First Nation looks for elder care support

May 30, 2007 - The health director for Muskeg Lake Cree Nation is looking for someone to pick up the ball when it comes to funding services for elderly First Nations on reserve. Read More>>

Native men urged to end violence against women

May 30, 2007 - A workshop next month will urge Aboriginal men to unite in an effort to end violence against women. Read More>>

Pilot project to provide free nicotine gum, patches

May 30, 2007 - On the one-year anniversary of Ontario's smoke-free act, Jim Watson said free nicotine replacement therapy will be available from 64 health centres across the province, including 10 aboriginal health centres. Read More>>

Youth advocate: B.C. is failing foster kids

VANCOUVER, May 30, 2007 - Children in foster and government care have a distressing time in British Columbia schools, their results alarmingly below those of other students, according to a grim report released yesterday by the province's new children and youth representative. Read More>>

Troubled Alberta teens to descend upon ranch

May 30, 2007 - A county ranch will be hosting 60 gang-related Alberta teens this summer as part of a nationally unique program to help aboriginal youth escape the gang lifestyle. Read More>>

The First Step Towards an Inuit Graduate Program: Inuit Health Research and Planning Summer Institute in August 2007

OTTAWA, May 29, 2007 - The first Inuit summer institute on health research methods and planning will be held at the University of Ottawa from August 13-31, 2007. This launches an Inuit graduate program on health research, which will eventually include an Inuit Masters and Doctoral cohort. Read More>>

Shelter opens for troubled Innu children

May 29, 2007 - A shelter has opened in an Innu community in Labrador to help troubled adolescents, particularly those under the influence of solvents and drugs, only two months after the death of the woman who fought for years to get it built. Read More>>

Government not providing adequate schooling for kids in care

May 29, 2007 - It was report card day for the children whose legal parent is the B.C. government. Read More>>

Coalition calls for end to government squabbling over who pays the bill for Aboriginal child health services

OTTAWA, May 28, 2007 - A coalition of national Aboriginal and health organizations is calling on federal and provincial governments to end the jurisdictional squabbling that results in hundreds of Aboriginal children and youth being denied essential health services that are available to other Canadian children. Read More>>

Fresh fare, fresh idea

May 28, 2007 - A new program launched by the Nunatsiavut Government established NunaKatiget Inuit Community Corporation is now aiming to supply beneficiaries in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Mud Lake with “fresh food.” Read More>>

Northern medical students gain understanding, appreciation of native life

May 28, 2007 - Kyle Lansdell grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, with two First Nations literally in his backyard, but he "had to go all the way to medical school" to begin to gain an appreciation of native culture. Read More>>

Scientists help Walpole band probe health troubles

WALPOLE ISLAND, May 27, 2007 - The beautiful wetlands here are one of the most diverse ecosystems in the Great Lakes basin. But those who live here, on and with the 6,900 hectares, have seen their home change. Read More>>

Gangs attract vulnerable

May 25, 2007 - Chris Andersen has heard all the ugly rhetoric before. It goes: "If native people would just stop dwelling on past injustices and start living in the present, they wouldn't have all the social problems they do now." Read More>>

Province promotes healthy living by supporting local organizations

PEMBROKE, ON, May 24, 2007 - The provincial government is helping to promote fitness and healthier living by supporting two local organizations with $80,000 in grants. Read More>>

First Nations chiefs meet to talk about 'crisis' on reserves

May 22, 2007 - Leaders of First Nations are gathering in Quebec on Tuesday for a two-day summit to talk about the "crisis situation" facing aboriginal communities across Canada. Read More>>

Hospital talks raise awareness about First Nations culture

May 22, 2007 - National Aboriginal Awareness Week is being celebrated at Cariboo Memorial Hospital May 22 to 25 with a series of short presentations in the hospital cafeteria. Read More>>

Assembly of First Nations and The Canadian Red Cross Society to Sign Agreement during Aboriginal Awareness Week

OTTAWA, May 22, 2007 - National Chief Phil Fontaine, Assembly of First Nations, and Paul Wharram, Acting Secretary General of the Canadian Red Cross will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Assembly of First Nations Policy Forum/Special Chiefs Assembly on Wednesday, May 23, 2007. Read More>>

Ontario Invests In Toronto-Area Aboriginal Centres

TORONTO, May 22, 2007 - The Ontario government is investing in renovation projects for nine Toronto-area Aboriginal social services organizations to promote health and prosperity among urban Aboriginal peoples, Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs David Ramsay announced today. Read More>>

Aboriginal Peoples Given Stronger Voice in Health Research

OTTAWA, May 22, 2007 - Aboriginal Peoples will now have greater involvement in the planning, execution and sharing of research outcomes conducted with their communities, as a result of new research ethics guidelines recently released by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Read More>>

Watered Down Excuse

May 21, 2007 - Across Canada, Original Peoples suffer a plague of unsafe drinking water in their communities. Read More>>

Sexual violence against indigenous women discussed at United Nations

NEW YORK, May 18, 2007 - In Mexico, Ines Fernandez Ortega, a 27-year-old woman, was preparing food in her kitchen when a group of soldiers entered her house and raped her. Read More>>

Assembly of First Nations National Chief applauds private member's motion calling on Canada to put First Nations children first

OTTAWA, May 18, 2007 - Today, National Chief Phil Fontaine applauds NDP Aboriginal Affairs critic Jean Crowder for calling upon the Government of Canada to immediately adopt a Child-First principle, based on Jordan's Principle, for services directed at First Nations children. Read More>>

Cape Dorset asks Nunavut to reopen women's shelter

May 18, 2007 - The hamlet of Cape Dorset on southwestern Baffin Island has asked the Nunavut government to help reopen the local women's shelter, which has been closed for more than a year. Read More>>

Native women healing water spirit

May 18, 2007 - Songs and prayers to heal Lake Nipissing began Thursday and will continue through the weekend as a delegation of First Nation women travels its perimeter on foot. Read More>>

Program offers free wild meat to elders

May 16, 2007 - A new community freezer program is putting wild meat like caribou back on the tables of Inuit elders in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Read More>>

Aboriginal children in care victims of more than poverty, says Metis leader

CALGARY, May 16, 2007 - National native leader Phil Fontaine is over-simplifying when he charges that aboriginal children are unfairly taken from their families because of poverty, said the head of a Métis family resource centre in Edmonton. Read More>>

Slow progress on protecting children

May 16, 2007 - Although a self-described old hockey player, Community Resources Minister Buckley Belanger prefers a football analogy to describe his determination to integrate First Nations and their agencies into the effective care of Saskatchewan children. Read More>>

Bridging the health gap; Program sends nursing students into workplace to improve health

May 15, 2007 - A group of nursing students hopes to bridge the gap between occupational health and First Nations communities. Read More>>

Health projects honoured

SYDNEY, NS, May 15, 2007 — An organization that helps natives with intellectual disabilities and a civic-minded lab technologist have been recognized by the Cape Breton district health authority. Read More>>

Aboriginal women’s shelters underfunded, advocates say

May 14, 2007 - Aboriginal and non-native women's groups joined together Monday to decry the underfunding of women's shelters in Quebec's aboriginal communities. Read More>>

Band members put through their paces

May 13, 2007 - The simple act of walking has transformed the lives and health of a group of local First Nations people. Read More>>

Youth workers hired

May 13, 2007 - B.C. is aiming to increase the number of child and youth mental health workers across the province by nearly 15 per cent this year. Read More>>

Cheap smokes sold in legal grey area

May 12, 2007 - Do you know what you're smoking? If you buy cigarettes in Ziploc bags on a First Nation, you may be surprised. Read More>>

Ambulance service won't suffer: Katz

WINNIPEG, May 12, 2007 – Winnipeg's mayor and Manitoba's health minister promise ambulance service won't suffer as the city, province and federal governments try to figure out who will pay an overdue ambulance tab that's threatening city finances and offending urban aboriginals. Read More>>

$19.4 million health centre languishes with no staff

CAMBRIDGE BAY, May 11, 2007 - When pregnant women arrive at the new Kitikmeot Health Centre in labour, ready to deliver their babies, they're in for a big disappointment. Read More>>

McGuinty government improves training program for First Nations in the North

May 11, 2007 - The McGuinty government is supporting improved skills training for health clerks in Northern Ontario by investing in curriculum and materials for the Health Office Clerk Certificate Program at Sault College, Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced today. Read More>>

Message about bad water on reserves not getting through: study

May 11, 2007 - Health Canada says it plans to revamp its communication strategy about drinking water in aboriginal communities after finding out that its warning ads are not working. Read More>>

First Nation trains to monitor toxins

SARNIA, ON, May 11, 2007 - A First Nations community living in the shadow of Canada's largest cluster of chemical and manufacturing facilities will become its own environmental police force following studies documenting skewed birth ratios on the reserve. Read More>>

New Natuashish chief promises cleaner finances, health

May 11, 2007 - The new chief in an Innu village in northern Labrador said he hopes to bring both accountability and sobriety to a community that has attracted international attention for long-running problems with substance abuse. Read More>>

Minister Clement Announces 2007 Award of Excellence in Nursing

OTTAWA, May 11, 2007 - The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, today congratulated three recipients of the Award of Excellence in Nursing for nurses working in First Nations and Inuit communities. Read More>>

First Nation opens mental health home

May 10, 2007 - The Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation has opened a facility to help women diagnosed with mental and cognitive disabilities. Read More>>

B.C. increases mental health funding

With one in seven B.C. children affected by a mental illness, the provincial government plans to increase the number of child and youth mental health workers across the province by nearly 15 per cent this year. Read More>>

Massett man pursuing medical degree

May 9, 2007 - Three years in, the University of Northern BC's medical program has already had success attracting aboriginal students, including one young man from Masset, Peter Eppinga. Read More>>

Province, feds disagree on who pays for natives; City

WINNIPEG, May 8, 2007 - The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is embroiled in a dispute with the province over millions in unpaid ambulance fees — and the mounting bills are causing cash-flow problems for emergency services. Read More>>

No review for aboriginal suicides in Ontario jails

May 7, 2007 - A leading expert on suicide said despite the large number of aboriginal men who take their own lives inside Ontario jails over the decades, there's never been any kind of review or study to look at the problem. Read More>>

Substance abuse pilot project launched in Sheshatshiu school

May 7, 2007 - A bold initiative in tackling substance abuse problems in the province’s aboriginal communities was revived and kicked off in Sheshatshiu last week. Read More>>

National Chief calls for Canada to recognize First Nations communities as priority during Mental Health Awareness Week

OTTAWA, May 7, 2007 - With the launch of Mental Health Awareness Week, May 7-13, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Phil Fontaine is calling for national recognition that promoting First Nations mental wellness is critical for the future of Canada. Read More>>

Northern aboriginal people urged to boost vitamin D intake

May 4, 2007 - In light of recent research that suggests vitamin D could reduce incidences of certain cancers and multiple sclerosis, health experts are urging northerners, and aboriginal people in particular, to spend some time in the sun and take in more vitamin D in food or vitamin supplements. Read More>>

Suicide response plans gather dust

May 4, 2007 - Nunavut's most recent suicide took place in Kugluktuk on April 20, when a 20-year-old man shot himself. Read More>>

Three U of S Projects Awarded $805,000 to Study Aboriginal Health

May 4, 2007 - Three researchers from the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatoon Health Region have been awarded a total of $805,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to study immunization rates among Aboriginal children in Saskatoon, healthy body weight and image among rural Aboriginal women, and the health and well being of on-reserve Aboriginal youth. Read More>>

Last Chance to Join 2007 Move for Health Day

SAANICH TERRITORY (VICTORIA, BC), May 4, 2007 - The Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Association of BC (ASRA) is encouraging Aboriginal communities to join the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association’s (BCRPA) Move For Health Day on Thursday May 10, 2007. Read More>>

Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation Receives Contribution To Increase Child Care Spaces

WHITEHORSE, YK, May 4, 2007 - Health and Social Services Minister Brad Cathers today announced a contribution of $300,000 to Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation to improve and expand child care services in Dawson City. Read More>>

First Nations Gardens Expansion Promotes Healthy Living

VICTORIA, BC, May 3, 2007 - In the spirit of growing the New Relationship, Agriculture and Lands Minister Pat Bell announced $127,500 in provincial funding, provided through ActNow BC, for the expansion of the First Nations Community Food Systems for Healthy Living. Read More>>

AFN Health Access Website site Launched to Mark National Aboriginal Diabetes Awareness Day

OTTAWA, May 3 - Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine will mark the 9th Annual National Aboriginal Diabetes Awareness Day with the launch of a new web site that will allow people to register concerns or comments regarding Non-insured Health Benefits or health services in general. Read More>>

Nursing Grad Brings First Nations Sensitivity to Her Role

May 3, 2007 - Grandma Rose was thrilled when granddaughter Viola chose to pursue a nursing degree after her first year of university. Read More>>

Addictions, mental health forum is slated

May 2, 2007 - Northern Health is holding public consultations in 21 communities throughout the north on the issues of addictions and mental health services. Read More>>

Correctional Service of Canada: Inmates and Officers Partner in a Continuum of Care

WINNIPEG, May 2, 2007 - On May 8th, between 1-4 pm, staff and inmates at Stony Mountain Institution will celebrate the fifth anniversary of Ni-Miikana. Read More>>

BC provides boost to Aboriginal sports

May 1, 2007 - British Columbia is investing in Aboriginal sports involvement. Read More>>

Aboriginal suicide prevention program not working, survey says

Apr 30, 2007 - Health Canada's efforts to curb the high aboriginal youth suicide rate haven't been working, according to a survey of suicide prevention workers conducted earlier this year. Read More>>