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Inuvik resident Danita Frost-Arey says she wants to address the stigma of substance use by creating a safe space for residents through her business, Frost Studio Solutions.
The newly launched company offers workshops and the likes of healing circles to promote harm reduction, as well as “system navigation and advocacy” for individuals.
Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Frost-Arey followed her grandmother Lorraine Greenland’s footsteps by serving as a probation officer in Inuvik for two years.
After dedicating most of her twenties to “surviving in systems and spaces” that she feels were not designed for her to succeed, Frost-Arey said she wants her thirties to be about growth, healing and transformation for herself and her community.
Born in Aklavik, Frost-Arey moved to Inuvik at the age of 10 when her paternal aunt and uncle custom-adopted her.
She said her father, John Edward Arey Jr, passed away before he could pursue his idea of a local boat tour company.
“My dad did not have the opportunity to see his dream through, but I know he is proud watching me honour his memory with mine,” she told Cabin Radio.
After graduating from high school, Frost-Arey relocated to Yellowknife to pursue an education in social work.
As a street outreach worker, service coordinator and team lead for the Yellowknife Housing First program, she said she learned the basics of harm reduction before returning home to Inuvik with her son in 2020. She is now enrolled in a social work course at Thompson Rivers University.
She wants to use her business to offer services like social media advocacy, training and consultations to address the stigma attached to substance use.
“I have observed the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages such as anti-freeze, Lysol, hand sanitizer and mouthwash when harmful policies such a prohibition orders are in place,” she said, adding that people deserve safe and consumable alcohol without being criminalized.
Frost-Arey wants people to have access to information and education on how they can manage substance use.
According to her, harm reduction is a service that needs to be community-owned because “top down” government approaches and policies are not responsive to the needs of Indigenous communities.
“Our people are so resourceful, and our cultures are rooted in the ability to adapt and survive,” she explained.
“When our people engage in intra-community violence, our communities are allowing colonialism to sit back and watch our own people destroy the fabric that keeps us connected, the very factors that ensured our survival since the beginning of time.
“A restorative justice process, such as circles, can help to address the harms and needs of individuals and communities. Our people have always gathered in circles and ceremony. I want to be able to facilitate that in a safe space.”
Frost Studio Solutions launched last month and is in its early stages.
Frost-Arey hopes to use crowdfunding to support the firm’s operations, with an intention to put 10 per cent of any amount raised back into the community through free services aimed at helping those most at risk.
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