From honour roll to rehab: Behchoko woman takes back her life

Chelsea Migwi remembers first trying marijuana at age 11 and alcohol the following year.

"I made a lot of bad decisions and a lot of mistakes growing up. I admit that," said the 24-year-old from Behchoko.

"I don't want a kid like that to make the same decisions I did."

Migwi, who lives with her mom in Behchoko and works at the high school as a part-time janitor, is speaking out about her struggles with drugs and alcohol, sexual abuse and the decade she admittedly wasted being high and angry at the world. She hopes her story will encourage youth in the North to make wiser and healthier life choices than she did.

At age 15, Migwi says she was still getting A's in school, and was accepted to the Western Arctic Leadership Program in Fort Smith — a boarding school program for promising students. Migwi was kicked out in her second semester for getting high on ecstasy.

"I wish I never did it," Migwi said. "I ended up getting more into drugs, more into drinking. It just took over my life."

Migwi went on to experiment with magic mushrooms, pills, cocaine and crack. She blames her drug use on the mental trauma she suffered from three separate cases of sexual assault.

At age 19, Migwi sought professional counseling.

"It took me years to finally talk about it," she said. "I acted like such a mean person growing up because I didn't want anyone to know what happened to me. I didn't want anyone to know that weak side of me."

Migwi has not pursued any of the three assaults in court.

"I just didn't want to put myself through that. So I decided to use drugs and alcohol as a way to mend it," she said.

Migwi encourages youth in similar situations to talk openly about their abuse and not internalize the pain like she did. She says children should not let a tough childhood define the rest of their lives.

Role models

Migwi said her parents, who separated when she was a teenager, were always there for her, despite her troubled childhood.

"My dad is a good man. I love him," Migwi said. "I was fortunate enough to have a sober mom that didn't play bingo or anything. All she did her whole life was try to raise us. I took it the other way. I wanted to be someone else."

Migwi has seven siblings.

"I am amazed by my younger brother and my younger sister because they are not me," Migwi said. "They are doing so great for themselves.

"I am 24 years old now and I am just trying to get back on my feet. I feel like I floated around basically my whole teenage life."

However, Migwi is making up ground. In April, she spent eight weeks at an on-the-land program about decolonization and reconnecting with the land. The program is offered by Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning and takes place east of Yellowknife on Blachford Lake.

Migwi said chopping wood, fishing, and just being closer to nature has helped her quit drinking. Migwi is still working on dropping marijuana. 

"My mom told me when you sober up, that's going to be the loneliest part of your life, because being in a community where everyone drinks and parties… you become very alone," Migwi said.

"My mom is a really good woman. So I think I prefer to hang out with her now."

Thinking about her long struggle with drugs and alcohol, Migwi said she would like to go back and not pick up that first joint. She wants youth to think hard about the consequences of drug use.

"Thinking about every person that I've hurt in relationships, in friendships, in family... I wish I could take it all back," she said.

Migwi is still waiting for her marks from the on-the-land program. She doesn't think she made the honour roll, but she is happy with what she got out of the program.