First Nations Voice

PAGE 2 • NOVEMBER 2012 ADVERTISING MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS First Nations Voice creates an opportunity for advertisers, businesses and all levels of government to reach First Nations audiences in Saskatchewan, Manitoba * Ontario. With a focus on training, education and employment opportunities, this publication serves to showcase opportunities available to First Nations and all Aboriginal people. department, 697-7020, for more information about file types accepted. The Free Press can also build your ad. Please contact your First Nations Voice ad sales rep for details. disk or delivered electronically, should be Mac compatible. Please include all files necessary for output. Call the Winnipeg Free Press pre-press All digital advertising files, whether on NEXT ISSUE: December 1, 2012 The December advertising deadline is November 19, 2012 Alan Isfeld (204-256-0645) / e-mail: rdeagle@mymts.net For your ad placement and contents CONTACT EDITH BONNER (204-697-7389) edith.bonner@freepress.mb.ca BREANNA LAMBERT (204-697-7374) firstnationsvoice@winnipegfreepress.com Toll free 1-800-542-8900 HOW TO CONTACT US PUBLISHER Al Isfeld (204.256.0645) ASSISTANT EDITOR Breanna Lambert (204.697.7374) firstnationsvoice@winnipegfreepress.com All Rights Reserved. Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Scanterbury, MB R0E 1W0 Phone 204.256.0645 E-mail rdeagle@mymts.net 100-per-cent First Nations owned — Distribution: 100,000 copies No material in First Nations Voice may be reproduced without permission of the copyright owner. First Nations Voice is published monthly by the First Nations Voice. the Winnipeg Free Press office. No out of office sales rep will collect cash outside of this office. Please direct questions to Edith Bonner 697-7389. All payments for advertisements in the First Nations Voice should be directed through 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, MB Canada, R2X 3B6 Advertising Sales Edith Bonner 204.697.7389 / edith.bonner@freepress.mb.ca Mike Manko 918-7768 mmanko@mymts.net Sales and Marketing Breanna Lambert p: 204.697.7374) e: firstnationsvoice@winnipegfreepress.com Subscriptions $26.25 annually, payable to First Nations Voice c/o Winnipeg Free Press Message from Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief DEREK NEPINAK Health Renewal Strategy Derek J. Nepinak LL.B., B.A. (Hons) Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief, cal office based on a wholistic vision to promote economic, political, health and social develop- ment for the First Nations people in Manitoba. With my election to office through the support In the summer of 2011 I campaigned for politi- Peoples (RCAP) refers to the health status of Ab- original people as both a tragedy and crisis. Sadly, First Nations people are engaged in a constant, unremitting daily struggle to achieve an equitable health status that is enjoyed by all Canadians. Jurisdiction over health services for First Na- tions people remains ambiguous and an on-going debate between the federal and provincial govern- ments with respect to health. To understand how this situation has come to of First Nation leadership I have been provided the mandate to explore new opportunities of improv- ing the health and well being of the First Nation citizens of this Province. A 'Health Renewal Strategy' has been devel- exist, one must look to the historical relationship between First Nations and the nation-state. The Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly called the oped, built with the culmination of several years of research, political deliberation and direction by the First Nation leadership, community service and program providers and technical working groups. This vision is anchored on the premise that First Nations are in the best position to take back responsibility for the health of their communities. By all scales of measurement, and across all spectrums of health indicators, most conditions for British North America Act 1867) encompasses the original creation of a federal dominion and de- fines much of the operation of the Government of Canada. Among other provisions, it defines health care as a provincial jurisdiction, and Indian Affairs as a federal jurisdiction, thereby beginning a juris- dictional debate over Indian health which remains current. Interventions aimed at First Nation health in Manitoba were initially designed in the context of 'disease and epidemic' management, to protect the health of the settler population. A General Medical Superintendent was es- tablished in 1904 along with a mobile nurse visi- First Nations in Manitoba are well below the basic level acceptable to a nation with one of the highest standards of living in the world. The 1996 Royal Commission on Aboriginal tor program in 1922. The first on-reserve nursing station was set up on the Peguis Reserve in 1930. Indian Health was incorporated into the National Department of Health and Welfare when formed in 1944, and federally controlled health facilities were built on some Indian reserves to provide pri- mary health care delivered by nurses. The Canadian national health care system was established in 1970, and is a publicly financed, publicly administered, and partially privately deliv- ered system, managed by the provinces under the umbrella of the Canada Health Act. Off-reserve services remained the responsibil- traditionally been developed in isolation of, or without regard to, First Nations consultation and input which has had a direct negative impact at the community level when accessing and delivering services. In recent years the federal and provincial gov- ity of the provinces. Public health, primary, sec- ondary and tertiary health care services can be accessed at no direct cost to the individual via Medicare, the publicly funded health insurance scheme. Unfortunately this creation of the national health care system did not end the separation of jurisdiction in health care for First Nations. On-reserve services remained separately funded by the federal government. These servic- es are largely limited to public health and health promotion that by all standards are grossly under resourced. In isolated communities, services are minimally broader in scope to include a mixture of primary health care and primary medical care delivered by nurses with extended scope of prac- tice capacities, intermittent physician services and local paraprofessionals. ernments have embarked on several integration and adaptation initiatives inclusive of devolution, with an emphasis on First Nations assuming ad- ministrative responsibility for their (government) policies. The transfer of authority in other areas such as theory, jurisdiction, rules of implementation and unilateral policy decisions create considerable complexities that result in service gaps and ac- cessibility issues. The federal and provincial health policy has While these systems appear coherent in Education and Child and Family Services served as important intergovernmental experiences that have demonstrated several problems with admin- istering federal and provincial legislation and poli- cies, including inequitable and insufficient finan- cial resources which challenges First Nations to meet standards and results in criticism of the First Nation ability to self govern. First Nations continue to be governed by spe- cific and particular laws, regulations, and policy that apply to no other members of this country. Today, First Nations are closer to realizing their role and are prepared to take greater responsibility Continued on page 11

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