Education is Key

                The Anishnaabe community has suffered great pain, despair, hardship, torture and the list goes on.  For any individual to have to endure these conditions for even a day has potential to be devastating; imagine decades and decades.  Today the Anishnaabe people still face situations that are not pleasant or adequate for safe living or proper development and growth. However I feel as though there is the beginning of a road to healing being built.  Many individuals and groups have taken steps forward in healing this community.  One that comes to mind is the Aboriginal Healing Foundation whose mandate is to promote resources allowing the Anishnaabe communities to sustain the healing process, reconcile and rebuild the intergenerational effects the residential school system brought (2012).

                Foundations like the Aboriginal Healing Foundation assist to clear away the stigmas that people have created which will allow for the Anishnaabe community to move forward and expand (Pearson, 2012).  By changing our thinking as a whole and educating our children when they are young about what has happened to this culture of people will help in the removal of the restrictions that are preventing the Anishnaabe’s path to success (Pearson, 2012).  By educating our people about the Anishnaabe’s past and present, discrimination will hopefully be abolished which would open up a position for them take full advantage of the opportunities that have arose (Pearson, 2012).

                Even though there have been steps taken to reconcile and heal this community of people there is still much to be done.  Looking at something as simple as housing that is still a massive issue among the Anishnaabe communities, one could say that the proper steps have not been taken to fight against the abuse of power we feel from our governments (Pearson, 2012).  Liberalism would frown upon this hugely as insisting equality in opportunity for everyone (Pearson, 2012) is what they strive for. 

                To break this continuous cycle I think it is important for everyone to be educated not only on Anishnaabe issues but politics.  In order to ensure freedom and prosperity for everyone knowing how and who to vote for is crucial. 

Kristin*

References

Aboriginal Healing Foundation (2012).  Retrieved from: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/.  Ottawa, ON

Pearson, L. B. (2012).  Lester B. Pearson On Liberalism.  Access Web Company.  Retrieved from http://www.canadahistory.com/sections/documents/leaders/Pearson/On%20Liberalism.html

Aboriginal Youth Left Hanging

(Deszi, 2012)

           In his Executive Director’s Report at the Annual General Meeting of the National Association of Friendship Centres, Jeff Cyr states that on June 12, 2012, thousands of Aboriginal Youth across Canada attended their local Friendship Centre to find their Cultural programs had suddenly ended. The reason was that the Federal Conservative Government had cut funding for the Cultural Connections for Aboriginal Youth (CCAY) program. The CCAY program was funded through the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program focused on re-connecting urban Aboriginal youth with their culture, traditions and heritage. The oversight of the program was moved to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, where Minister John Duncan had a different agenda than that of re-connecting youth to culture (Cyr, 2012).

Jeff Cyr’s report indicated the CCAY funding was quietly and abruptly cut June 9^th. In addition, the cuts were made retroactive to April 1^st. This meant the cash strapped youth and Friendship Centres were left scrambling to look for money to pay for the program costs incurred since April 1^st on their own as they would not be reimbursed for expenses from the government. The reason given for the cuts was that the CCAY program did not contribute to job creation. Instead, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development established new criteria for funding these programs, new criteria with many changes that lack cultural connections (Cyr, 2012).

The primary focus of the new program to be implemented is designed to meet the conservative agenda of “investing in preparing Aboriginal youth for the labour market”. (Duncan, 2012) The plan amalgamates three programs, the CCAY, Young Canada Works and the Friendship Centre Program, into one (Cyr, 2012). The new program plan fits well with the neo-conservative agenda of creating labourers for the new global economy, as Minister Duncan claims, by equipping youth with skills. These skills are seen by the conservative government as essential to participate more fully in Canada’s economy (Duncan, 2012).

My understanding is that Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development cancelled the funding of this program and has done nothing to replace those cultural connections to language and heritage that are so important to building strong and healthy people.  “From a First Nations perspective, mental wellness has been described as ‘the balance between the social, physical, spiritual, and emotional life of a First Nation’s person’ many factors contribute to high levels of substance misuse, suicide, and other mental health issues within First Nations populations.  Some include recovering from a history of colonization and assimilation, current systemic discrimination, loss of tradition, language and culture, residential schooling and child apprehension”  (Health: Provincial conference,” 2012).  The impact of cuts to the CCAY program was felt immediately. CCAY clients were left out in the cold as youth centres closed their doors due to lack of funding. Workers who delivered programs in cultural awareness, native language and who helped make connections for Aboriginal youth to their heritage were laid off. The youth were left without alternatives in the meantime.

Unfortunately, I have seen the social impacts of the cuts to funding myself. I received a call from the Indian Friendship Centre here in Sault Ste. Marie where my son was attending the CCAY program. The call was to advise me that the program had been abruptly cancelled and the program worker had been laid off. The men who ran the program were much more than paid labour. They provided mentorship, acted as role models, and provided a place for young men to gather. These are intangible qualities, which cannot be measured by neo-conservative ideology. As of today, that program has not been replaced. On a personal level, the impact is more directly felt as my son no longer accesses cultural programming for his age group. Since we are new to this community, we do not possess the same cultural connections as we had previously in our home community. The CCAY had provided an important connection to Aboriginal culture that helped make us, and other urban aboriginal people strong. It’s unfortunate that the neo-conservative ideology of the Harper government doesn’t support these same values.

Lisa

Resources

Aboriginal Health News, First Nations. (2012). Health: Provincial conference targets mental health. Retrieved from National Aboriginal Health Organization website: http://www.naho.ca/blog/2012/01/31/health-provincial-conference-targets-mental-health/

Cyr, Jeff. "Executive Director's Report."41st Annual General Meeting of the National Association of Friendship Centres. 29 2012. 2. Print.

Deszi, A. (Photographer). (2012). Protest against aboriginal youth cultural program cuts. [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.dezsi.ca/2012/07/13/photo-coverage-from-ccay-protest/

Duncan, Honourable John. "Harper Government Investing in Preparing Aboriginal Youth for the Labour Market." National Association of Friendship Centres. Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, 3 2012. Web. 11 Nov 2012. http://nafc.ca/en/news/harper-government-investing-in-preparing-aboriginal-youth-for-the-labour-ma/press-releases/18.

Holistic AIDS Awareness

     There has been a lot of awareness raised in our blog about elevated statistics concerning suicide, living conditions, health, and murder within First Nations populations.  All of these factors contribute to the fact that Aboriginal people experienced HIV at rates about 3.6 times higher than other Canadians in 2008. (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2008) Living conditions are unbearable, and families are either dying from lack of health services available to heal their diseases, or suffering from addictions from attempting to numb their emotional pain.  This puts Aboriginal people at a greater risk of contracting HIV (Amirault, Morris, Saulnier, Steenbeek, 2010). Colonization created severe and complex trauma  (Karmali, S., et al. 2005) that has been self medicated as a coping mechanism for centuries.  We can only expect that the next generation will adopt the same unhealthy coping skills as the ones who have raised them.      

 The Canadian Aboriginal Aids Network (CAAN) is a non-profit organization that provides leadership, support and advocacy for Aboriginal people who are living with, and effected by HIV/AIDS.("Caan mission, philosophy,," 2012)  CAAN has just announced that their funding application has just been approved and they were given a five year grant for $1.5 million.  This money will be used to develop community based programs which will now be supported and researched by using issue-based criteria instead of always looking at discipline based research.  This means that important concerns around heightened statistics that impact HIV and AIDS outbreaks in First Nations communities, will finally be incorporated into the community based research initiatives.  This is an important gain in addressing policy concern.  This type of action is a great example of how socialist ideologies are beginning to permeate our treatment paradigms, and how it creates a belief in what is possible for others to aspire to.   
   

            www.caan.ca

    It seems as though we are starting to put a face on some pretty daunting, and seemingly insurmountable public issues.   If we are able to bring the individual into the equation of a complex problem, such as the AIDS epidemic among our indigenous people, then we will also be equipped to take a holistic approach in lowering the rates of suicide, addiction, health issues, and poverty, that threaten our nation.  This is a big advancement in the wellbeing of our indigenous population, and it was such an obvious piece of the puzzle that was keeping healing from happening.   We must first look at the individual, then the community in which they live in.  We can then understand the societal, and cultural determinants of their living conditions, and then we will be able to create change our world.

~Tara

References:

Public Health Agency of Canada, (2008). Population-specific hiv/aids status report: Aboriginal peoples. Retrieved from http://www.publichealth.gc.ca 

Amirault, M., Morris, C., Saulnier, G., Steenbeek, A., (2010).  Canadian Journal of Aboriginal Community-based HIV/AIDS Research, Vol. 3,  p.18.

Karmali, S., et al., (2005). Epidemiology of severe trauma among status aboriginal Canadians: a population-based study. Canadian Medical Association 

Caan mission, philosophy, goals and vision. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.caan.ca/about/mission/

grassy narrows

Grassy Narrows Mercury Poisoning

Grassy Narrows Mercury Poisoning

Here’s a disturbing news article that identifies the social problem of mercury poisoning in the community of Grassy Narrows First Nation. A pulp mill in Dryden Ontario dumped mercury in the Waabigoon River forty years ago. Since 1960 the people from Grassy Narrows have supported their local economy through the tourism camps, and the tour guides and tourists would eat the fish that they would catch (Wall, 2012). Many of the tour guides were told by their employers to eat the fish, so that it wouldn’t impact the tourist industry. Furthermore, the government knew about the mercury in the river, but denied it was making people sick. The Grassy Narrows First Nation’s people who have been eating the fish they catch, and drinking along with bathing in the contaminated water have all experienced devastating and irreversible effects of mercury poisoning.

Over the past forty years people have been suffering in silence up in Grassy Narrows. Many of the people with mercury poisoning experience symptoms of numbness, loss of their senses, violent seizures, and they have difficulty eating because they can’t feel the muscles in their faces and jaws. A Japanese researcher named Dr. Masazumi Harada  who is a mercury expert that has been following this issue for decades, stated that “ Minamata Disease is caused by mercury poisoning, and it permanently impacts the central nervous system” (Wall, 2012). The expert also stated that “59% of 160 people examined in Grassy Narrows & White Dog had mercury poisoning, and 44% of people aged 21-41 were impacted even though they were born after the dumping.  Most children born with mercury poisoning have serious health problems which include damage to the central nervous system, as well as developmental issues. The mothers while pregnant pass the mercury poisoning onto the unborn fetuses. 

This silent killer is an act of genocide and scientists are estimating it could take up to one hundred years for the mercury to go away. This community has had to face challenges with alcohol, violence, and suicide within the population of 1400. These challenges currently faced are the outcome of loss of their local economy. Chief Simon Fobister stated that “The biggest issues of concern in Grassy Narrows is the health impacts on its people, their commercial fishing industry has been seriously impacted, as well as guiding opportunities” (Wall, 2011). The most unsettling part of all about these issues in Grassy Narrows is in 1985, after a fifteen year battle with the Ontario government and the Dryden Paper Mill Company; disgustingly low monthly settlements were approved and paid out to the residents of Grassy Narrows. Former Chief Phil Formestor succumbed to his death at the age of 60 due to complications caused from having extreme levels of mercury poisoning. The next Chief, Steve Formestor can’t talk or eat without holding his jaw due to loss of senses, and he is barely able to walk. He currently receives a monthly compensation for $250.00 per month for mercury poisoning. Another innocent victim of mercury poisoning is a twelve year old girl who has serious health problems. Some of these issues include: violent seizers and being developmentally delayed.  She currently is paid the highest possible compensation at $800 dollars monthly; this is in trust until she reaches the age of eighteen. When the mother was speaking to the reporter she was asked “Did you know the fish was bad to eat?” Although she answered no, she went on to explain that “up here we enjoy fishing and eating the fish, it’s part of life and our culture, for our people up here” (Windego, 2012).

It is my understanding that the Neo-Liberalism ideology approach supports destroying the environment for the sake of being economically productive. Business should be privately owned and free from government interference in order to make profit and create jobs which is equally important in stabilizing the economy with the industries of forestry and tourism. Corporate taxes along with minimum wage and workplace legislation squeeze out jobs which forty years ago helped support the local economy of Grassy Narrows (Mullaly, 2007).
Thanks Allison

References

Mullaly, B. (2007). The liberal and neo-liberal paradigms. InThe New Structural Social Work (3rd ed., p. 93). Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Porter, J. (Producer) (2012). Cbc news story [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c79DFYxjipo

Wall, P. (Producer) (2011). Cbc news story [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?vMzkza4Ip-vo

Windego, D. (Producer) (2012). Aptn national news [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBSIt0NGqic

Drug Addiction in Northern First Nations

In the fall of 2010, SLFNHA (Sioux Lookout F.N. Health Assoc.) and the Chiefs Committee on Health started working on a film project on opiate drug abuse.  This film is based on a young womans struggle with drug addiction in her community of Eabametoong First Nation (Fort Hope), which is 360km north of Thunder Bay, ON.  This First Nation is only accessible by plane and ice roads in the winter.

As I was watching this documentary it saddened me on how many First Nations in isolated communities lack Government assistance for help and treatment solutions.  This particular First Nation has experienced opiate or oxycontin abuse within the past 3 to 4 years.  Many gangs from the Thunder Bay region had started smuggling this drug into this community.  One pill (oxycontin) sells at $400 per pill.  About 80% of their young people are addicted to this drug.  Many young mothers and others will spend their money on this drug instead of buying food and basic necessities for their children and rely on parents or other family members to buy food.

Most of these northern First Nations do have services provided but are not specialized in treatment.  Access and treatment or detox in the north is difficult.  Many Health services afforded to other Canadians are often non existent on reserves, so they struggle alone without adequate help.  The number of people asking to get treatment is high, its become the norm according to one of the social workers in the community.  It may take up to a year or even longer to get approval to attend a treatment facility.  However, it is not easy to get into these treatment centres, many get rejected and have to apply to other facilities.  Also, if one does get accepted some young moms have to put their children in care while attending treatment.

Police services reported increases in crime and have been linked to the use of oxycontin.  It was reported that in 2005 there were approximately 13,000 calls made to police and has increased to about 20,000 in 2010 in close nit northern First Nations.  The community of Fort Hope had declared a state of emergency because of 47 arsons, 61 assaults, 73 drug related calls and 3 murders.  Not only does Fort Hope and other northern First Nations suffer with prescription drug abuse it has increased in the south and across Canada and has become an epidemic in North America with native and non-native peoples.  More social programs and policies have to be put in place to fight this growing epidemic.  There also needs to be more funding to assist northern communities.

Thanks,

Jennifer (nish group)

References:

http://www.slfnha.com/programs-services/health-services/prescription-drug-abuse/899-2/

Housing Conditions in First Nation Communities

Housing conditions in First Nation Communities has gained the attention of the public in the past several years. According to Frideres & Gadacz, the devastating reality of housing shortages, chronic overcrowding, mold, in door sewage shortages, contaminated water, acute respiratory disease have always been unhealthy, inhuman, and apparent for many years and that "these issues reflect poor housing conditions and other environmental conditions that Aboriginal children are born into" (2008, p.80). 

After watching an interview on APTN National News report on housing crisis in the community of Attawapiskat, I felt so sad, angry, and  a sense of hopelessness for the Indigenous peoples of this land.  News reporter Nigel  Newlove, asked the  National Chief Shawn Atleo of the Assembly of First Nation, his thoughts on current issues of cut backs;  Atleo stated “ the issues concerning Ontario reserves resulting in housing conditions that mirror those in the poorest of developing countries, and that these conditions are right across the country. We have many Attawapiskats” (Atleo 2012, 26).

While the First nation in Attawapiskat exposed the Federal, Provincial, and Municipal governments on the toxic living conditions, there is little to a large degree of what outcomes this community was hoping. The Canadian government sent out transportable trailer's as a cure for this current issue, however, it is undetermined within the governments who is going to pay for the costs (Atleo 2012, 26). Also, "the horrific living conditions of Aboriginal people in Canada are difficult for many people to acknowledge. Yet it is impossible to ignore the impact that colonization has had in creating structural inequities experienced by Aboriginal peoples, individuals and communities" (Turner & Turner 2009, p.96).

Within the structure of the Canadian government there are a variety of ideological perspectives that shape the way social welfare programs and services are delivered. The Conservative party has majority of votes and it seems that in the House of Commons, from a residual perspective, they tend to take a limited and temporary approach to social problems. The conservative ideology perspective is " Individual freedom is more important than social equality and should not be sacrificed to the latter; state regulation of capitalism should be kept to a minimum and should not be used to promote any but economic goals; social diversity is a fact, but should not be actively promoted by government; individuals should be responsible for their own lives, and policies that encourage dependency on the state should be avoided" (2009, p.28).

In regards to the housing crisis all over Turtle Island, "Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which Canada signed, gave everyone the right "to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care, and necessary social services" (2009, p.176). When we see any ethnic group in our country living in inhuman conditions, we do not  judge nor ignore the facts that this needs attention and relief.

Tammy

References

Gadacz, R. R., & Frideres, J. S. (2008). Aboriginal peoples of canada (8th ed.). Toronto: Pearson
Newlove, N. (2012, September 26). Aboriginal peoples television network. [Television broadcast]. Alberta: National News
Turner, J. C., & Turner, F. J. (2009). Canadian Social Welfare (6th ed.). Toronto: Pearson

Something Needs To Be Done

When anyone thinks of suicide, in my opinion it is never a good thing.  The fact that it is becoming more common among certain identified groups is alarming and to me, quite frankly sickening.  In my own experience just from watching news casts and living life, bullying is one of the main reasons people decide to take their own lives.  Memorials are created so these people are never forgotten but shouldn’t something more be done considering the deceased’s assailants have committed a crime by harassing, tormenting and sometimes even physically abusing them? 

Taking into consideration the stigma Anishnaabe people already carry around with them coupled with this tormenting and bullying it’s no wonder why more and more Anishnaabe individuals are taking their own lives.  According to a study done by Health Canada in 2005, suicide was the leading cause of death among First Nation people between the ages of ten and 44 (National Aboriginal Health Organization, 2012).  This statistic to me is alarming and most definitely a red flag that there has not been enough reconciling and healing among the Anishnaabe communities.  I feel as though they have lost all ties with their culture, they have been subjected to living conditions that are nothing close to adequate and they are often harassed and tormented. 

In my opinion everything related to these high suicide rates among the Anishnaabe community is part of a cycle they’ve been forced into.  It has been said that the suicide rate among the Anishnaabe community is almost twice as high as the suicide rate for the rest of the general population (National Aboringinal Health Organization, 2012).  I feel as though being told where to live which is normally in outskirt towns, they are provided with less than the bare minimum at times, they are often ridiculed by the public, they are not provided with half as many  health services as the rest of the population (Lecompte, 2012) and most of all their culture is lost.  Anyone subjected to these types of environments and restrictions would more than likely begin questioning their own self-worth and essentially if life or death would best.  This cycle has clearly taken a toll on generations of Anishnaabe individuals and I feel it will continue to if no one facilitates change and nothing is done about it. 

I was informed of this video called Third World Canada produced by Andree Cazabon and it is a documentary on First Nation children and the conditions they live in on their reserves.  I was unable to get access to the full video but I was able to watch a five minute clip and think it is important to share because it documents some of the hardships the communities all over Ontario are enduring and may speak a little as to why so many lives are being taken early.  Here it is.

This video is just a short clip but shows a glimpse of someone taking a small step in the right direction.  After watching this I was saddened by many things.  No child should live without their parents and the fact that those 2 little boys and the rest of their family have to, to me seems to keep this cycle going.  The video stated that most of these Anishnaabe children end up under the care of the State which would mean no one is teaching them about their culture.  This would result in a low sense of self-worth and identity which can lead to suicide (National Aboriginal Health Organization, 2012).  If something is not done to break this cycle, I feel we will no longer have the Anishnaabe culture. 

Kristin*

 

References

Cazabon, A. (2010).  Third World Canada (YouTube Video).  Retrived from:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7DIm00tz9E

 

First Nations Centre (2012). Suicide Prevention and Two Spirited People. Ottawa: National Aboriginal Health Organization

Lecompte, E. (2012, March).  Aboriginal Health Human Resources: A Matter of Health.  Journal of Aboriginal Health, 16-22.