Leather tanning, fishing or visiting the area are all experiences that indigenous elders from Bahchuk, in the Northwest Territories, are enjoying, thanks to virtual reality.
Noel Dribbons, an 81-year-old elderly man, can see and hear the songs and drums of traditional Denny hand playing. Once undressed, he finds peace at the Jimmy Erasmus Senior Citizens' Residence in Behchoko.
This brings me back there. He said it helps me with my memory.
This virtual reality project, led by the Tłı̨ch Indigenous Government, was started during the pandemic in order to provide these experiences to residents during quarantine. This activity is offered in 10 locations, such as walking to the local cemetery, hiking to the Whatı̀ Waterfalls or visiting an animal skin tanning camp.
Two hearing aids are now available at the Seniors Center and allow residents with reduced mobility or cognitive decline to reconnect with their culture and remember their past experiences, explains nurse Sarah Power.
It's a way to help them live again [ces expériences] As best as we can, so that they do not have the impression that they are out of place by coming to live in a residential centre, says Sarah Power, a nurse at the Jimmy Erasmus Residential Center for the Elderly, in Bahceuk.
A tool for transferring knowledge
Johnny Simpson chose to travel on a fishing boat. The lake resembles Lake Marian near Bahchok, where he used to take students to set fishing nets.
Even if the experience is not complete without being able to touch the fish or be on the water, the 66-year-old believes that this tool will enable him to better share his knowledge with young people, especially if they are elderly or elderly. Students cannot move.
This is also an aspect of this technology that project manager Paul Cressman would like to explore. Thus, a young man can wear a helmet while an elderly person tells him stories and explains the importance of this place.
Young people may want to visit these places in person after seeing how beautiful they are and hearing these stories, says Paul Cressman.
Memory therapy
According to Victoria University psychology professor Steve Lindsay, this type of project is similar to memory therapy. This allows the user to remember an experience and go back to that time.
“It's a bit of a mental time trip,” he says.
However, the effects of this treatment are short-lived, especially for people with cognitive decline. “But if we can give them a good time, that's a good thing,” Steve Lindsay said.
Accommodation Center Coordinator, Julia Niedzo, notes these beneficial effects among residents. According to her, the fact that the headset works in the Tłı̨chƫ language is a big advantage.
I think it takes them back to when they were kids. She concluded her speech by saying: We see them smiling and laughing.
With information from Natalie Pressman
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