but some of them being their heritage, so lots of them have had a very drastic change in lifestyle in a very short amount of time and they’re still living with that survivor body and it’s kind of backfiring on them,” Suchan said.

She said diabetes also runs in families, and being over 40 is just another thing that puts you at risk.

Since the conference began 11 years ago, Suchan said the following has grown. She wouldn’t be surprised to see 300 people stop by on Wednesday.

“We have found in Prince Albert we tend to be able to attract more of the northern communities because it’s just that two hours less distance than it would be to Saskatoon, and when you’re already driving five or six hours from Stanley Mission that does make a difference,” she said.

A side benefit to the conference is networking. Suchan said it’s not their main purpose to have people “come and have this great social interaction with other aboriginals, maybe from communities that they wouldn’t normally get to visit … [but] it’s really great to see that social connection that happens.”

At the conference, there will be three breakout sessions conducted by specific leaders covering varying topics within the diabetes medicine wheel, as well two keynote events including a hoop dance and tobacco cessation.

It will run 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at $25 a person for admission.

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84