pdf download - First Nations Health Council

spoke to the minimum standards for the dignity,
survival and wellbeing of indigenous peoples,
and encouraged First Nations to insist on those
standards within all plans.
Grand Chief John noted that in signing the
Tripartite First Nations Health Plan the parties had
agreed that the First Nations Inuit Health Branch
would not exist as it presently did, and that the
business of delivering health services would be
transitioned to First Nations. A three year horizon
was agreed to, with First Nations being charged to
set up a body to deliver health services throughout
First Nation communities.
It was noted that 75% of First Nations
communities in British Columbia had health
plans. The driver for health services had to be the
community – working from its health plan in its
relationship with provincial health authorities.
Grand Chief John clarified that an institution would
not be formed that would divert funds from the
communities, and added that the Leadership
Council had communicated to government that
there was a period of funding ‘catch up’ that was
required.
Chief Wayne Christian
First Nations Health Council Governance
Subcommittee
“The most extraordinary leaders that First
Nations have are ordinary people. Many people
are suffering for the work that they have done for
First Nations people in the past, and they need to
be acknowledged.”
“There is no one solution or ‘one size fits all’
approach to health or health governance. The
province of British Columbia is dynamic with 203
First Nation communities. How people organize
themselves is critical, and will be respected.”
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Grand Chief Doug Kelly
First Nations Health Council Governance
Subcommittee
“First Nation health directors are the change
agents responsible for leading the way to make
things better in First Nations communities.”
Grand Chief Kelly in his address referenced
a report by Chandler and Lalonde which related
to the strength of First Nations culture and
communities governing their own affairs. He also
spoke to the issue of First Nations youth suicide.
Grand Chief Kelly shared that it was necessary
for First Nations to have control over the resources
that come into their communities, and that First
Nations have the ability to design programs and
services that are consistent with their culture,
spirituality and traditional teachings, in order to
achieve improved health outcomes. He added that
the role of the First Nations Health Council was to
create that opportunity, not to create a foreign
institution, but to hear what the communities had
to say, and to use that advice to design something
to address the needs of First Nations.
Chief Christian acknowledged the ancestors
of the territory, and those who had come before,
and spoke of the need to acknowledge the work of
ordinary people.
Chief Christian provided an overview of the First
Nations Interim Health Governance Committee.
The Committee was seeking additional at-large
representatives willing to work together, and with
Health Canada and ministry of Health, to carry
out the Transformative Change Accord mandates,
including the development of a framework for the
203 First Nations in British Columbia. He discussed
the goal of engaging communities to focus on
strengths while making people feel safe and
comfortable about working together.
To date, it was noted that there had been
several meetings which were the beginning of
dialogue to find ways for First Nations, and the
VANCOUVER, bC • mAY 20 - 21 , 2008