Supporting employees: Cameco's site elders share cultural wisdom
Georgie McDonald has worked in the mines. He has struggled with alcohol. He knows what it’s like to be away from family.
Now, as a site Elder Advisor/Knowledge Keeper at Cigar Lake, he helps give direction to Cameco employees facing similar challenges.
“I want to help people to focus on work and to advance in their careers and get better - and to learn how to work together with people,” he says.
Work at Cameco’s northern sites requires some employees to be away from their communities and families for extended periods of time, which can be challenging.
To provide cultural supports while employees are away from home, Cameco employs Elder Advisors and/or Knowledge Keepers to provide workers with on-site support and counsel, helping to promote well-being and encouraging them to bring their whole selves to work.
Elders and/or Knowledge Keepers are Indigenous individuals who hold spiritual and cultural knowledge in areas such as traditional medicine, languages, cultural teachings, or ceremonies. They listen without judgment and provide support based on the experiences and knowledge they bring from their communities.
“I think there is a lot of fear and anxiety in our young people, and I want to them to talk about what’s going on in their lives,” says Pauline Thatcher, an Elder at Cigar Lake and Rabbit Lake.
“It can be scary, but you need to put yourself out there and you are never stuck. Cameco is here to provide a great life for you, and people just need to step up and grab a hold of their life.”
Elder Abby McIntyre, who specializes in mental health, holistic wellness, spiritual guidance, addictions counselling and musical therapy, says wellness is about focusing on how to live a good life - and how to better yourself and care for yourself.
“I want people to know that it’s okay to allow themselves to feel whatever they are going through, to recognize and to accept their emotions rather than suppressing them,” she says.
“And I want them to be gentle and kind to themselves, to stay connected to people because connection is very important for all human beings. We need to take care of our mental health because if we're not well, it will get in the way of performing at work or meeting the needs of others and of ourselves.”
Learn more about working at Cameco on our Careers page.