Health New sletter - Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta

Volume 1, Issue 3
January 2012
Health Newsletter
Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta
Health Newsletter
Congratulation Medical Receptionist
Graduates—An AHHRI Success
On Saturday, January 21, 2012
Northern Lakes, Health Canada, Confederacy
of Treaty 6, Treaty 7 Management
Corporation and Treaty 8
First Nations of Alberta, and numerous
First Nation communities celebrated
the graduation of the 1 st group
o f s t u d e n t s to a t te nd t h e
AHHRI funded Medical Receptionists
program offered by Northern
Lakes College. 10 out of the 15 graduating
students attended the ceremony!
These exceptional learners are full-time employees from various First Nation Health
Centres across the province and received their certification part-time via distance learning.
The program is the first of its kind; it was jointly developed with Health Canada
and First Nations partners.
These learners are changing the way First Nations health services are delivered and they
are an integral part of every health centre. A special thank you to the learners as well as
their supportive families, health directors and colleagues. ~Darcy Jagodzinsky
Lorraine Meneen
Word from Lorraine Meneen, Health Director
I was so proud and honoured to attend this graduation. Being
a First Nation’s woman, pursuing an education and working
full time can be a daunting task. But, with determination,
perseverance, a lot of blood sweat and tears it can be done!
We need more First Nations people delivering Health services.
I commend the AHRRI initiative for giving our community
members the opportunity to pursue a career that will
be the stepping stone to other careers in the health care field.
Congratulations to the graduates!
Treaty 8 First Nations Health Team
Lorraine Meneen, Health Director
Chantale Mailhot, Executive Assistant
Tamara Elm, Diabetes Coordinator
Shelly Gladue, Health Careers Coordinator
Mavis Moberly, NIHB Navigator
Michelle Voyageur, NIHB Policy Analyst
Jarett Wanihadie, Jr. Research Coordinator
Nora Alook, Co-Management Liaison
(First Nation Elder John Ermineskin from Ermineskin
First Nation honours the grandaunts with
words of wisdom)
Health Chief Portfolio
Holder
Chief Allan Adam-
Athabasca Chipewyan
First Nation

Health Research Assistant Update
The past few months I’ve been entering
data for the Aboriginal Community Resilience
to AIDS and other blood-borne
viruses Research Project. Following entry,
I’ve completed training, which led
me to the data validation and analyses of
community data. I’ve recently been following
up with community health directors
to prepare for when the Community
Action Research Team (CART) will be
visiting and helping communities facilitate
the research process. I’ve also been
doing some research, literature reviews,
and evaluations of articles for future
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Treaty 8 research projects. This research
includes gathering research data and publications
relevant to the interest of Treaty
8 Health. I’ve managed to compile the
Comprehensive Health questionnaires.
Quantitative and qualitative research
methods were applied to the responses,
which allowed me to complete a detailed
descriptive analysis with accompanying
graphs. I am also currently in the process
of formatting a Treaty 8 organizational
system for accessing and storing health
resources and research ~Jarett Wanihadie
NOTICE
The deadline for the Francis
Meneen and Francis Willier
Health Warrior Scholarships is
March 8th, 2012 visit
www.treaty8.ca
for an application or call Shelly
at 780.444.9366
or 1.888.Treaty8
Co-Management Committees and Treaty 8 Committee Members
Non-Insured Health Benefits: Dental Services, Medical Transportation,
Mental Health, Pharmacy & Vision, IRS, and Communications
Strategy and Denial Tracking Working Groups
Child and Youth: Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve, Canada
Prenatal Nutrition Program, Fetal Alcoholism Spectrum Disorder,
and Maternal Child Health, working group working on Jordan’s
Principle and Child & Sexual Abuse
Mental Health & Addictions: Brighter Futures/ Building
Healthy Communities, NNADAP, National Aboriginal Youth
Suicide Prevention Strategy, Youth Solvent Abuse Program.
National anti-drug Strategy, Canada Drug Strategy
Prevention: Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative, Community Health
Representatives, Home & Community Care, Injury Prevention,
Nursing, Nutrition, Chronic Disease Prevention & Mgmt, CHR
Education Program & Food Security Plan & Implementation
Health Protection: Communicable Disease Control, Blood
Borne Pathogens and Sexually Transmitted Infections, Tuberculosis
(TB) Control, Environmental Health and HOPE working
group.
Governance & Capital: Aboriginal Health Services Accreditation,
Aboriginal Health Transition Fund, Aboriginal Health Human
Resources Initiative, Capital and Facility Management, E-
Health, Health Careers Program, Health Consultation and Liaison,
Health Planning and Management, Alberta First Nations
Information Governance Centre
Non Insured Health Benefits (NIHB):
Michelle Voyageur, Non-Insured Policy Analyst, T8FNA
Barry Phillips, BCN Health Commission CEO
Child and Youth (C&Y):
Ann Nipshank, Director of Children’s Agenda, T8FNA
Bernadette Sawan, Bigstone Cree Nation
Mental Health & Addictions (MHA):
Marilyn Willier, T8 Member, Sucker Creek First Nation
Marcella Schnurr, TC Health Director, LSLIRC
Prevention:
Liette Snache, Western Cree Tribal Council, CEO
Wendy Ward, Health Director, Tallcree First Nation
Health Protection (HP):
Patrick Mercredi, TC Health Director, ATC
Florence Willier, Driftpile FN
Governance & Capital (G&C):
Kirsten Dupres, TC Health Director, KTC
Barry Phillips, BCN Health Commission CEO
For more information about Health Co-Management
contact Nora Alook at 780.444.9366
HEALT H NE WSLET T ER

Diabetes Prevention &
Promotion
Tamara Elm is the Diabetes Prevention & Promotion
coordinator. Alberta Health Services, Health Canada
and First Nations offer many diabetes related services
and programs. Many of the services are not offered on
First Nations and this position was created to bridge
this gap.
One of the major goals of the Diabetes Prevention &
Promotion position is to work with Alberta Health
Services to train nurses/LPNs to provide renal dialysis
in Treaty 8 communities.
Some of the other objectives are as follows:
To increase Diabetes education,
To communicate the importance of nutrition and
exercise,
And to deliver communication on Health programs
available to communities.
NIHB Navigator
Having Problems Access NIHB?
Have you been denied a NIHB?
Need assistance appealing a NIHB Decision?
Want to know more about the NIHB Program?
Contact Treaty 8’s NIHB Navigator, Mavis
Moberly 780.444.9366 or 1.888.Treaty8 or
navigator@treaty8.org
Health Careers
Community presentation and Health Careers promotion is
an ongoing activity for the Health Careers Coordinator.
This year, Peerless & Trout First Nation and Kee Tas Kee
Now Tribal Council were provided with Health Careers
presentation.
In addition, there was opportunity to host Health Career
Presentations in the Treaty 8 First Nation schools. These
presentations will continue over the next four months.
If you are aware of any upcoming Health Career Fairs in
your community Treaty 8 would be honored to be attend.
Please contact me at the Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta
office as I would be able assist coordinate the event and
participate ~ Shelly Gladue
Mental Health & Wellness
Strategy
Currently there is no mental health and wellness strategy
for Canada, Alberta or Alberta First Nations. As a
result, Alberta First Nations have identified the need to
establish a coordinated, comprehensive, culturally
competent and overarching mental health and wellness
strategy.
Since January 2009 the Mental Health and Addictions
subcommittee of Co-Management has overseen the
development of Alberta Region Mental Health and
Wellness Strategy.
The Mental Health and Wellness Strategy for Alberta
Region (2010-2015) should
Assist and support First Nation communities in
developing their own community based mental
wellness plans,
Assist FNIH in realigning programs and services to
more effectively meet the needs of First Nation
communities,
And provide FNIH with a staged plan for mental
health and wellness if and when additional monies
are available.
Over the next five years the strategy will focus on the
following key goals to establish the foundation in
achieving the vision:
To promote and support First Nations communities
in developing their own community based
mental health and wellness plans;
To strengthen access to the continuum of mental
health, wellness and addiction services available
to First Nations;
To support the development of appropriate
knowledge and cultural competency among staff
within and external to First Nation communities;
To support front line First Nation service providers
in initiating and continuing their healing journeys;
To support relevant mental health, wellness and
addiction programming through research, evaluation
and data collection.
(Alberta Region Mental Health and Wellness Strategy, 2010-2015)
The Mental Health & Wellness Strategy will be presented
to the Alberta Chiefs at their Assembly of Treaty
Chiefs meeting at the end of February to seek support
and validation for the strategy.
V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 3 Page 3

CONTACT US
Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta
18178—102 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5S 1S7
Phone: 780-444-9366
Fax: 780-484-1465
Treaty 8.ca
Treaty 8 Elders Council—Guiding Health Principles
Emotional:
Belief in oneself is extremely
important; show caring and
love for less fortunate people;
respect people, animals, plants
and all of mother earth; tears
are not a negative thing—
tears display humanity; accept
yourself and the peoples within
your community; a good sense
of competitiveness is beneficial
to succeed; spend as much time
with loved ones; share with
others; don’t hold grudges because
forgiveness amends our
people; believe in the positive
power of humor.
Physical:
Traditional forms of survival
are beneficial to all ages (such
Treaty 8 Health Commission
Chief Allan Adam – Chief of Health – ACFN
Lorraine Meneen – Director of Health - T8FNA
Kirsten Dupres – Tribal Council Health Director – KTC
Patrick Mercredi – Tribal Council Health Director – ATC
Barry Philips – Tribal Council Health Director – BCN
Lisa Clarke – Tribal Council Health Director – NPTC
Marcella Cunningham – Tribal Council Health Director – LSLIRC
Liette Snache – Tribal Council Health Director – WCTC
Elder Joe Whitehead Sr. – Health Elder – Woodland Cree First Nation
Elder Ruth Gladue – Health Elder – Horse Lake First Nation
Elder Mary Young – Health Elder – Bigstone Cree Nation
Elder Doris Courtorielle – Health Elder – Swan River First Nation
Elder Gabe Meneen – Health Elder – Tallcree First Nation
as chopping wood, gathering,
hunting and fishing); if you
ignore the physical aspect of
your body, you will slowly deteriorate;
surround yourself
with loved ones; walk and exercise
with your family.
Mental:
Learn your identity-customs,
language, and culture; you
need to socialize with the ones
that you love; look ahead and
don’t dwell on negative things;
teach Cree syllabics to our
children and youth and peoples;
believe that there is a
traditional way of thinking;
don’t criticize things that you
don’t understand; learn about
being an indigenous person
and be PROUD of who you
are; listen to others before you
speak because you must know
the whole situation before you
make a comment or develop an
opinion; our mental well being
impacts our health.
Spiritual:
There is truth to prophecies
(eekskewekeek); you must believe
in yourself; spiritual wellness
involves respect and to
honour all senses; believe in a
spiritual connection to your
surroundings; teach spiritual
customs—singing, drumming,
song—with meaning and purpose.
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