Twelve years ago, Angela Carter made a life-changing decision to quit drinking and walk the “Red Road"—a spiritual path rooted in respect, balance, and healing. She shares her story for Reclaiming Your Wellness Month, a public health campaign the FNHA holds each October to encourage mindfulness around alcohol use and promote wholistic wellness.
Angela is FNHA's Regional Executive Director for the Northern Region. She is Ongwehonwe (Mohawk) on her father's side and a member of Six Nations of the Grand River, with ties to the Mississaugas of the New Credit and Anishinaabe through her mother's lineage.
“Sobriety wasn't easy, it was a push and pull with myself," says Angela, recalling her wellness journey. “But I wanted to walk my talk—I couldn't go to ceremony and then go out the next weekend, it wasn't congruent."
Angela was on her second year of sobriety when she decided to have a drink at a friend's wedding. She immediately felt it had been a mistake.
“I had a few drinks, and honestly, I didn't want to be that person anymore. I instantly thought, 'how am I going to talk to my sweat family, my kids?'"
Through ceremony, prayer, and time on the land, Angela says she was able to reconnect with her spirit and began to live in balance again.
“Sometimes I still think of having a drink or a smoke, but I remind myself that I no longer want to live by anyone's stereotypes. I want to be armoured with my own sacred path, which is sobriety for myself and my family. I thank the Creator every day that He showed me ceremony."
Angela also quit smoking three years ago and says each breath since then is “a reminder of the healing that comes from living in a good way."
Now living on the Stellat'en First Nation reserve near Fraser Lake, her partner's territory, Angela is a proud mother of three—Autumn (23), Justin (20), and Waaseyaa (6), and a proud grandmother of one—Miles (2).
Angela's spirit names, Pamousate Aniqut Kwe (Woman Who Walks Amongst the Clouds) and Kisêwâtisiw Iskwêw (Kind-Hearted Woman), reflect her deep cultural roots and spiritual identity.
Her wellness journey includes a commitment to a keto lifestyle and limiting sugar. “Food is medicine," she says, emphasizing the importance of caring for both body and spirit. She also finds grounding and joy in making earrings, a creative practice that connects her to culture and community.
Education and leadership have played a central role in Angela's path. She earned a Master's in Education in Multidisciplinary Leadership in 2022 and is currently pursuing an Indigenous Public Health Graduate Certificate at UBC, with plans to continue on to a PhD. She also holds Reiki Level One and hopes to complete her Master's in Reiki to deepen her understanding of energy healing.
In her role at FNHA, Angela supports 55 First Nations communities across the Northern Region. “This work reflects my heart—walking beside other First Nations people on their paths to wellness and healing," she says.
“I walk with gratitude—12 years sober, three years smoke-free, and still walking strong on the Red Road. Ceremony, learning, leadership, and love for my family and community guide me every day as I continue to heal for myself, my children, my grandson, and the generations yet to come."
Share your story
We are always interested in hearing from and highlighting community wellness champions – if you would like us to help you share your story, contact the FNHA's Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO) at cmo.office@fnha.ca.
Remember, the FNHA is your health and wellness partner, and we want to support you wherever you are on your journey with alcohol use. Throughout Reclaiming Your Wellness Month, we'll be sharing stories from wellness champions, as well as resources that aim to help you guide your own journey to wherever it is you'd like to go.
Resources
For information on treatment centres, visit the link here.
Explore All Paths Lead to Wellness, which provides a description of the range of substance-use supports available while also recognizing the diverse needs of individuals.
Check out the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation website for information on programs and services for substance use and addiction. Also, more information and support networks can be found at the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction website.
Review the recent announcement of new alcohol-consumption guidelines; visit the link here.
You can also access culturally safe care through the FNHA' s Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry Service, which provides BC First Nations people and their family members (even if non-Indigenous) with access to specialists in addictions medicine and psychiatry.
