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The earlier breast cancer gets caught, the quicker and easier it is to beat.
That’s why Keep Your Girls in Check, a one-day conference on breast health, was organized.
It’s set to take place Monday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Henry Grube Centre, 245 Kitchener Cres. And it’s free, including lunch.
Joanne Cattle, breast practices co-ordinator for White Buffalo Aboriginal Health Society and Resource Centre, said Wednesday the session is open to anyone, although First Nations women are particularly invited because the event is culturally aimed at them.
She obtained a grant from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation to hold the seminar that would get more information about breast health into the community.
“I put in a proposal on behalf of White Buffalo to bring it back to our aboriginal population,” she said.
“The biggest key is most women are not going early enough. That’s the main piece. The earlier cancer is found, the easier and quicker it is to cure. That’s the bottom line.”
Mammography and breast self-examination will be discussed at the conference.
“It’s about knowing your body and allowing yourself to accept the body you have. That’s huge,” Cattle said.
“It’s culturally specific, so we have an elder coming to talk about her personal journey, traditional ceremonies and the medicine wheel and how that helped her,” she continued.
“They believe in oneness. Everything’s connected. That’s their philosophy. They believe in that balance.”
The conference starts with a discussion about being ready to talk about breast health, then there will be a presentation, some teaching around how and why to do breast self-exams and a video involving women talking about breast cancer.
After that, a First Nations elder will talk about her personal journey dealing with breast cancer. To finish, Janet Deneault of the Secwepemc Museum will talk about plant medicine.
Cattle said she would like to see mothers and grandmothers attend to pass on the information to their daughters and granddaughters.
Anyone interested in participating is welcome, but is asked to register so organizers can arrange for lunch. Call 250-554-1176 or email clientservices@whitebuffalo.name to sign up right until the day of the conference, Monday.
