Don
Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:42:00 -0700
First Nations call for independent health care system
Darren Bernhardt
Canwest News Service
Thursday, July 24, 2008 http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=cf73bce0-ab0d-4c62-8c90-dba6244ff63b THUNDERCHILD FIRST NATION, Sask. - Saying Canada's public health-care system is "not working" for native peoples, chiefs representing Treaty Six First Nations took the first steps Thursday afternoon towards creating their own, separate health system. Their vision includes Indian-run hospitals where patients can receive either contemporary or traditional healing methods, the latter relying on holistic and natural medicine from plants and roots, said Eldon Okanee, a spokesman for Thunderchild First Nation. Okanee served as moderator of a two-day event called The Medicine Chest Gathering, which brought together First Nations peoples and dignitaries from Treaty Six territory, which spans Alberta, Saskatchewan and a bit of Manitoba. Thunderchild is located about 225 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. "The present health system is not working for us," Okanee said. "Many of our people are suffering from diseases, like diabetes and high blood pressure, but the health system in place is (not) helping." Treatments are not always accessible to First Nations people in remote reserves, or to those in urban centres who cannot afford it. "It's time Indians took control of Indian health, much like we did when we took control of Indian education," Okanee said. "Today our education institutions produce hundreds of qualified graduates. We have the same vision for universal health care." When the Indian Act was created in 1876, First Nations people were prohibited from practising traditional medicine. Their traditional education, culture and languages were also banned, as the government tried to assimilate them. "We're starting to get those things back, but we still have to fight," said Okanee, who believes the health-care system could be created by simply redirecting current funding from Ottawa. During the gathering, which ran from July 22 to 24, a task force was assembled to build the vision for the Indian-run health-care system. On Thursday afternoon, a declaration was signed by Thunderchild Chief Dale Awasis, Chief Ernest Sundown of Big Island Lake Cree Nation, and Chief Wallace Fox of Onion Lake Cree Nation, along with two other chiefs representing the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations of Alberta. In October, a delegation will attend a United Nations conference to present their plans and request support for an international lobby. © Saskatoon StarPhoenix [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Native News North List info{all lists}: http://nativenewsonline.org/natnews.htm Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NatNews-north/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NatNews-north/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/