Mi'kmaw Lodge Treatment Centre

Mi’kmaw Lodge Treatment Centre is an NNADAP-funded Indigenous residential addiction treatment facility operated by NADACA (Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselling Association of Nova Scotia), located at 70 Gabriel Street in Eskasoni First Nation, Nova Scotia. Recognized as an official Canadian Substance Use Treatment Centre for First Nations and Inuit, Mi’kmaw Lodge provides a 35-day residential treatment cycle for Mi’kmaq and other Indigenous adults, combining evidence-informed counselling with cultural programming that honours Mi’kmaq values, traditions, and ways of healing.

Thirty-Five Day Residential Treatment Programme

Mi’kmaw Lodge offers a 35-day residential treatment cycle for Indigenous adults 19 and older dealing with alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, opioid, and other substance use concerns. Clients are required to be alcohol-free for 5 days and drug-free for 14 days prior to admission, ensuring readiness for meaningful therapeutic engagement. Individual substance abuse counselling, peer counselling support, drug prevention and education, assessment, and relapse prevention programming deliver a comprehensive residential recovery experience within a culturally grounded community setting.

Mi’kmaq Cultural Grounding and Peer Support

The Mi’kmaw Lodge programme is rooted in Mi’kmaq identity and cultural knowledge — integrating traditional teachings, ceremonies, and community values into the treatment experience. Peer-based counselling, led by individuals with CAC II certification, brings the power of shared lived experience to the counselling relationship. The community setting within Eskasoni First Nation — one of Nova Scotia’s largest Mi’kmaq communities — means that healing happens in a place of deep cultural significance and community connection, surrounded by family, language, and the land that grounds Mi’kmaq identity.

Aftercare, Prevention, and Intervention Services

Mi’kmaw Lodge extends its reach through aftercare support, drug prevention and education programming, and interventionist services — providing a continuum of care that supports individuals and families at every stage of their relationship with addiction. The adolescent education and accreditation stream reflects a commitment to early prevention that protects the next generation. For Mi’kmaq and other First Nations people in Cape Breton and Nova Scotia seeking a culturally safe, community-centred residential addiction treatment programme, Mi’kmaw Lodge Treatment Centre is a trusted resource grounded in Indigenous wisdom and professional expertise.