Current Problems: Health (18-24)
Exploring Theme: "Ongoing Health Crisis"
Updates on this page: 97
(Filtered by Indigenous Group "First Nations")
November 25, 2024
First Nations are mobilizing in the fight against addictions and drug trafficking
NationTalk: Wendake – As part of National Addictions Awareness Week, which takes place from November 24 to 30, 2024, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) and the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC) are asking all stakeholders to join First Nations in their mobilization efforts against addictions and...
November 19, 2024
The state of mental health in Canada? It’s alarming, a new Canadian Mental Health Association report finds
NationTalk: TORONTO – Through a first-of-its-kind report, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is providing an in-depth look at the mental health system in Canada—with all its cracks and failings—and how people are faring, in every province and territory. What it reveals is troubling. Among the findings of The State of Mental Health in Canada...
November 6, 2024
Yukon must do something about overdose crisis say advocates
APTN News: Around two dozen people gathered at a supportive housing building in downtown Whitehorse on Nov. 1 to raise awareness about addiction-related deaths. “We are losing an entire generation, and it needs to stop,” said organizer and recovering addict Teri-Lynn Schinkel. “It’s happening in all our communities around the Yukon, and it’s affected all...
October 11, 2024
Minister says not enough beds for compulsory care for addictions across the country
Several provinces are discussing introducing or expanding compulsory treatment Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks listens to questions at a news conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, on Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang APTN News: The Canadian Press – Provinces and territories need to do more to expand and improve their treatment...
September 26, 2024
Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Declares State of Emergency Due to Toxic Drugs
What is currently offered is ‘not enough,’ says Cloy-e-iis Judith Sayers. The Tyee: The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council has declared a state of emergency in all 14 Nuu-chah-nulth nations due to the devastating loss of life caused by the unregulated toxic drug supply. More funding is needed from the province and federal governments so communities along...
September 26, 2024
Fighting the phantom
New research gives the first national overview of who is losing limbs to diabetic illnesses, and the picture is dire in rural Canada. For First Nations, problems compounded by scarce nutrition and health care take a devastating, often preventable toll Globe and Mail: James Gott, 75, lost his lower legs to complications from diabetes, which,...
September 19, 2024
14 First Nations on Vancouver Island declare state of emergency
Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council seeks mental health and crisis supports CBC Indigenous: Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council (NTC) has declared a state of emergency for all 14 First Nations on Vancouver Island it represents due to the mental health and opioid crisis. At a news conference in Port Alberni, B.C., Thursday, NTC president Judith Sayers, a member of Hupacasath First...
September 13, 2024
Cree mother says Regina hospital turned her son away – only to later find out he had pneumonia
APTN News: Krimson Standingready knows her way around a hospital. Her three-month-old son Atlas has spent most of his life in a hospital bed with a feeding tube because of excess mucus at birth causing chronic lung and blood infections. Since getting out, Atlas has fought blood infections and lung problems. At the end of...
August 21, 2024
‘Gut wrenching’ report: B.C. First Nations life expectancy plunges by six years
The report from the province’s First Nations Health Authority says Indigenous life expectancy in B.C. fell from 73.3 years in 2017 to 67.2 years in 2021. The Tyee: Times Colonist (The Canadian Press) – VANCOUVER — Life expectancy for British Columbia’s First Nations people has dropped by more than six years since 2017, says a...
August 20, 2024
O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation declares state of emergency after stabbings
APTN News: O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation in northern Manitoba has declared a state of emergency following a series of stabbings over the weekend. On Tuesday, during a break in a meeting about First Nations child welfare in Winnipeg, Chief Shirley Ducharme met with media to talk about the lockdown over the weekend. “Right away it just...
July 5, 2024
Calls for action after report finds unnatural death rates in some First Nations over triple Ontario average
Report by Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority examines data from 2011-2021 CBC News: When Patricia Keesickquayash looks atop the hill of her First Nation’s cemetery, which was expanded in the 1990s, she wonders how the plots filled up so quickly. Unnatural death rates in First Nations across the Sioux Lookout area of northwestern Ontario...
June 14, 2024
Grand Council Treaty #3 Declares a Nation-Wide Mental Health and Addictions State of Emergency
NationTalk: Grand Council Treaty #3, under the leadership of the Ogichidaa, Gaakinawataagizod, and Chiefs-in-Assembly, have officially declared a nation-wide Mental Health and Addictions State of Emergency across the Treaty #3 territory. The declaration escalates the nation-wide mental health and substance use crisis, determined by resolution CA-23-23 passed at the 2023 Fall Assembly. This crucial declaration...
June 11, 2024
‘One death, we learn to deal with it. Multiple deaths was so hard.’
Gladys Alexie, a teacher in Fort McPherson, bakes a pie. “The fact that other people came in and shared our grief was such a big, big help,” she said. Simona Rosenfield/Cabin Radio NationTalk: Cabin Radio – In Fort McPherson, residents say a drug addiction crisis is driven by housing issues, decades-long lifestyle changes rooted in...
June 5, 2024
First Nations ‘triaging grief’ as opioids claim lives at more than 8 times the rate of the rest of Alberta
‘You lose someone, and you’re trying to grieve, and then somebody else dies’ CBC News: First Nations people in Alberta have been dying from opioids at more than eight times the rate of the rest of the population, according to newly published data that puts harder numbers on a grim reality Indigenous leaders have been sounding...
May 24, 2024
New statistics on opioid poisonings paint a grim picture for First Nations people in Alberta
Alberta opioid poisoning deaths report shows an increase in First Nations deaths Alberta Legislature. Photo: Danielle Paradis/APTN APTN News: In 2022 the rate of opioid poisoning deaths for First Nations was 8.4 times higher than non-Indigenous people, according to a new report released by the Alberta First Nations Information Governance Centre. “When I was going...
May 23, 2024
Mercury poisoning near Grassy Narrows First Nation worsened by ongoing industrial pollution, study suggests
New research shows sulfate, organic matter are exacerbating methylmercury levels CBC Indigenous: A new study from the University of Western Ontario suggests mercury contamination in northwestern Ontario’s English-Wabigoon River has been made worse by ongoing industrial pollution. Contamination of the river system dates back to the 1960s and 70s, when the pulp and paper mill dumped...
May 22, 2024
Fourth First Nation in Manitoba declares state of emergency
Chemawawin Cree Nation has declared a state of emergency because of violence. Photo: Jared Delorme/APTN. APTN News: The Chemawawin Cree Nation (CCN) is the fourth First Nation community to declare a state of emergency since the start of this year, as CCN leaders said they are dealing with an ongoing crisis of violence that includes...
May 10, 2024
Kainai Nation and it’s fight against the opioid crisis
Harm reduction efforts on Kainai First Nation Blood Tribe/Kainai Nation harm reduction house in Stand Off., one of the townsites on Kainai Photo: Danielle Paradis APTN News: In the morning at the Blood Tribe Harm Reduction Project, Twila Singer a peer support worker, opens the house and starts the coffee. The weather is bad so...
April 17, 2024
Aamjiwnaang First Nation says high chemical levels making members sick, calls for Sarnia facility shutdown
Company says it’s reviewing the data and concerns over high chemical levels CBC News: Aamjiwnaang First Nation in Sarnia, Ont., is calling on all levels of government to shut down a facility after data indicated high levels of a harmful chemical were present in the air. In a news release, the First Nation said it sent its employees homes...
April 16, 2024
Indigenous group seeks funding for HIV crisis
Toronto Star: A national organization will find out in Tuesday’s budget if the federal government will fund a multimillion dollar Indigenous-led strategy that could help slow the staggering rise of new HIV cases, as well as other sexually transmitted diseases, which are worryingly high in the Prairies. “If you look at the state of the...
April 12, 2024
Overdoses prompts B.C. First Nation to declare state of emergency
The Globe and Mail, The Canadian Press – Williams Lake, B.C. – A spike in overdose deaths in the six British Columbia nations that make up the Tsilhqot’in National Government has prompted the chiefs to declare a local state of emergency. The Cariboo area nation says in a statement that toxic drugs combined with the...
March 24, 2024
Nursing shortage, overcrowded homes in Pimicikamak Cree Nation make tuberculosis cases difficult to monitor
Chief, Winnipeg doctor say more awareness, national strategy needed to fight spread of disease CBC Indigenous: The chief of a northern Manitoba First Nation says overcrowding and poor access to health-care services in his community can make tuberculosis cases harder to monitor and contain. Pimicikamak Cree Nation, also known as Cross Lake, currently has three...
March 14, 2024
Flip-flop in regulating mental health counsellors will slow getting urgent services to Indigenous people
Treaty 8 Grand Chief Arthur Noskey and Treaty 6 Grand Chief Cody Thomas. Windspeaker.com: The decision by Alberta to regulate counsellor therapy through the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) will not meet the urgency of mental health care required by Indigenous populations in the province. Letters sent from Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 nations in...
March 13, 2024
State of emergency over substance abuse in Shamattawa leads to vehicle searches, patrols of snowmobile trails
Other communities also search vehicles for drugs, alcohol CBC Indigenous: A northern Manitoba First Nation is cracking down further on drugs and alcohol after declaring a state of emergency over bootlegging in the community. Leaders in Shamattawa First Nation have made a band council resolution to give local and hired security officers the power to...
March 12, 2024
Nursing shortage creating ‘health crisis’ in First Nations in Manitoba
“Critical nursing services at the 21 nursing facilities run by ISC in remote Indigenous communities in Manitoba have been impacted”: Ottawa Cross Lake (PImicikamak Cree Nation) in northern Manitoba is in the midst of a health crisis due to a shortage of nurses. Photo: APTN file APTN News: A Cree Nation in northern Manitoba is...
March 5, 2024
Deaths spark calls for youth outreach, reopening of Port Hardy ER overnight
Health officials are working with First Nation that declared a state of emergency following the deaths of 11 of its members, many of them youths, in the past two months, premier says. An aerial shot of Tsulquate reserve on March 1. VIA CHEK NEWS NationTalk: Times Colonist – Premier David Eby says health officials are...
March 5, 2024
Father who lost son to fentanyl poisoning hopes anti-drug campaign goes national
‘No thanks I’m good’ campaign is hoping to save lives in Manitoba. APTN News: Joseph Fourre says his son was known for saying “No thanks I’m good” when he was offered drugs. “Harlan was an extraordinary young man who was looking forward to paying off his car and his future,” Fourre says on the latest...
March 1, 2024
Mamakwa confronts Conservative ministers about NAN state of emergency
Nishnawbe Aski Nation hosted an emergency meeting on Jan. 24 in Ottawa following a string of youth suicides in First Nation communities across the region. NationTalk: TBNewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – MPP Sol Mamakwa called out the Doug Ford government during question period on Wednesday — for failing to attend last month’s emergency meeting discussing high suicide...
February 29, 2024
Treaty 6 and 8 grand chiefs call for action on mental health crisis in Alberta
Chiefs Noskey and Thomas say province must establish regulatory college to address First Nations mental health crisis Kevin Ma NationTalk: Airdrie City View – The grand chiefs of most of Alberta’s First Nations have called on the province to proclaim a counselling college and address an ongoing mental health crisis. Treaty 8 First Nations of...
February 27, 2024
First Nations people in B.C. continue to be hit harder by toxic drug crisis, statistics show
‘They’re not just numbers, they’re people,’ says FNHA chief medical officer CBC Indigenous: First Nations people continued to die from toxic drugs at a higher rate than non-First Nations people in British Columbia in the first six months of 2023, according to the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA). First Nations people died at six times the rate of non-First...
February 6, 2024
Cree chief pleads for help to end community’s wave of violence in open letter to Sask. premier, PM
Pelican Narrows’ health clinic is not providing non-urgent care because staff are too busy with emergencies CBC News: Leaders in a remote Saskatchewan community are calling out for help. They say residents in Pelican Narrows are living in fear daily because of drug-fuelled violence, stabbings, shootings and suicide, which are the result of historical injustice and geographic isolation. Registered...
January 29, 2024
Mushkegowuk First Nations Enhancing Their Response To Illegal Drug And Alcohol Crisis
NationTalk: – Moose Factory ON Mushkegowuk Council has approved funding to support Kashechewan, Fort Albany, Moose Cree and Attawapiskat First Nations to respond to an escalating illegal drug and alcohol crisis that is devastating their communities. The funding, approved at a meeting of Mushkegowuk Chiefs held earlier this month, will help stem the flow of...
January 27, 2024
FSIN concerned about Government’s reduction changes
First Peoples Law Report: CKRM – The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) is endorsing the appeal made by Provincial Health Care professionals urging the Government of Saskatchewan to reconsider recent modifications to harm reduction services. Earlier this month, the province announced it would cease to support programs providing a safe supply of pipes to...
January 26, 2024
Marlborough Hotel video sparks calls for better accommodations
Click on the following link view the video: https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/indigenous-leaders-demand-better-accommodations-for-those-travelling-to-winnipeg-for-medical-care-1.6744482 First Peoples Law Report: CTV News Winnipeg – Leaders are demanding better accommodations for those travelling from remote First Nations to Winnipeg for medical care. Cockroaches, bed bugs and mice are just some of the conditions patients face in hotels designated for their stays in the...
January 24, 2024
Nishnawbe Aski Nation holds emergency meeting in Ottawa amid surge in sudden deaths on First Nations
First Nations chiefs from Ontario, federal officials at meeting after string of suicides, unexplained deaths WARNING: This story contains details of suicide and may impact those who know someone affected by it. CBC Indigenous: Leadership with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) held an emergency meeting with federal officials after a string of recent youth suicides and unexplained deaths in First Nations...
January 24, 2024
First Nations leaders hold emergency meeting in Ottawa on mental-health crisis
NationTalk: The Canadian Press, Ottawa – First Nations leaders are holding an emergency meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday to discuss a mental-health crisis they warn could get even worse without government help. Nishnawbe Aski Nation says there has been an alarming spate of suicides and suicide attempts in the northern Ontario First Nations it represents. That includes the...
January 24, 2024
Prevention measures, not crisis management needed to address emergency situation in Bigstone Cree Nation
Bigstone Cree Nation called on ministries to address “mental health, policing, gangs, rising crime rates, poverty, food security, child and family-related issues, homelessness and the housing crisis that we face.” — Bigstone Cree Nation Chief Andy Alook Chief Andy Alook (centre) is pictured with some of the councillors from Bigstone Cree Nation. Windspeaker.com: Armed with...
January 17, 2024
Former Cree grand chief spends 4 days in an ER hallway after travelling to Montreal for health care
‘There was nowhere that we could go,’ says granddaughter who accompanied Matthew Mukash CBC News: When Jade Mukash accompanied her grandfather to Montreal on Jan. 7, she never imagined they’d be sitting in the ER hallway for four days. Positioned next to a glass partition next to the ER door, Matthew Mukash, the former grand...
December 28, 2023
Homes in four Ontario First Nations have dangerous levels of carbon dioxide, mould
A welcome sign for the Lac Seul First Nation west of Sioux Lookout, Ont., on April 24, 2018. File photo by The Canadian Press/Colin Perkel THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE TAKES MANY HANDS, AND ALL OF US ARE BETTER EQUIPPED WHEN WE’RE INFORMED. Goal: $125k $98,930 Donate Canada’s National Observer: A study has found air...
December 18, 2023
Dismissal of Dr. Deena Hinshaw from Indigenous health team prompted Alberta ethics investigation
Two people say they gave testimony to ethics commissioner Marguerite Trussler in October After Dr. Deena Hinshaw was briefly hired and quickly removed from a position with an Indigenous health team at Alberta Health Services earlier this year, more than 100 physicians signed a letter calling for an ethics investigation. Unbeknownst to the public, they got their wish. CBC...
December 13, 2023
Indigenous people in remote communities may not see much benefit from national dental care plan
If there are no services in your community, more money doesn’t matter, says pediatric dentist CBC Indigenous: The co-founder of the Indigenous Dental Association of Canada says along with expanding coverage, the federal government needs to be improving access to dental care for those who live in remote communities to keep oral health gaps from widening. “Unless we’re dealing with the issues...
November 28, 2023
Global Ozempic shortage affects First Nations people with diabetes
Health Canada says Ozempic shortages could last until March 2024 CBC News: The global shortage of the diabetes medication Ozempic has diabetics like Eleanor Michael from Sipekne’katik worried about finding alternatives. Ozempic has seen a skyrocketing global demand, in part due to prescriptions related to weight loss. Michael, whose Mi’kmaw community is about 50 kilometres northwest of Halifax, was diagnosed with diabetes earlier this year...
November 23, 2023
Opioid-Related Toxicity and Deaths Continue to Rise among First Nations in Ontario
NationTalk: Toronto, ON – The Chiefs of Ontario (COO) and Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare made the following statement regarding the opioid overdose crisis and the death toll rise affecting Ontario First Nations. First Nations in Ontario have been disproportionately affected by the opioid overdose crisis, which has greatly affected both families and communities. COO...
November 23, 2023
Prince Albert Grand Council calls for help after study finds high levels of cocaine, crystal meth in waste water
APTN News: The Prince Albert Grand Council, or PAGC in Saskatchewan is calling for help to combat a drug crisis in the city. According to Statistics Canada, Prince Albert has the highest amounts of cocaine, meth and amphetamines in its wastewater per capita in the country. “This situation goes beyond mere statistics,” said Grand Chief Brian...
November 15, 2023
Record-breaking year looms for drug toxicity deaths in Saskatchewan: coroners service report
Health experts say prevention measures needed, while province focuses on treatment CBC News: Emile Gariepy didn’t have to look at the Saskatchewan Coroners Service’s latest report to know drug toxicity deaths continue to rise across the province. As a paramedic and the harm-reduction manager at Regina’s Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre, which houses a safe consumption site,...
November 14, 2023
‘Unbearable’ hurt as Fort McPherson, N.W.T., sees 5 deaths in 1 week
‘All of the deaths we’ve experienced have touched every person in Fort McPherson,’ says chief CBC Indigenous: Prayer circles were held across the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and northern B.C. over the weekend to mourn a series of recent deaths in the hamlet of Fort McPherson, N.W.T. Three young women, a young man and an...
September 7, 2023
Pimicikamak Cree Nation worries it won’t have enough staff to run new health centre
First Nation’s leaders say nursing station running with less than half of staff it needs Manitoba First Nation struggles to find staff for new health centre: Duration 1:38 Pimicikamak Cree Nation is pleading for more government support for health care. The community in Cross Lake says it’s struggling with few local health services and a severe...
September 7, 2023
Alberta First Nations declare state of emergency over drug crisis
A tribal council representing five First Nations in northeast Alberta have declared a state of emergency over an escalating mental health and addictions crisis. Athabasca Tribal Council Grand Chief Allan Adam speaks during a news conference in Ottawa on March 20, 2013. ADRIAN WYLD/THE CANADIAN PRESS The Globe and Mail: A council representing five First...
September 4, 2023
Searching for solace a year after tragedy in James Smith Cree Nation
Members of First Nation look for ways to heal 1 year after mass stabbings in Saskatchewan CBC News: Rickety wheels slice through the undisturbed gravel of the race track in Prince Albert, Sask. A man in a cowboy hat declares that the first chariot race will start soon. After donning helmets, vests and a need for...
August 31, 2023
UBCIC Stands with Families and Calls for Action on Overdose Awareness Day
by ahnationtalk on August 31, 2023 NationTalk: (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh)/ Vancouver, B.C. – Today, UBCIC grieves with thousands of families devastated by the overdose crisis and urges municipal, provincial, and federal governments to put aside their lethal political squabbling and take urgent, comprehensive, and coordinated action to save lives and support First Nations...
August 8, 2023
‘Very little’ government help for 11 Man. First Nations months after declaring state of emergency
Government approved $300,000 in extra funding but chief says that’s not enough CBC News: More than four months after declaring a state of emergency First Nations in Manitoba say the current federal support offered fails to address numerous long-term issues in their communities. The Keewatin Tribal Council — representing 11 communities spread throughout northern Manitoba — declared a state of emergency...
August 7, 2023
Bearspaw First Nation to meet with federal officials as opioid crisis worsens
FRÉDÉRIK-XAVIER DUHAMEL The Globe and Mail: Indigenous Services Canada officials are set to meet with the leaders of a First Nation in Alberta this week to discuss support for the small community that is struggling to cope with the devastating impact of the opioid crisis. Bearspaw First Nation Chief Darcy Dixon said his people have faced...
July 25, 2023
Association of Yukon Communities decries rural health centre staffing woes
‘What we continue to hear from our members is that this is a big deal,’ said association president CBC News: The Association of Yukon Communities (AYC) says the territory has to think creatively to solve an ongoing shortage of health care workers. “This is an issue we continue to hear from all of our members...
July 10, 2023
Treaty 6 Chiefs declare state of emergency over opioid deaths
By Danielle ParadisJul 10, 2023 Treaty 6 chiefs are speaking out about drug poisoning APTN News: The Confederacy of Treaty 6 Nations in Alberta announced Monday it has declared a state of emergency due to the opioid drug crisis. Families, friends, and loved ones are being lost to this devastating crisis,” Grand Chief Leonard Standingontheroad said...
July 5, 2023
SCO Launches Harm Reduction Education and Awareness Campaign
ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — Today, the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is announcing the launch of a comprehensive public campaign focused on preventing and increasing awareness of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections (STBBIs), and harm reduction. “Harm reduction has become a major focus for SCO when it comes to...
July 4, 2023
First Nations life expectancy plummets in Alberta due to opioid deaths
First Nations women and men have had their life expectancy decline seven years since 2015. APTN News: Between 2015 and 2021 the life expectancy dropped a shocking seven years for First Nations men and women living in Alberta due in part to drug poisoning deaths. In 2015, the average life expectancy for a First Nation...
June 27, 2023
IPAC Statement in response to the shocking and disrespectful events that precipitated Dr. Tailfeathers’ resignation from Alberta Health Services
NationTalk: At the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada, we stand in solidarity with Dr. Tailfeathers as she made the difcult decision to resign from her position with Alberta Health Services and the brave words she has offered to the media in the aftermath of this decision. It is deeply painful for our community of Indigenous...
June 27, 2023
Doctors sign open letter to decry AHS decision to revoke Hinshaw job offer
130 Alberta doctors had signed the letter by late Monday afternoon CBC News · Posted: Jun 26, 2023, Last Updated: June 27 More than 100 Alberta physicians have signed an open letter condemning the move by Alberta Health Services to revoke a job offer to Dr. Deena Hinshaw, who was set to start working on a key...
June 27, 2023
Better dental care means dealing with historical issues, says Indigenous dentist
CBC News: Dr. Sheri McKinstry says Indigenous communities struggling to access dental care is common across the country. “It’s kind of not surprising that we’re having issues with dental providers coming into the clinics when we’re isolated,” she told The Trailbreaker. McKinstry is a dentist, member of Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba, and one of the...
June 23, 2023
The hiring and unhiring of Dr. Deena Hinshaw warrants answers that we aren’t getting
Consequences have spread beyond the former public health official’s employment status CBC News: We know who hired Dr. Deena Hinshaw to a new role supporting public and preventive health in Alberta. We don’t know who un-hired her. But we’re starting to learn about the consequences of that somebody’s decision to rescind the appointment of Alberta’s...
June 20, 2023
Grassy Narrows chief questions federal commitment to mercury care home amid delays, soaring costs
Facility could now require an estimated $80M to build — 3 times what was initially pledged CBC News: More than three years after the Canadian government agreed to fund a in-community mercury poisoning care home for Grassy Narrows First Nation, construction hasn’t started, estimated costs are skyrocketing, and the chief is questioning the prime minister’s commitment. “It makes...
June 19, 2023
Medical patients flock to this northern community, but there aren’t enough places to stay
Those travelling to Sioux Lookout for health care pushed to hotels as far as Dryden, Ignace, Lac Seul CBC News: Health-care workers in Sioux Lookout, Ont., hope a new hostel will ease the pressures of overcrowding among people travelling to the community for medical care. Thousands of people from remote First Nations in northwestern Ontario...
June 16, 2023
Peguis First Nation, surrounding Manitoba communities fear lack of funding could shut down ambulance service
Provincial funding agreement for Fisher Ambulance Service expired in 2019 CBC News: Peguis First Nation and surrounding communities in Manitoba’s Interlake have declared a state of emergency over lack of funding for their ambulance service, which they say is in danger of shutting down unless the province steps in with support. The Fisher Ambulance Service...
May 12, 2023
More than 6 years later, Moses Beaver’s means of death ‘undetermined’, inquest jury finds
Jury delivers 63 recommendations focused on improving mental health care for Indigenous people WARNING: This story discusses mental distress and suicide. CBC News: The jury overseeing the inquest into the death of Moses Beaver has deemed the means of his death to be undetermined — which is the finding his family was hoping for. The...
May 8, 2023
Moses Beaver’s sons tell inquest their requests for help for Oji-Cree artist were brushed off
NAN leader asks inquest, now in 4th and final week, why recommendations from previous inquests not in place WARNING: This story discusses sexual abuse, mental distress and suicide. CBC News: Over the past three weeks, the jury probing the inquest into the 2017 death of Moses Amik Beaver has heard numerous calls for better mental...
April 25, 2023
Mikisew Cree First Nation declares state of local emergency following multiple suicides
‘We can feel the grief amongst the people, the hurt,’ says Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro CBC News: A First Nation in northern Alberta has declared a state of local emergency following a string of suicide and suicide attempts among community members. The Mikisew Cree First Nation says immediate medical intervention is needed in Fort Chipewyan, Alta.,...
April 24, 2023
Indigenous People Bear the Brunt of the Toxic Drug Crisis
The First Nations Health Authority has unveiled a plan to curb the deadly toll. Odette Auger TodayTheTyee.ca Odette Auger (Sagamok Anishnawbek) is a freelance reporter whose work has appeared in APTN, IndigiNews, Watershed Sentinel and Asparagus Magazine. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative. The Tyee: The B.C. First Nations Health Authority...
April 24, 2023
More mental health resources needed in remote First Nations, jury hears during Moses Beaver inquest
First week of inquest into Moses Beaver’s death in Thunder Bay, Ont. focuses on events in Nibinamik WARNING: This story discusses mental distress and suicide. CBC News: Calls to improve mental health care resources in remote First Nations in northwestern Ontario continue to be at the forefront of the inquest into the death of Moses...
April 21, 2023
Toxic drugs killing First Nations residents in B.C. at nearly 6 times the rate of overall population: report
373 First Nations people died from illicit toxic drugs in B.C. in 2022: Toxic Drug Data report CBC News: First Nations people are disproportionately represented in toxic drug poisoning deaths in British Columbia, according to new data from the First Nations Health Authority. First Nations members represented 16.4 per cent of toxic drug deaths in B.C. in...
April 12, 2023
Staffing shortages in northern Manitoba nursing stations a ‘life or death’ matter, advocate says
Indigenous Services Canada says it’s working to recruit and retain nurses CBC News: A shortage of nurses across the country is hitting hard in remote and northern First Nations like Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Manitoba, where nursing stations are typically the only place people can access health care close to home. Chief David Monias said the nursing station in Pimicikamak...
April 4, 2023
Sioux Lookout hospital getting safe rooms, with hopes of bringing better support for mental health patients
About 20% of ER visits last year to northwestern Ontario hospital related to mental health or addictions CBC News: The Meno Ya Win Health Centre in Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario is undergoing renovations to make space for four safe rooms in its emergency department. The rooms will be designated for patients experiencing acute mental health...
April 3, 2023
Northern Manitoba chiefs call for immediate federal action on health-care crisis
Recent deaths linked to inadequate medical care include mother of 5 from Manto Sipi Cree Nation, chief says CBC News: A group of Manitoba chiefs is calling for immediate action from the federal government to address what they call a health-care crisis causing preventable deaths on northern First Nations in the province. That action needs...
March 30, 2023
‘It’s going to take the community’: Yukon faces Canada’s worst toxic drug death rate
Toronto Star: The Canadian Press – When the doors close at night at the administration office at Yukon’s Carcross Tagish First Nation, a van hits the road and drives through the communities to offer naloxone to reverse overdoses, drug testing kits, food and even a friendly face to help those struggling because of the opioid...
March 23, 2023
N.W.T. wants to contract an Indigenous-led treatment facility, but none are bidding for the work
The territory received proposals from two facilities, but neither met its criteria for Indigenous-led services CBC News: The N.W.T. government’s search for an addiction treatment facility with Indigenous-led programing isn’t going well. The territory’s Health and Social Services Department was taking proposals from facilities it could work with early in the year, but the contract...
March 23, 2023
Northern B.C. First Nations say they need more resources to deal with the illicit drug crisis
Distance a barrier to accessing addictions treatment, say communities Members of B.C.’s most northern communities are saying they need more resources to deal with the impacts of the province’s drug crisis, at a forum in Prince George, B.C., this week. More than 200 First Nations leaders and health-care workers met to talk about harm reduction,...
March 16, 2023
First Nation calls for check stops, more police in Mayo, Yukon, to deal with opioid emergency
Na-Cho Nyäk Dun council passed resolution after 2 homicides in Mayo last weekend CBC News: An emergency declaration by the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun in the wake of last weekend’s double homicide in Mayo, Yukon, is calling for a number of strict measures to try to quell the local drug trade — including highway check...
March 10, 2023
‘It’s hard to comprehend:’ AMC says more resources needed after girls freeze to death in St. Theresa Point
APTN: The chief of St. Theresa Point First Nation is making a plea for privacy after two 14-year-old girls froze to death in the northern Manitoba community on March 1. Leaders of the close-knit First Nation, 465 km northeast of Winni peg, said the whole community has been hit hard by the girls’ deaths. It...
March 7, 2023
‘Our people are dying’: Manitoba First Nation declares state of emergency
3 people have died in O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation in the past 2 weeks CBC News: A remote northern Manitoba First Nation has declared a state of emergency following the deaths of three people in the community over the past two weeks. “We’ve seen the hurt and pain suffered by our First Nation and we can’t wait any longer....
March 5, 2023
Family, community mourn 2 teens found dead in northern Manitoba
Girls found outside and St. Theresa Point Chief believes drugs a factor in their deaths CBC News · Posted: Mar 05, 2023 9:17 AM EST | Last Updated: March 5 The family of one of the 14-year-old girls found dead outside after a frigid night on a northern Manitoba First Nation says she was struggling to cope with...
February 13, 2023
Indigenous advocates call for more culturally informed addictions treatment in B.C.
First Nations people die from illicit drug toxicity at 5 times the rate of B.C.’s general population CBC News: As of last week Avis O’Brien (N’alaga) marked 16 years in recovery from addiction. “I was on the Downtown Eastside [of Vancouver] as an Indigenous youth,” said O’Brien, who is Haida and Kwakwaka’wakw. “I was homeless; I was...
February 13, 2023
Frustrations mount in Cross Lake, Man., where ambulance service has been in limbo for 2 years
Private ambulance service is still seeking its licence after 2021 incident CBC News: A private ambulance service in Cross Lake, Man., hasn’t been operating for two years now, with frustrations mounting from operators and community members who want to see things back up and running. “You know, it’s a matter of life and death for some...
February 11, 2023
Behind the push to expand mandatory treatment for mental health and addictions in B.C.
The Globe and Mail: In his past career as a civil-rights lawyer, David Eby would have been first in line to argue against involuntary treatment for mental health and addictions issues. But as British Columbia Premier, he is now pushing to expand the province’s capacity to compel it because the alternative, he argues, is worse....
January 30, 2023
RSV is still a threat, especially in Canada’s North. But new treatments and vaccines are on the way
“We’ve known for a long time that Inuit babies have four to eight times the rate of hospital admission due to RSV, compared to the premature babies or the cardiac babies” with RSV, Banerji said. In the Arctic, the peak is usually February/March to June. One doctor is calling for an expedited review of a...
December 2, 2022
Government of Canada announces nearly $10 million to support Indigenous communities address substance-related harms
Improving health outcomes for Indigenous people at risk of substance-related harms and overdose across Canada Health Canada: The ongoing effects of colonialism and institutional racism are closely linked to the disproportionate harms that the overdose crisis and increasingly toxic drug supply have had on Indigenous Peoples. The Government of Canada is committed to addressing these...
November 24, 2022
The Impact of Inaction – New Publication Reveals Not All of Canada is on Track to Meet Global Hepatitis C Elimination Goal
Timing of elimination of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Canada’s provinces indicates 70% of provinces could reach the World Health Organization’s (WHO) HCV elimination target of 2030, however three of Canada’sprovinces — two of them the most populous in the country — are off track to achieve this hepatitis C elimination goal.1 Timely elimination would save 170...
September 11, 2022
James Smith Cree Nation chief calls for drug treatment centres in wake of knife attacks
Crystal meth addiction is rampant in community, support needed, leaders say CBC: The chief of James Smith Cree Nation and other Indigenous leaders are calling on the provincial and federal governments to fund on-reserve addiction treatment centres following the horrific stabbing rampage on the Saskatchewan First Nation and neighbouring town of Weldon. “We’ve got to protect our...
September 6, 2022
The beast of addiction in Indigenous communities remains untamed
Globe & Mail: Tanya Talaga – Over the past week, a Thunder Bay hotel’s conference room has become home to a land-based healing and recovery program. There, 17 women from one northern First Nation about two hours down the highway – women who are addicted to opioids, alcohol, crystal methamphetamine (jib) and/or methadone, which is...
June 30, 2021
Grassy Narrows Care Home
Toronto Star – After more than 50 years of failed negotiations, the federal government committed $90M for a care home that will treat those poisoned by mercury. The deal includes: $68.9M in a trust for operational and servicing costs over 30 years and an agreement to periodically review the funding levels. $19.5M previously announced for...
June 30, 2021
Jordan’s Principle Funding
The Matawa Education and Care Centre (MECC), – formerly, the ‘Matawa Learning Centre,’ yesterday released their report entitled ‘Matawa Education and Care Centre 5th Annual Report on the Seven Youth Inquest – Academic 2020-2021.’ For the first time—it included an alert regarding MECC’s potential inability to meet inquest recommendations 64, 71, 81, 83, 84, 85,...
October 21, 2020
Food Insecurity
The Narwhal – Human Rights Watch released “My fear is Losing Everything: Climate Crisis and First Nations’ Right to Food” in Canada. The report details how longer and more intense forest fire seasons, permafrost degradation, volatile weather patterns and increased levels of precipitation are all affecting wildlife habitat and, in turn, harvesting efforts. The report...
September 29, 2020
Beyond Hunger – The Hidden Impacts of Food Insecurity in Canada”
Community Food Centres (CFC) – Release of “Beyond Hunger – The Hidden Impacts of Food Insecurity in Canada”. Even before COVID-19, food insecurity affected nearly 4.5 million Canadians. In the first two months of the pandemic, that number grew by 39 per cent. Food insecurity now affects one in seven people, disproportionately impacting low-income and...
March 13, 2020
Safe and Sound: A Special Report on the Unexpected Sleep-Related Deaths of 145 Manitoba Infants
Release of Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (2020): Safe and Sound: A Special Report on the Unexpected Sleep-Related Deaths of 145 Manitoba Infants” According to population projections, Indigenous infants account for between 20-30% of live births in Manitoba during the study period (Jan. 2009 – Dec. 2018), but represent 57% of sleep-related infant deaths....
March 31, 2018
Access to Health Services: Virgo Report
Release of the Virgo Final Report: “Improving Access and Coordination of Mental Health and Addiction Services: A Provincial Strategy for all Manitobans” specifically emphasizes the discovery made during the system review that for almost every service encountered, the largest percentage of people being served were of Indigenous background. The report acknowledges the “history of colonization...
July 24, 2016
Star Investigation: A Poisoned People
The steady drip of the neurotoxin mercury has percolated through river sediment, the food chain and generations of Grassy Narrows First Nations residents for more than four decades, killing a community’s livelihood and then contaminating its people. By David Bruser News Reporter, Jayme Poisson News reporter Toronto Star: GRASSY NARROWS FIRST NATION—For more than 40 years...
July 14, 2016
Fire protection on reserves
NationTalk – There is no national fire protection code that mandates fire safety standards or enforcement on reserves. All other jurisdictions in Canada including provinces, territories, and other federal jurisdictions (such as military bases, airports, and seaports) have established building and fire codes. The Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada (AFAC), NIFSC’s parent organization, supports the...
July 14, 2016
Grassy Narrows mercury clean-up ignored for over 30 years
Toronto Star – Ontario’s former environment minister called for a clean-up of mercury contaminating Grassy Narrows First Nation, historical cabinet memos obtained by the Star show. But nothing was done by the government of the day to clean up the polluted river and lakes, and more than 30 years later the fish that feed the...
June 20, 2016
Province ignores information about possible mercury dumping ground: Star Investigation
A retired labourer says that more than 40 years ago he was part of a small crew that “haphazardly” dumped drums of mercury and salt into a pit near Grassy Narrows First Nation where water and fish have long been contaminated by the toxic metal. By Jayme Poisson News reporter, David Bruser News Reporter Toronto Star:...
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