To save Nunavut lives, immunize, expert says

If respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, contributed to recent infant deaths in Nunavut, then those deaths and other severe illnesses were likely preventable, a children’s lung expert told Nunatsiaq News.
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Living conditions in Nunavik 'unacceptable'

Decrying poverty and social problems in Nunavik, the sparsely-populated northern third of the province where 11,000 Inuit live, Parti Québécois aboriginal affairs critic Alexandre Cloutier said yesterday living conditions in Quebec's north are "unacceptable."

And he quoted Pita Atami, president of Makivik Corp., the Inuit economic development agency, saying Premier Jean Charest's Plan Nord, to develop the north, cannot go ahead without first dealing with the social problems and the housing crisis.

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Aboriginal patient navigators bridge divide between Western and traditional care

VICTORIA — Heather Olsen always knew she wanted to work with her “own people” so she could make a difference in their health.

Not long after graduating from the University of Victoria nursing program, Olsen, a member of the Tsartlip First Nation, was hired as an aboriginal nurse liaison, a position that involves navigating aboriginals through the health care system.

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Unique diabetes program has big impact on B.C. First Nation

Chief Robert Joseph was furious when he first laid eyes on Dr. Keith Dawson and his partner at an aboriginal health meeting.

"I thought: 'Who on Earth do these people think they are, parachuting into my community,' " says Joseph, hereditary chief of Gwawaenuk First Nation in northern B.C. "They're going to tell us again about what's good for us, what we ought to be doing. I've seen it all my life.

"I sat there fuming," he says of that first encounter at Vancouver's native friendship centre three years ago.

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CAMH launches first Research Laboratory on wheels dedicated to mental health and addictions

Today, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) launched Canada's first mobile research laboratory to study mental health and addictions in communities across Ontario. The mobile lab will allow CAMH researchers to reach underserved populations in rural, remote and First Nations communities to help improve prevention and treatment services in these communities, and beyond.

"The mobile research lab fills a gap by bringing world-class research by epidemiologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists and social scientists to communities that are far from research centres," says Dr. Bruce G. Pollock, CAMH's Vice-President of Research.

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Diabetes hits First Nations hard: Poverty a big factor, advocate warns

‘My mother died of diabetes at age 60. I also lost my grandmother, auntie and uncle to diabetes-related disease. It was all kidney failure’ — Dina Bruyere, executive director of the National Aboriginal Diabetes Association.

The growing epidemic of Type 2 diabetes is wreaking havoc on Canada's First Nations communities, the leader of an advocacy and education group warned Tuesday.

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Worst TB outbreak in Nunavut's history a national problem: medical group

An editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says Nunavut's worst-ever outbreak of tuberculosis is a problem for the whole country, not just the North.
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AFN and the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada Continue Collaborative Efforts to Improve First Nations Health

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo and Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada (ANAC) President Evelyn Voyageur agreed to continue collaborative and cooperative efforts in the advancement and improvement of the health status of First Nation citizens in Canada.

“The AFN is proud to support ANAC’s ongoing work, which helps promote the development and practice of Aboriginal Health Nursing while at the same time developing and maintaining the partnerships necessary to improve health in First Nation communities,” said AFN National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo.

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Minister Oda Announces International Aboriginal Youth Internship Initiative

Today, as part of CIDA's International Development Week, the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, introduced a new opportunity for Aboriginal youth from across Canada to participate in international development through the new International Aboriginal Youth Internships (IAYI) initiative.

"The new International Aboriginal Youth Internships initiative is an exciting, new initiative that will bring a new experience to Canada's Aboriginal youth," said Minister Oda. "Their unique perspective and heritage will enhance our work in developing countries and enrich their opportunities to contribute to Canada's efforts to bring a better life to those living in poverty around the world. I firmly believe that our government's outreach to the Aboriginal youth in Canada in this way will open new doors in their futures."

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Health Canada seeks protective jab for all Inuit kids

Don’t wait, vaccinate. That’s the message Health Canada wants to send to Inuit parents and caregivers as part of a national campaign aimed at preventing illness among aboriginal children.

A new guide on vaccination, developed by Health Canada in partnership with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Pauuktutit Inuit Women of Canada and the Government of Nunavut, is now available in Inuktitut, English and French.
Immunization rates among Inuit have increased, but improvements can still be made, said Health Canada spokesman David Thomas.

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StatsCan urges Inuit to fill out census form

As the 2011 census rolls out across Canada’s North, Statistics Canada is encouraging Inuit residents to fill out the new and voluntary National Household Survey.

That’s because the information gathered during the census goes to benefit communities directly, since they are the primarily users of that data, says Guy Oddo, director of Statistics Canada’s eastern region.

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Minister Of Health Announces More Support For Child And Youth Mental Health Research In Nunavut

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, today announced $2.4 million of funding over five years for a research, intervention and community advocacy project to improve the mental health of children and youth in Nunavut.

"I understand it can be difficult to receive mental health services in remote communities," said Minister Aglukkaq. "That's why we're pleased to support projects that enhance mental health among children, youth and families."

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Fostering Biimaadiziwin: National Research Conference on Urban Aboriginal Peoples

Fostering Biimaadiziwin - National Research Conference on Urban Aboriginal Peoples, February 23 and 24, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, involves over 100 academics, community members and policy practitioners who will highlight positive research being conducted in urban Aboriginal communities in small and large cities throughout Canada.

Keynote Speakers include National Chief Shawn Atleo, Assembly of First Nations and Dr. Malcolm King, Scientific Director, Institute of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health, Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

The conference will spotlight various examples of forward looking research that provides descriptive evidence of the gains made by Aboriginal peoples. Presentations are collaborations between graduate students, faculty, government, community based organizations and Aboriginal community members. Most showcase a holistic approach by understanding the urban Indigenous environment throughout the research process and the respect for differing cultural perspectives. The partnerships from these projects assists in providing community led leadership when evidence based policy is recommended to governments and community partners.

For more information on Fostering Biimaadiziwin and to register please visit the conference website at www.nrcuap.net  or contact Kelly Patrick, Conference Coordinator and UAKN Communications Officer, at (613) 563-4844 ext 324.

Labrador Inuit battling obesity: research

A study done by Canadian university researchers and the Nunatsiavut government suggests 75 per cent of northern Labrador Inuit are either overweight or obese.

As part of the Adult Inuit Health Survey, clinicians measured the weight and waist circumference of 310 survey participants.

They found 74 per cent of women and 35 per cent of men had waist circumferences that put them at great risk for health problems.

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Manitoba universities to bid for centre to hold stories of residential schools

The University of Manitoba will make a bid for a national research centre that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission must establish before it wraps up its work.
The commission is gathering a permanent record of the sad chapter in Canadian history that revolves around Indian residential schools.

Karen Busby, the university's director of human rights research, says the proposed centre would serve as a public custodian of the stories of abuse.
Justice Murray Sinclair, the commission's chairman, says he's heard expressions of interest from universities coast to coast in Canada looking to land what will be clearly an academic jewel.

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StatsCan urges Inuit to fill out census form

In 1995, Alberta Health and Wellness created the Aboriginal Health Strategy with the long-term goal of reducing the inequalities in health status between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people of Alberta. Part of this strategy included the creation of the Aboriginal Health Careers Bursary, to assist aboriginal students taking postsecondary education in a health field. The award was established through the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund Endowment Program. Awards vary between $2,000 and $12,000 and the deadline is May 1, 2011.

Saskatchewan: First Annual Indigenous Health Conference

The Indigenous Peoples' Health Research Centre (IPHRC) is hosting the First Annual Saskatchewan Indigenous Health Research Conference, March 24-26, 2011 at the Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The goal of this conference is to bring together Elders, community and academic researchers, community members, Indigenous health care leaders, health care policy makers, students and other stakeholders working in various areas of Indigenous health.

While the focus of the conference is the health and wellness of Saskatchewan Indigenous peoples, we encourage the submission of abstracts from projects outside of the province.

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Inuit kindergarten class in Vanier gives taste of life in the North

Jane Kigutaq, a cultural teacher at the first Inuit kindergarten in Ottawa, shows a picture of a beaver to a class of four- and five-year-olds.

“Does it live up north?” asks Kigutaq, wearing a baby-carrying parka and long braids.

“No!” the group sitting on the floor says in unison.

“Why not?” she asks. “Because there are no trees,” ventures one boy. “Because it’s too cold,” she corrects him.

Later, when Kigutaq points to a window and says “What side is this?” everybody knows the right answer. “North!”

The Canadian North, mostly Nunavut, is where the 15 Inuit children or their families come from. Living in Ottawa (called simply “the south” by the parents) they are learning their language and culture in a classroom in the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Centre on McArthur Road.

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Labrador Inuit battling obesity: research

Nain is one of the five communities where people were studied for the 2008 Adult Inuit Health Survey. (CBC)A study done by Canadian university researchers and the Nunatsiavut government suggests 75 per cent of northern Labrador Inuit are either overweight or obese.

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