IN TOUCH

National Indian & Inuit Community Health Representatives Organization







IN TOUCH

Volume 28, Fall Issue 2004 Injury Prevention



First National Aboriginal Injury Prevention

Conference 2004 held in Winnipeg



O ne of Canada’s most respected ac-

tresses served as the Honorary Chair-

person for Aboriginal Injury Prevention. Tina

development of the current research project

“Towards a Suicide Prevention Strategy for

Keeper, star of CBC’s North of 60 and nu-

merous other television, film and theatrical

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: productions, was the honorary chair of To-

First National Aboriginal wards Community Action on Aboriginal Inju-

Injury Prevention ries Conference 2004.

Conference 2004

The Conference organized by the National

Message from the 2 Indian and Inuit Community Health Repre-

Executive Director sentatives Organization (NIICHRO) in col-

laboration with Health Canada and SMART

RISK, took place at the Conference Center in

A Journey to the 9 Honorary Chairperson Tina Keeper (center) with NIICHRO

Teachings: Injury Winnipeg, Manitoba, on June 9–12, 2004. Board members Cheri Corbiere, Connie Gordon, Velma

Prevention Training LaBillois and Karen Keshane.

Tina Keeper, from the Norway House Cree

Nation in Manitoba, is no stranger to the bat- First Nations in Manitoba”. Keeper’s com-

International Perspective 13 tle against Aboriginal injury. After complet- mitment to raising awareness on the issue of

ing six seasons of the hit show North of 60, suicide in the Aboriginal community has led

2004 CHR Award 23 she spearheaded the creation of a theatre pro- her to participate with various agencies,

Recipient gram for Aboriginal youth on suicide inter- communities and projects - it is a commit-

vention awareness, which toured Manitoba ment which she honours. Continued page 5.

Across Canada 27 First Nations communities in partnership with

the Aboriginal Policing Division of the

RCMP “D” Division. This project led to the

Membership Drive 30



National First Nations and Inuit

Membership Form 31 Injury Prevention Working Group

Health Canada’s National First Nations and

Inuit Injury Prevention Working Group was

established in 2000 to support action on in-

jury at the national, provincial, territorial and Some of the NFNIIPWG members with Interna-

community levels. Working group members tional speakers and Honorary Chair

come from across the country and have ex-

pertise in such areas as prevention, treatment, like to thank the working group members

rehabilitation and disability. The Working who had volunteered their time to assist in

Group’s activities are based on an injury pre- all aspects of this conference and their tire-

vention framework that consists of four ele- less enthusiasm at making it as successful as

ments: communication, capacity building, we had all hoped. From filling delegate

data collection and surveillance, and research. bags in the workroom to spending the days

The Working Group had developed the injury at the Registration tables fielding questions

prevention training module that was show- from the delegates and assisting in the

cased at this conference. NIICHRO would workshop rooms.

PAGE 2 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE









Message from the Executive Director





Kwe Kwe everyone! I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. Since

February 16, 2004, I have been the Executive Director of NIICHRO. I am a Mi’gmaq

from the First Nations community of Listuguj, Quebec. I started working for

NIICHRO in August 2000 as Trust Administration Officer for the NIICHRO

Compensation Office and still maintain this role in relation to the CHR Settlement

Trust. Prior to coming to NIICHRO, my background was in Aboriginal employment

and training initiatives at the local, regional and national levels. I look forward to

working with and for the CHRs. Debbie Dedam-Montour







The theme of this newsletter is the First National Aboriginal Injury Prevention Conference held in

Winnipeg from June 9–12, 2004. NIICHRO staff and the National First Nations and Inuit Injury

Prevention Working Group have spent a lot of time and energy organizing the conference and I would

like to express my gratitude for everyone’s input and hard work in making the conference a success. I am

also pleased to say that four of the ten Injury Prevention (IP) facilitators were CHRs: Cheri Corbiere

(ON), Velma LaBillois (NB), Connie Gordon (SK) and Angela Paul (NS). They were selected to

facilitate the workshop Injury Prevention: A Journey to the Teachings. It was sad, yet somewhat ironic,

that CHR Cheri Corbiere was unable to lead her Injury Prevention workshop due to an injury. Cheri

tripped and fell, hurting her arm, which explains the photos of Cheri’s arm in a sling. More on the

conference will be covered in this issue.



NIICHRO’s most recent edition of In Touch magazine, Inspired by Elders, was published in fall 2003.

We have been unable to allocate funds to continue publishing In Touch since then. As NIICHRO has no

core funding, any monies generated must first cover core operations. As a result, we are looking at more

cost-effective ways to communicate with our readership. One measure implemented is to revise the

format from a magazine to a newsletter. We also want to develop an e-mail listing of our readership for

those who prefer the electronic format. This will enable us to update the mailing list and provide regular

updates on what is happening with NIICHRO and in the area of health promotion and in your

communities …we need to keep In Touch.



I am currently looking at NIICHRO’s needs as an organization – in terms of finances and future direction.

NIICHRO will be reassessing, renewing and reaffirming its goals and mandate to meet the needs of

Community Health Representatives today. Your contribution to this process may be required; I would

like to express in advance my appreciation for any assistance you may offer.



Sincerely,





Debbie Dedam-Montour

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE IN TOUCH PAGE 3









National Indian and Inuit Community

Health Representatives Organization

P.O. Box 1019

Kahnawake, QC J0L 1B0

Tel: (450) 632-0892

Fax: (450) 632-2111

E-mail: niichro@niichro.com

Website: www.niichro.com



2004-2005 Board of Directors



Ann Pischinger, NT Trudy and Debbie at NIICHRO kiosk

Betty Ann Cardinal, AB

Cheri Corbiere, ON

Eliza McGregor, QC

Patsy Gray, QC

Karen D. Keshane – President, SK

The last of the claim agents…...

Kathy Michael, NU

Liz Stevens-Secretary/Treasurer,ON

Lynda Gamble, SK

Marion Schafer, YT

Mary Basque, NS

Marie Stanley, SK

Molly Calfrobe Davis, AB

Oliver Okemow, MB

Sarah V. Moonias, ON

Selma Ford, LB Trudy Jacobs

Thelma Mason, MB

Velma LaBillois – VicePresident, NB



NIICHRO Staff



Debbie Dedam-Montour,

Executive Director

Judi Jacobs, Administration Officer

Linda Horn, Clerk

Sandy Roth, Bookkeeper



In Touch newsletter Wendy Mayo



Peter MacFarlane, Writer

Judi Jacobs, Lay-out

Fran Gardner, Proofreader

Dan Gregoire, Translation

Printing by Elm

Photos by NIICHRO Staff

PAGE 4 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE









AIPC Welcoming Reception, June 9, 2004



The first National Aboriginal Injury Prevention Confer- During the reception, poster presentations were also

ence was kicked off with an opening reception at the introduced and each presenter reviewed their

Winnipeg Convention Centre on June 9, 2004. The re- poster’s contents. Poster presentations were:

ception and conference were emceed by Clarence Nepi-

nak, who infused all of the proceedings with his special Walking the Prevention Circle: Understanding

humor and insight. At the reception, he spoke about his Child / Youth Maltreatment for Aboriginal Commu-

sister Shawinigan (Linda Blomme) and the tradition of nities by Shelley Cardinal, Canadian Red Cross

how the Shawinigan name was carried by Tel: (250) 995-3508

E-mail: shelley.cardinal@redcross.ca

every fourth generation of his family’s

women. He then introduced his sister, the Canada’s Central Database of Water

conference Elder, who shared the welcoming Incident, Injury and Fatality Informa-

duties with Teresa Hughes of the Pauktuutit tion by Jodi Stachura, Water Incident

Inuit Women’s Association. Research Alliance

Tel: (705) 735-0544

Teresa lit the qulliq, the traditional seal oil Fax: (705) 735-0644

lamp, as a symbol of guidance, friendship and E-mail: jstachura@waterincident.ca

survival, which many also be considered a symbol of

First Nations Child and Teen Injury Mortality in

resourcefulness and ingenuity from a time when the

Manitoba: 1990-1999, by Dr. James Carson and Dr.

lamp was the only source of heat, light and warmth in Lynn Warda, College of Physicians and Surgeons of

the Arctic. Manitoba

Tel: (204) 942-0949 / Fax: (204) 943-2666

Linda Blomme has been the Resident Elder at the Thun- E-mail: carsonjb@cc.umanitoba.ca

derbird House for the past five years. Her role as the

conference Elder was to bring the Elders together and Changing Patterns of Injury in Eeyou Istchee (Cree

encourage their participation and input. She was avail- Nation of Quebec) by Ellen Bobet, Cree Board of

able in the Elders Room for ceremony, support for Eld- Health and Social Services of James Bay

ers and conference attendees. To the delight of all, she Tel: (819) 772-8920 / Fax: (819) 772-4705

E-mail: ellenbobet@sympatico.ca

also took an active role at the conference.

Advanced Safety Management by Fred Matthews,

Jim Mair, Director of the Manitoba Region, FNIHB, Advanced Safety Management, Ltd.

Health Canada, welcomed the delegates and spoke about Tel: (866) 231-0641 / Fax: (780) 466-6791

the importance of Injury Prevention and the historic na- E-mail: fred@thecorexperts.com

ture of the conference as the first National Aboriginal

Conference on Injury Prevention and its mandate of pre- One of the highlights of the evening came when Iratana

paring the delegates for community action. Hankins, one of the Maori guests from New Zealand,

spoke passionately about the importance of Aboriginal

peoples from around the world working together, which,

it turned out, emerged as an important theme of the en-

tire conference.

Iratana Hankins’ e-mail address

is i.hankins@xtra.co.nz.









Jim Mair

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE IN TOUCH PAGE 5









THE NATIONAL ABORIGINAL INJURY PREVENTION CONFERENCE 2004

Towards Community Action on Aboriginal Injuries, June 10, 2004





A conference on Aboriginal Injury Prevention organ- OUTLINING THE PROBLEM

ized by and for Aboriginal health researchers, work-

ers and professionals seemed long overdue. But the

question was, would there be enough interest to draw

the overworked health workers and professionals to a

three-day meeting in Winnipeg in mid-June? The

answer came on June 10 with the opening of the Na-

tional Aboriginal Injury Prevention Conference: To-

wards Community Action on Aboriginal Injuries.

And the answer was a resounding “yes” with close to

400 people packing the main hall in the Winnipeg Joyce Fersovitch—Conference Emcee



Conference Centre for the opening plenary.

The Conference was launched with an opening

CHRs, health workers and professionals and injury prayer by Elder Linda Blomme and opening re-

researchers came from across Canada to examine the marks by Joyce Fersovitch, one of the pioneers of

current status of injury among Aboriginal people and Aboriginal Injury Prevention in Canada. Among

to share information on successful community-based the other opening day speakers were North of 60

injury prevention and reduction programs. Some star Tina Keeper, the honorary chair of the confer-

Aboriginal injury prevention specialists came from ence; Kathy Langlois, the Director General of the

even further afield, with representatives from the FNIHB—Health Canada Community Programs Di-

United States, Australia and New Zealand presenting rectorate; and keynote speaker, Dr. Rose-Alma

injury prevention issues and strategies from their re- McDonald.

spective areas of the world.

TINA KEEPER: HONORARY CHAIR

The conference addressed both intentional and unin-

tentional injuries, which include suicides, assaults Tina Keeper, one of Canada’s most respected ac-

and homicides, as well as injuries from poisonings, tresses and star of CBC’s North of 60 and numer-

drownings, motor vehicle crashes, fires and falls. ous other television, film and theatrical produc-

Health Canada statistics have shown that Aboriginal tions, was the honorary chair of Towards Commu-

people in Canada have one of the highest rates of in- nity Action on Aboriginal Injuries Conference

jury in the world, and that their injury mortality rate 2004. In welcoming the participants to Winnipeg

is three times higher than that of the general Cana- she spoke about the work being done in the “very

dian population. The conference provided: dynamic” Aboriginal community of this city.

• Injury Prevention training for First Nations

and Inuit “Part of the work that we’ve been able to do in the

• National and international keynote speakers arts here in the city of Winnipeg over the last 25

• Exhibitors and presenters from across Canada years is to participate in a lot of grass-roots pro-

• A banquet and celebration jects on social issues and health issues,” Keeper

said, “and that is the way in which I have been able

to work in the field of many of the social and

health issues as an artist in creating programming,

creating projects that would serve the needs of dif-

PAGE 6 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE







ferent issues. And again I was able to use that injury prevention training at the community level

background in theatre and education to create a pro- and developing new partnerships nationally and in-

ject on suicide prevention.” ternationally. Research, data and surveillance al-

low us to scientifically monitor injuries.”

Keeper also spoke about the high rates of suicide

and all injuries among Aboriginal people. “And Langlois said that it was an exciting time in Injury

one of things we’re talking about is the level of in- Prevention. “We are embarking on the develop-

jury,” she said, “the level of suicide. Our rates are ment of an Aboriginal Strategic Plan. This will be

far higher than for the Canadian population and the foundation of future activities within First Na-

there is a reason for that. One of the things we’ve tions and Inuit communities to establish sustain-

come to discuss in our work is historical trauma. It ability.”

is something that affects all of us. As First Nations

people, this is the type of awareness that we need to She also announced the Health Canada launch of

build upon, recognizing that ‘yes, injury is decimat- “Stay Safe,” an educational resource for preschool

ing our people’ and there is a reason for that. There children that took place during the conference with

has been a conscious effort within this country to the children from Winnipeg’s Aboriginal HeadStart

oppress our people. And it has had devastating ef- program. Stay Safe will assist caregivers in teach-

fects. Look at the rate of injury; look at the rate of ing children about hazardous household materials.

suicides. This is what we are aiming to recover It teaches children to recognize the hazard symbols

from now.” found on household chemical products in a fun and

interactive way. The program has guides aimed at

KATHY LANGLOIS: HEALTH CANADA two age groups. One is for preschoolers (3 to 5

years of age) and the other is for school-aged chil-

“This event is a significant step forward to finding dren (up to grade 4). Stay Safe has various compo-

and sharing injury solutions in Aboriginal commu- nents: the two education guides are for educators

nities. This conference brings us together to re- and caregivers, while the interactive on-line activity

ceive training and to share our strategies to build module is for children. The educator's guide pro-

capacity in First Nations and Inuit communities.” vides the background information, while the on-line

activities are fun, helping children to remember the

As Director General of the Community Programs messages of the program.

Directorate of Health Canada, Kathy Langlois

maintained that Health Canada recognizes the ur-

gency in addressing Injury Prevention in First Na-

tions and Inuit communities, especially for chil-

dren. She said that they were using the framework

developed by the National First Nations and Inuit

Injury Prevention Working Group in their work.

“These include communication tools that allow us

to reach more people and inform them on how to Radar, Stay Safe mascot

prevent injuries. Capacity building, supporting

In closing, Kathy Langlois emphasized that this

First National Aboriginal Injury Prevention Confer-

ence is “an important event that will contribute to

establishing injury-free communities, and we need

to join forces in pursuit of this common goal.”









Kathy Langlois— Health Canada

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE IN TOUCH PAGE 7









Dr. Rose-Alma J. McDonald: Keynote Address



Dr. Rose-Alma J. sewage disposal. And four times as many

M c D o n a l d ’ s Aboriginal people are below the poverty line than

presentation set the other citizens.

tone for the discussion.

She began by looking Dr. McDonald then outlined Aboriginal injury

at the demographics of prevalence within different age groups. The most

Aboriginal people in at risk in Aboriginal communities are Aboriginal

Canada, who make up a children aged 0-5 from falls, poisonings and

very young and fast drowning. For Aboriginal youth aged 15-24, it is

growing community. suicide and violence (suicide rates are eight times

In fact, the 5-9-year-old the national average); for Aboriginal women,

age group represents the largest segment of First domestic violence; for Aboriginal elders, falls and

Nations population with 74,000 individuals. The fires; for Aboriginal men, motor vehicle accidents,

20–24-year-old age group represents the second drowning, fires and violence; and for Aboriginal

largest population segment at 55,000, and these are persons with disabilities, falls and fires. “So when

young people in peak childbearing years. The total you have a strategic approach to injury

population of Aboriginal people, including the Inuit prevention,” Dr. McDonald said, “it has to look at

(52,000) and Metis (256,000), is already more than every group from cradle to grave.”

one million people. By 2019, it is expected to

increase by more than 800,000. But why, Dr. McDonald asked, have government

programs failed so badly? “Because the values and

One of the other very important demographic the culture are Western Europe Canadian rather

points, Dr. McDonald said, is that 112 Aboriginal than Aboriginal,” she said. “Policy makers assume

communities have no year-round access. She that Aboriginal people live in communities that are

asked how, when you are looking at a strategic connected to healthy labour markets with ample

approach to injury prevention, can you factor in the access to employment and training. Services are

fact that there are so many fly-in communities, so not holistic; they are fragmented with limited

many communities where there are no roads, and integration of resources and standards. And this

areas that don’t have the basic services that approach looks at the disadvantaged individual

mainstream Canada takes for granted. There are within society and not the society as being

also 261 communities that are 50 – 300 kilometres disadvantaged.”

from service centres. “So again in terms of injury

prevention and the challenges of doing injury She pointed out that injuries are caused by the

prevention,” Dr. McDonald said, “we have to keep interaction of a variety of factors. Colonization,

those demographics in mind.” residential school, all of those experiences have

accumulated to cause dysfunction in our First

Dr. McDonald then reviewed the socioeconomic Nations communities. From a community

status of First Nations and Inuit people in Canada. perspective, some additional factors in First

She found First Nations houses are ten times more Nations communities are unsafe roads, low safety

likely to be crowded than the Canadian average. standards in the work force, and easy access to

Fewer First Nations children graduate from school firearms. From the societal perspective, risk

(34 per cent versus 70 per cent for Canada as a factors include low economic status, cultural norms

whole). Only 54 per cent of the households have that support violence to resolve conflict, and rigid

adequate water and only 47 per cent have adequate gender.

PAGE 8 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE





At the family level, family relationships such as lack we’re Third World communities. So what does that

of parental supervision, physical abuse and family mean? It means those basic needs are not being met

dysfunction are the factors that cause injuries. in terms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. And as a

result of that, we are being predisposed to injury.

“In terms of risk factors for Aboriginal communities, And so, government has to take the responsibility

at the individual level it is substance abuse, poverty, for making some of those changes through treaty

anger, FAS/E, lack of positive role models, and peer rights, through the federal contribution agreements

pressure. At the family and relationship level, the risk with our communities. There has to be change;

factors again are poverty, neglect, emotional abuse, there has to be responsibility.”

physical abuse, economic instability, dysfunction,

stress. And at the community level, substance abuse, Dr. McDonald also insists that First Nations and

crime, social degradation, urbanization, availability of Inuit have to take responsibility for themselves to

guns, limited funding support and weak laws and poli- make sure that they have safe and healthy environ-

cies. So there are a whole variety of areas that need to

ments in their communities. That means every day,

be addressed when you are talking about an injury

when we go out into our communities, we have to

prevention strategy from a First Nations perspective.”

individually make sure that we tighten our seat belt,

that we drive the speed limit, or if we see someone

who’s doing some unsafe behaviours, that we tell



M aslow 's H i e r a r c h y o f N e e d s









Abraham Maslow is known for establishing the theory of a hierarchy of needs,

w riting that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain

basic needs must be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied.





In addressing Aboriginal Injury Prevention, Dr. them to stop. Those are the things that we can do

McDonald said that health workers also have to take individually as members of our communities. At

into account Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. “If you the community level, improved safety standards,

look at the chart,” she said, “and look at the pyramid safer roads, greater control over firearms, alcohol

and at the very bottom of the pyramid, you talk about and substance abuse. We have to take the responsi-

physiological needs. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of bility; we have to educate; we have to get all of

Needs, you’re talking about housing, roads, food, ba- these messages out.”

sic health needs, warm clothing. All those basic Dr. McDonald can be reached at Katenies Research

things may not be available, or cannot be assumed to and Management Services by e-mail at kat-

be in place in First Nations communities. In main- nies@glen-net.ca.

stream society, they’re all there. But in First Nations

communities, the government has acknowledged that

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 9







One of the main goals of the First National Abo- for the injury needs of First Nations and Inuit in

riginal Injury Prevention Conference was to share Canada, and consists of government and non-

information and offer injury prevention training to government members representing all regions of

CHRs and other Aboriginal health workers and pro- the country.

fessionals. This included an intensive one-day The guide is organized in three main modules de-

training workshop that provided information on signed to be flexible in delivering a short or long

how health workers and professionals can launch training session. Content within each module is or-

individual, family and community injury preven- ganized into Learning Sections detailing informa-

tion projects in their own communities. At the end tion using common headings. Several key head-

of the Conference, the consensus was that these ings, e.g., Key Points, Handouts, Overheads/Slides,

were among the most successful training sessions are identified by icons throughout the guide to pro-

that NIICHRO had organized, with more than 90 vide application of injury prevention strategies at

per cent of the participants giving positive re- various community levels.

sponses. Preparations for the workshops began in May 2004

when NIICHRO held Train-the-Trainer sessions in

Kahnawake. A committee comprised of selected

INJURY PREVENTION TRAINING members of the National First Nations and Inuit In-

GIVES CHRS NEW TOOLS jury Prevention Working Group selected the ten

trainers. Selections were made on the basis of the

NEW MATERIALS DEVELOPED

applicants’ past experience in injury prevention. A

First Nations and Inuit community-based health facilitator and regional considerations were also

professionals concerned about the problem of inju- taken into account. At the training session in Kah-

ries identified the need for training material that is nawake, they were provided a facilitator’s package

culturally appropriate and useful. In response, an that included slides, speaking notes and other re-

injury prevention training workshop was developed source material. The training manual, entitled In-

which encourages the use of traditional and local jury Prevention: A Journey to the Teachings fo-

knowledge as well as current knowledge from the cused on:

injury prevention field. This training workshop • The problem of injury and how we perceive

was offered and showcased at the First National injuries

Aboriginal Injury Prevention Conference, Towards • Basic injury prevention theory

Community Action on Aboriginal Injuries. • Sharing Aboriginal teachings and our past

experiences with each other

• Considering how past and present knowl-

edge can guide the injury prevention jour-

ney.



THE WINNIPEG WORKSHOPS



The one-day Winnipeg workshops were held on

June 10, 2004, and were designed to increase

awareness about how we perceive injuries and how

our perceptions, traditions and experiences influ-

Train the Trainers Session in Kahnawake ence our approach to injury problems at the indi-

vidual, family and community levels. The work-

The development of the training material was shops were structured to raise awareness and

guided by the National First Nations and Inuit In- knowledge of injuries, changing lifestyles and the

jury Prevention Working Group (NFNIIPWG), impact of change on the problem and management

which was established to provide a national voice of injuries, and to increase knowledge about risk

PAGE 10 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004







factors and how to prevent injuries. The injury pre- The trainers were then given the hard statistical

vention training handouts were inserted in each at- data that shows the devastating toll injuries take in

tendee’s conference bag. First Nations and Inuit communities.



The goals of the workshops were to facilitate learn-

ing, promote discussion and encourage action and

promote change in the communities. One of the

tools used was traditional stories that have allowed

Aboriginal people to share knowledge from one Leading Causes of Death in First Nations,

generation to the next and, in a modern context, can

by Gender (2000)

provide an important platform for change. In their

comments about the course, many of the partici-

pants also recognized the traditional roots of injury

prevention in the cautionary stories and in teaching

by example. As one participant put it, the work- Infectious and parasitic 12.1

10.2

shops “made me realize the Elders were always do- Nervous system 6.1

6.8

Females

9.3

ing injury prevention by telling us ‘don’t do this or Mental disorders 9.0

35.0 Males

Digestive diseases 16.7

that’ and also by their role modeling safety precau- Symptoms and ill defined 16.3

24.7

tions when they did their chores.” Respiratory diseases 29.8

23.5

Endocrine and immune 23.3

22.2

Cancer 65.3

73.4

Circulatory diseases 98.8

111.4

Injury and poisoning 69.9

137.0



0 50 100 150 200

Crude deaths per 100,000 population









Injury Hospitalizations for Intentional and

Unintentional

Unintentional Injuries

Anna Auer, of A.F.A. Management and Consulting Ltd. , worked

with NFNIIPWG to develop the training manual Injury Prevention:

A Journey to the Teachings. aauer@shaw.ca

First Nations (1997) and Canada (2000)



To better get the message across, the workshops

also included an innovative injury prevention bingo

and other activities like quizzes that the trainers

will be able to use in their work in their communi-

ties.

1,400

1254.1 First Nations

Crude rate per 100,000 population









1,200 Canada

INJURY PREVENTION THEORY 1026.0

1,000





On the theoretical side, workshop participants were 800



given the technical definition of injury as: any spe- 600

422.7

cific and identifiable bodily impairment or damage 400



resulting from acute exposure to an energy source: 200 103.4

thermal energy (exposure to heat); mechanical /

0

kinetic energy (exposure to the energy of motion); Unintentional Intentional



electrical energy (exposure to electricity); chemical

energy (exposure to or ingestion of chemicals); ab-

sence of energy (lack of air or heat).

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 11







INJURY DEATHS BY TYPE woman left before midnight, forgetting to buckle

up for the drive home. The road was dry and unlit.

FIRST NATIONS 1999 Driving a small compact vehicle, she swerved off

the road and rolled over several times. She was

discovered shortly after the incident and trans-

ported by emergency services to hospital within 40

minutes but unfortunately she did not survive.

Undetermined

3% Haddon Matrix: Example using the workshop case

Other

VA

MT study

12%

23% PHASES HOSTS AGENTS ENVIRONMENT

Assault Physical

8% Social

Poisonings Economical

10% Environment

Falls PRE- Alcohol Family gathering

3% EVENT beverages

Suicide/Self-

Fire/Flames consumed

Injury Drowning 5% EVENT Did not Small Midnight

25% 7% Environmental

4% use seat compact dry road

belt vehicle condition



POST- 20-year- Rollover Quick response

EVENT female & transport to

medical

Several common case studies were introduced us- facilities

ing a basic analysis tool for injury prevention called

Haddon’s Matrix. The Haddon Matrix grid highlights the fact that like

all injuries, those involving automobile accidents

Haddon’s Matrix are caused by many factors and therefore require

different approaches to prevention.

Named for William Haddon, a physician who was The matrix enables one to break down the elements

the first director of the U.S. National Highway of injury so that preventive measures can be identi-

Safety Bureau in 1966, Haddon’s Matrix provides fied given the environment surrounding the particu-

an approach that “highlights the fact that injuries lar injury.

are not random, but rather are the result of the com-

plex interaction of human, technological and envi- The workshops ended late in the day with the par-

ronmental risk factors.” The Matrix consists of two ticipants giving high marks for both content and

axis. The first comprises three types of risk or pro- presentation. Yet, according to NIICHRO Execu-

tection factors: human factors, environmental fac- tive Director, Debbie Dedam-Montour, the most

tors, socioeconomic and legislative factors. The important part of the conference is what will fol-

second is the temporal axis (pre-event, event, post- low.

event) for injury occurrence. “The conference subtitle, Towards Community Ac-

tion on Aboriginal Injuries, sets our real goal,” said

The workshop participants studied the Matrix Dedam-Montour. “These workshops and the con-

through a case study involving a twenty-year-old ference itself were about giving the participants the

female driver who had consumed alcoholic bever- information they need to start making their commu-

ages through the course of an evening. The young nities safer.”

PAGE 12 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004









INJURY PREVENTION FACILITATORS:

WINNIPEG, JUNE 10, 2004



Francine Vincent, Huron-Wendat years of experience in client care and

from Wendake, Quebec, holds a programming, patient advocacy, and community

Bachelor’s degree in Social health promotion and prevention. Cheri enjoys

Sciences with a minor in Sociology facilitating community and peer training sessions

from the University of Ottawa. in all areas of health promotion and prevention.

Since 1994, as Technical She is looking forward to sharing her knowledge

Coordinator at the First Nations in injury prevention with her community and other

Health and Social Services interested communities.

Commission of Quebec and Labrador, she has

coordinated the following programs: Aboriginal Velma LaBillois, a

Diabetes Initiative (ADI), Foetal Alcohol Mi'kmaq from Eel River

Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Canadian Prenatal Bar First Nation, New

Nutrition Program (CPNP), and Injury Prevention. Brunswick, has been a CHR

for the past 17 years and

Teresa Smith, of mixed Cree, Vice-President of

Lakota Sioux and Scottish NIICHRO for the past eight years. She is looking

heritage, has a background in forward to using these teaching tools in her

addictions and youth community and offering them to organizations that

services. She has been working are not able to attend this very important event.

in injury prevention for a year

with the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Connie Gordon’s interests

British Columbia Region. She is looking forward have been focused on

to training fellow practitioners in injury prevention prevention and promotion of

for the Aboriginal population. health-related issues and

teachings with family and

Sally Lockhart has community members as a

lived on Prince Edward Community Health

Island for five years and Representative from Gordon First Nation,

operates an injury Saskatchewan, for 13 years. Well-being and a

prevention consulting healthy lifestyle play a big part and are an ongoing

business. Part of her work process every day. Connie believes that positive

involves coordinating the Atlantic Network for role modeling begins at home and radiates to the

Injury Prevention and she sees the potential of this workplace and community. “Our children are our

workshop in moving the issue forward in Atlantic future.”

Canada.

Angela Paul is a Mi'kmaq from

Cheri Corbiere, an the Membertou First Nation in

O d a w a f r o m Nova Scotia. As a CHR, she

Sheshegwaning First works closely with the CHN in

Nation, Ontario, is a implementing health promotion

Community Health and prevention programs. She

Representative with 10

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 13







currently sits on many health and community- THE INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION

based committees like the Public Health and First

Nations Tobacco Reduction Committee, TB One of the most important sessions was the full

SCRAPE, the Prescription Abuse Committee, the plenary panel discussion on the international

Diabetes Working Group, Membertou's Planning dimension of Aboriginal injury on Friday June 11,

Committee, Membertou's Interagency Committee, entitled: “International Perspective: A Global

the Cape Breton Seniors Computer Network View on Injury Prevention in Aboriginal

Advisory Board, and the Membertou Health Communities.”

Advisory Board.

The panel included Dennis Renville, Sisseton-

Michele Quinn, Metis from Wahpeton Sioux from the USA, Joyce Ann

Saskatchewan, currently lives and Raihania, a Maori from New Zealand who works

works in Coast Salish territory in as an Injury Prevention Officer in the New

the city of Victoria, British Zealand government, and Marilyn Pittman, an

Columbia. In her position of Aboriginal Injury Prevention Worker from

Mental Health Liaison at the Australia.

Victoria Native Friendship Centre,

she has seen the need for information and training

on Injury Prevention.



Terrellyn Fearn is an

Aboriginal woman of mixed

Mi’kmaq and Irish

descent. She has facilitated INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE: A

workshops across Canada for GLOBAL VIEW ON INJURY PREVENTION

the past four years and is the IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES

owner of Spirit Moon

Consulting, in Ontario. She is committed to the Dennis Renville has no trouble identifying the

health and well-being of First Nations and Inuit moment when he became intensely aware of the

People and believes in the strength and resiliency need for injury prevention in Aboriginal

of our families, communities and nation. communities. It was on a summer afternoon when

he arrived back at his South Dakota home to find

Kellyann Meloche, Mohawk, is his father, usually a quiet man who had worked in

the Emergency Preparedness and law enforcement for 20 years, sitting outside

Planning Manager of Kahnawake weeping. Inside, his mother was doing the same

Mohawk Territory in Quebec. and between heartbroken sobs, he learned that a

She has been in the emergency drunk driver had just killed his sister. From that

field for 11 years. She is also a moment, injuries to his Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux

Volunteer Fire Fighter, Hazardous people, and to all American Indians, would have a

Materials Technician, Emergency Medical very human face for Dennis Renville.

Technician and Red Cross Volunteer. She is a

member of the Kahnawake Safety Committee. During the conference it became clear that in

Canada, the U.S., New Zealand and Australia, the

pattern is the same, with Aboriginal injuries

exponentially high compared to non-Aboriginals

and with young people at the highest risk, with

devastating effects on Aboriginal families,

communities and nations.

PAGE 14 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004









As Director of the Injury “As with illness and diseases,” Renville said,

Prevention Program at the “injuries are preventable. Medical immunizations

United Tribes Technical help to prevent disease so injury prevention meas-

College in North Dakota, ures help to immunize against injury.” As Aborigi-

Dennis Renville was one nal injury researchers in Canada have often done,

of the speakers on the in- Renville wondered why virtually no interest was

ternational panel at the Na- paid to injuries and so few resources allocated to

tional Injury Prevention their prevention when they were clearly a much

Conference in Winnipeg more serious cause of morbidity and mortality than

on June 9-12 and he, along heart disease, diabetes and cancer. It was not a

with the 400 Aboriginal question of money, but of priorities. In the United

health workers and professionals, learned that Abo- States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-

riginal injuries also have a universal face. Dennis ministration alone spends $230 billion a year. “If a

began his presentation by asking the most basic fraction of a fraction of a fraction of that went into

question: “Why do we need injury prevention?” injury prevention,” Renville suggested, “they could

His answer was simple. “The Great Spirit has given dramatically cut down on injuries and at the same

us the greatest gift, and that is life. And just as it is time save tens of millions of dollars. Injuries are

our responsibility to take care of the newborn child not accidents. They have known risk factors and

and to provide a safe haven for all children, in the they occur at higher rates among vulnerable popu-

circle of life they will be taking care of their Elders lations and again it goes back to resources.”

in the same way. Injury prevention is nothing more

than taking care of one another and our families At present, Renville said, there are only 12 injury

and our communities.” prevention specialists stretched over the 563 feder-

ally recognized tribes. He suggested that as a first

Renville described the current toll of injuries on step, the number of injury prevention specialists

American Indians. According to 2001 statistics, should be radically increased. “We should have in-

unintentional injuries were the leading cause of jury prevention specialists like we have CHRs,” he

death for American Indians in virtually all age said. “If we have eight CHRs on the Sioux Reser-

groups from 1 through 64. Intentional injuries had vation, why can’t we have eight injury prevention

the same high rates, with both homicide and suicide specialists working hand in hand with them?”

turning up in the top ten causes of death. Renville

cited a recent case in his own community. “Just Renville explained that the United Tribes Technical

last Sunday,” he said, “less than a week ago, a College was doing its best to educate specialists in

young student graduated from high school. On a two-year Aboriginal Injury Prevention Program.

Monday he committed suicide. It is difficult to en- Still the only one of its kind in the world, the pro-

vision why he didn’t think life at 17 or 18 wasn’t gram was founded in 1998 with the goal of decreas-

worthwhile.” ing injury morbidity and mortality among Ameri-

can Indians. “Basically,” Renville said, “it uses the

As part of the answer, Renville, like Dr. McDonald, public health approach.

cited socioeconomic factors. “Unemployment rates (1) Surveillance: Define the injury problem

range between 60-80 per cent on most U.S. reserva- (2) Who? What? Identify the risk factors

tions,” he said. “Native American communities are (3) What Works? Share what’s working and

also lacking in people trained in injury prevention what’s not working.”

who could put in place programs to help young

people before despair overwhelmed them or before “The program offers eight courses in injury preven-

dangerous behaviours put them in the grave or left tion in addition to general education courses. The

them disabled.” prerequisite is Introduction to Public Health; the

second is Introduction to Injury Epidemiology.

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 15









The third is Introduction to Program Planning and selves and one another. If we look back to tradi-

Evaluation and the fourth is Introduction to Injury tional Maori ways, we understand that as a people,

Prevention. Those are the first-year courses. The we were very responsible. We understood injury

second year includes Principles of Program Imple- prevention. If you hurt or injured yourself, you

mentation and Evaluation; Prevention of Traffic- would be a hindrance to your community. Some-

related Injuries, Prevention of Injuries Due to Vio- one else would have to pick up your job. So we

lence; and a new course this coming school year, practiced injury prevention time and time again in

Suicidology—the study of suicide and the most ef- our culture.”

fective ways to reduce suicides.” So far 28 stu-

dents have graduated with Injury Prevention de- For Raihania, injury prevention is another step to-

grees from the United Tribes Technical College and ward restoring the sovereignty that was lost in 1840

an additional seven will be graduating this year. To when British colonists came to settle on Maori

increase the number, the College is also launching lands with a promise of partnership. But in New

an on-line version of the course, which would also Zealand as elsewhere, partnership quickly gave

be available to Aboriginal people from around the way to occupation of Maori lands and to a great ex-

world and Renville said that greater international tent, of the Maori spirit. “At the hands of the colo-

cooperation could help them all. nizers, the Maori have been the victims of confisca-

For more information, contact Dr. Renville at dren- tion of land, loss of our language and loss of our

ville@uttc.edu . culture and our values, which ultimately led to loss

of self-identity, of self-esteem,” Raihania said.

“From 1840 to at least the beginning of WWII,

there were many times when Maori would not iden-

tify themselves as Maori. They didn’t have the lan-

guage; we weren’t encouraged to speak our lan-

guage in the streets or even in our own homes.”



Joyce Ann Raihania: According to Raihania, Maori renaissance began in

New Zealand the 1970s with the movement to protect and revive

the language. The people built traditional Maori

Joyce Ann Raihania, a Maori who works as a Sen- meeting houses where language lessons were given

ior Analyst in New Zealand’s Ministry of Social and they fought to have the language taught in

Development, echoed Renville’s call for increased schools. The meeting houses also spawned politi-

international cooperation. When Raihania first cal activities that eventually led to a series of land

looked at the injury problem among New Zealand’s occupations. The best known was Bastille Point,

Maori population, she found the pattern was the an unused part of the port area in Auckland that

same as the one described by Dr. McDonald among was slated for development into an apartment com-

First Nations and Inuit people in Canada and by plex. The land was traditional Maori land and con-

Renville among Native Americans: dramatically tained old gravesites and the battle between the

higher rates for the New Zealand Aboriginal popu- Maori activists and the land developers was a bitter

lation as compared to the general population in one. “But the people made very clear,” Raihania

every injury category. “We are facing the same en- said, “that the ports of Auckland were not going to

emy,” she said. be claimed so that they could be turned into apart-

ments. It was Maori land. It was where Maori

When Raihania looked for solutions, she said that lived, where Maori buried their dead.”

one of the essential preconditions for addressing the

problem was “empowerment.” “Only people who An important date that Raihania cited in the em-

feel in control of their present and their future,” powerment of the Maori was the Springbok Tour in

Raihania said, “can properly take care of them- 1981, when the country was torn apart by the tour

PAGE 16 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004









of the whites-only South African rugby team. The to be our drivers. So what does this mean for

ensuing public protests polarized the New Zealand Maori? It means that we look to develop road

population like no other issue had in the nation's safety programs that target Maori males. One of

history, but for the first time “the Maori were able the important Maori tools that has been developed

to see our non-Maori, our white people counter- is our Shattered Dreams video, which was put to-

parts come through and say this is all wrong and gether by and for Maori and it has helped us engage

apartheid has no place in New Zealand. So it was with Maori youth to promote the road safety mes-

an opportunity for Maori to once again say we have sages.”

partners, we have people who recognize like the

Maori that the practice of apartheid and racism is As in the U.S. and Canada, the New Zealand injury

not appropriate and will not survive in our coun- prevention is based on the three E’s: education, en-

try.” forcement and engineering. But Raihania has

added an indigenous component. “We have to be

Things began to change for the Maori in the 1980s. empowered,” she says. “It is one of the issues we

The Maori language was being taught in schools had when we were in the Health Unit. We would

and it was even added to in-house publicity in state- say, ‘give us the funding, and let us work through

controlled stores on an equal footing with English. it, let us work with our people, because we know

There was also a recruitment drive to enroll Maori how to work with our people, because at the end of

in post-secondary education institutions, which un- the day, if we get it wrong, we get it wrong.’ We

til then, few Maori had ever attended. “Before the know quite well that under the colonization um-

1980s,” Raihania said, “we were only encouraged brella it got wrong. And that’s the empowerment

to be carpenters, home economics people. We for indigenous people, taking it back.”

were encouraged to stand behind.”

For Raihania, it is also necessary to go back to the

In the 1990s, the Maori language was declared the basics. “We need to rebuild the family unit,” she

official language of New Zealand and the Maori says. “And we need to have those individuals who

were given their own members of Parliament. stand up, and like Dr. Rose Alma McDonald said,

There are currently 102 members in the New Zea- who stand up and say ‘this practice is not safe, stop

land Parliament and of these, seven are dedicated it.’ So when you look at Maori on the road, what

Maori seats. There are also six Maori who sit on we need to do is to have family discussions with

mainstream seats, which gives a current total of our Maori models. Safety on the road begins in the

thirteen Maori in Parliament. house, and begins within the family unit. And I

think that is really what injury prevention is about.

On the question of injury to Maori, Raihania said We need to be talking in our homes; we need to be

fatalities, both intentional and unintentional, con- practicing safety day in and day out. Consider us

tinue to plague the Maori population, but the politi- as a house policeman. But if that means that my

cal gains and the gradual regaining of control of son will live longer, that my daughter has the op-

their lives is at last allowing the Maori themselves portunity to do what she decides to do when she

to address the injury issue. grows up, then I’m prepared to be their police per-

son.” Joyce-Ann Raihania can be contacted via e-

One of the areas that Raihania has studied most mail at joyce-anne.raihana001@msd.govt.nz .

closely is road injuries, which, she says, “continue

to put our Maori people in their graves at an early

age. We see 8,174 crashes involving 9,288 Maori

casualties. The highest proportion of casualties

were in the 15-24 age bracket – 70 per cent of them

were male, and when we look at the total crashes

themselves, we see that the high numbers continue

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 17









agreed, was that between Aboriginal people around

the world and she said that already she had begun

talking with Winnipeg Aboriginal people about

Marilyn Pittman: forming a sister community between the Aboriginal

Australia community in Australia and our Aboriginal com-

munity here in Winnipeg.

Marilyn Pittman, an Aboriginal injury prevention

specialist from Australia, felt most strongly that in The similarities between Aboriginal people in Can-

injury prevention, as in everything else to do with ada and Australia are obvious and she said she was

Aboriginal people, “Aboriginal control of Aborigi- amazed, but not surprised, at the statistics for Abo-

nal processes” must be maintained. riginal injury that she heard in Dr. McDonald’s

presentation. “When we look at the injuries across

“Even though we love and support the process of various age groups and genders, they are the same

partnerships,” Pittman explained, “we also believe as in Australia: the rates of suicide and attempted

that there is no non-Aboriginal person who truly suicide, the levels of family violence; the abuse of

understands what it means to live as an Aboriginal children; and the struggles with the effects of sub-

person – not one. So I was pleased to hear from stance abuse in our community.”

this podium that this process must be by Native

people for Native people. If the process of Abo- Pittman underlined the devastation of substance

riginal self-determination is not maintained, then abuse injury with a personal note. She said that she

this process will fail. We are the ones who live had watched her mother, whom she loved dearly,

each day with the loss and the grief, with the dam- die from alcoholism, “and I will be 16 years sober

age to our women and the suicides of our young in a couple of weeks’ time. In the time that I’ve

men.” been sober, four of my cousins have died from

abuse of alcohol or other drugs. This is no study

Pittman spoke of a successful partnership in Aus- from a book; it is my life and I believe the lives of

tralia where Aboriginal self-determination was many Aboriginal people in our communities. This

maintained. The Shoalhaven Aboriginal Safe Com- is just some of my story of why I am personally

munity Partnership is a partnership of Aboriginal committed to the process of self-determination and

and non-Aboriginal people who recognize and sup- healing in our communities and why the prevention

port the initiatives of the local Aboriginal commu- of injury and the promotion of safety in our com-

nity in preventing injury and promoting safety munities is such a key issue.”

amongst Aboriginal people. The Aboriginal People

Safe Community encompasses the whole of life -- She then quoted an Australian colleague, Nick

safety in the home, on the street, at work and at Dobson, about the importance of keeping view of

play, at school, for the young and the Elders. the human face when dealing with injury statistics:

“There is a certain kind of industrial deafness that

A healthy and safe Aboriginal community is the has developed,” Dobson wrote. “The meaning of

foundation of Aboriginal self-determination,” she these figures is not heard or felt. These statistics of

said, “and strengthening partnerships with the infant and perinatal mortality are our babies and

broader community is the basis of true reconcilia- children who die in our arms. These statistics of

tion. We each have our part to play in supporting shortened life expectancy are our mothers, fathers,

the health and safety of the Shoalhaven Aboriginal uncles, aunties, and elders who live diminished

community and we support the move to become the lives and die before the gifts of knowledge and ex-

first indigenous safe community in Australia to be perience can be passed on. We die silently under

designated with the World Health Organization.” these statistics.” So I guess what I’m saying to you

and which I believe you could relate to, is that these

But one partnership that had to be built, Pittman are our lives and our futures that we are talking about

PAGE 18 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004









and we must be enabled to control our own healing

process and our own futures.” CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS



“And we are now looking toward the future and Oral presentations and interactive workshops ad-

trying to take care of ourselves and one another. dressing both intentional and unintentional injuries

Our challenge is to rebuild an intolerance of abuse were held concurrently on the third and fourth days

and that means all forms of abuse, be it substance, of the Conference. These workshops focused on

family violence, or abuse of children. The chal- the four components of the Injury Prevention

lenge is to rebuild that intolerance amongst our Framework of Injury Data and Surveillance, Re-

own people and to rebuild the true Aboriginal re- search, Capacity Building and Communication. In

spect of our ancestors. The right to self- examining the current status of injuries among

determination is ultimately the right to take respon- Aboriginal peoples and sharing information on suc-

sibility. And for us this is what this process is cessful community-based injury prevention and re-

about.” Contact information for Marilyn Pittman is duction programs, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal

healingplace@bigpond.com.au and for Ivern health workers, researchers and leaders stepped

Ardler, iardler@yahoo.com.au. closer to initiate Community Action Toward Injury

Prevention in their own communities.

An International Aboriginal Injury Prevention

Network Oral Presentations



In the question period that followed, the main con- Using Data to Plan Injury Prevention

cern was “where should people be going from Activities in Eeyou Istchee

here?” That question was answered most directly Presented by George Diamond. Research by

by Dennis Renville. He praised NIICHRO for orga- George Diamond and Ellen Bobet, Cree Board of

nizing the conference and called for increased co- Health and Social Services of James Bay.

operation on Injury Prevention among Aboriginal This presentation shows how the Cree Board used

people in North America, Australia and New Zea- surveillance data to address the problem of injuries

land. “This conference provides us an opportunity in the nine communities it serves.

to network globally,” he said and he asked, “The Contact: Tel: (819) 855-9001, ext. 5361

USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and other Fax: (819) 855-9031

countries should come together maybe annually for E-mail: George.Diamond@ssss.gouv.qc.ca

a two- or three-day meeting, and share the re-

sources we have and better yet, successful models Building a Safer Community

that work with the indigenous peoples from our Presented by Bev Littlechilds and Lorraine

various countries. There is power in numbers.” Deschambeau of Aspen Regional Health Authority,

Renville urged the organizers to put together a Lac LaBiche, Alberta.

resolution to that effect to present to their national This presentation included a history of the Injury

health authorities. Control initiative with four Eastern Metis settle-

ments in Alberta, relevant statistics and future pro-

gram goals.

Contact: Tel: (780) 623-7797 / Fax: (780) 623-

4212 / E-mail: blittlechilds@hotmail.com









Left to right: Dr. Rose-Alma J. McDonald, Dennis

Renville, Debbie Dedam-Montour and Joyce-Ann

Raihania

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 19









Elevated Suicidality Rates and Associated Life The Shoalhaven Aboriginal Safe Community

Experiences in American Aboriginal and Multi- Partnership and the New South Wales

racial Adolescents: Results from the 1999 Ore- Aboriginal Safety Promotion Strategy

gon Youth Risk Behaviour Survey Presented by Marilyn Pittman and Ivern Ardler of

Presented by Pierre Tremblay. Authored by Rich- South Coast Aboriginal Holistic Healing Service,

ard Ramsay, Pierre Tremblay, Consultants: Tak Substance Use and Jola Stewart, New South Wales

Fung, Les Jerome, University of Calgary. Aboriginal Safety Promotion Manager, Australia.

Presentation on research of adolescent “at-risk” be- A look at Australia’s Aboriginal Safe Community

haviours in American cities and states. program and the activities that this initiative has

Contact: Tel: (403) 220-5031 / Fax: (403) 282- produced.

7269 / E-mail: tremblay@ucalgary.ca Contact: Tel: 02.44223577 / Fax: 02.44226577

E-mail: marilyn@southcoastams.org.au

Pediatric Injury Mortality in Alberta First

Nations Communities: A Good News Story? Building Capacity for Safer Living: Educating

Presented by Dr. Wadieh Yacoub. (W. Yacoub, T. and Supporting Youth to Make Health Choices

Y. Lim, C. Wijayasinghe, FNIHB – Alberta Re- Presented by Ann Moniz and Dr. Marion Crook.

gion) Research by Kwantlen University College.

This presentation examined the various causes and This presentation highlighted a youth camp initia-

trends of childhood injury death in First Nations tive that provides opportunities for children to gain

communities in Alberta. increased knowledge related to healthier and safer

Contact: Tel: (780) 495-3391 / Fax: (780) 495- life choices, set in a framework using the Medicine

7338 / E-mail: Wadieh_Yacoub@hc-sc.gc.ca Wheel.

Contact: Tel: (604) 599-2263 / Fax: (604) 599-

A Survey on Injury Prevention in First Nations 2460 / E-mail: mcrook@shaw.ca

Communities of B.C.

Presented by Wayne Christian, Community Health Railway Safety in Aboriginal Communities -

Associates of B.C. A Problem-Solving Approach

Examined the issues related to both on-reserve and Presented by Sgt. William Law, Canadian Pacific

urban injuries as the leading causes of death among Railway Police Service.

B.C.’s First Nations communities, the majority of An initiative to help communities find long-term

victims being boys and men. solutions to railway safety issues through a collabo-

Contact: Tel: (250) 503-1123 / Fax: (250) 503- rative community problem-solving model.

1733 / E-mail: wmchristian@shawcable.com Contact: Tel: (416) 696-6596 / Fax: (416) 696-

5416 / E-mail: Bill_Law@cpr.ca



Towards Safer Road Travel for all Canadians Equate Traditional Aboriginal Teachings with

Presented by P. Gutoskie and Andre Lemayor, Legislated Workers’ Rights

Transport Canada, Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Presented by Diana Ludwick, MFL Occupational

Registry Regulation Directorate, and Bill James, Health Centre with Elder Flora Zaharia.

RCMP, Virden Traffic Services in Manitoba. This presentation addressed WHY Aboriginal

This presentation included a focus on the key road workers prefer to quit their work rather than deal

safety problem areas, including rural road safety, directly with their workplace health and safety con-

where most First Nations communities are located. cerns.

Contact: Tel: (613) 998-5507 Contact: Tel: (204) 926-7903 / Fax: (204) 956-

E-mail: gutoskp@tc.gc.ca 0848 / E-mail: dludwick@mflohc.mb.ca

PAGE 20 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004









A National First Nations and Inuit Injury aged children to recognize hazardous household

Prevention Framework chemical products and what to do if they encounter

Presented by Joyce Fersovitch, ACICR and FNIHB, these products.

Alberta. Contact: Tel: (204) 984-0335 / Fax: (204) 984-

An effective tool to guide strategic injury preven- 0461 / E-mail: candice_biggar@hc-sc.gc.ca

tion activities as demonstrated by the accomplish-

ments of the National First Nations and Inuit Injury Aboriginal-Specific Communication Materials

Prevention Working Group. for Traffic Safety

Contact: Tel: (780) 495-5417 / Fax: (780) 495- Presented by Jodie Hollihan, Traffic Safety Promo-

5537 / E-mail: joyce_fersovitch@hc-sc.gc.ca tion, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI).

This presentation heightened the knowledge of so-

Suicide Intervention and Prevention lutions to road safety issues in Aboriginal commu-

Kweyulus Mustimuhw, Presenters: Bev Williams, nities.

Suicide Prevention Coordinator, and Verna Pope- Contact: Tel: (306) 775-6179

joy, Mental Health Coordinator. Fax: (306) 775-6382 / E-mail: jhollihan@sgi.sk.ca

A community initiative presentation on this com-

munity hosting three forums to “give suicide a Falls Prevention through Community-Based

voice,” so that their people can begin to speak of Action Research

suicide without feeling shame and guilt. Presented by Mike Patterson. Research by Mike

Contact: Tel: (250) 746-6184 Patterson, Lisa Dixon and Donna Lockett, Commu-

Fax: (250) 748-8815 / E-mail: bevw@island.net nity Health Research Unit, University of Ottawa.

This research described new initiatives and tech-

Alternative Dispute Resolution niques in the area of falls prevention for seniors in

Presented by Dr. Maggie Hodgeson. Aboriginal communities.

Dr. Hodgeson, a long-time advocate for community Contact: Tel: (613) 562-5800

wellness, shared the progress and challenges pre- E-mail: Mpatterson@www.health.uottawa.ca

sented in two out-of-court processes as well as

community investment in Alternative Dispute Calgary Urban Aboriginal Injury Prevention

Resolution. Study and Community Consultation

Contact: E-mail: maggieh@interbaun.com Presented by Kim Kiyawasew and Gloria Paulet.

Research by Region 3 Aboriginal Community

The Nuluaq Project – National Inuit Coordina- Health Council.

tion Strategy for Abuse Prevention A study to examine the sources of injury rates and

Presented by Leesie Naqitarvik, Pauktuutit Inuit causes of injury in Calgary’s urban Aboriginal

Women’s Association population and findings from the community con-

This project aimed to bring together those who sultation.

share a common interest to prioritize the need to Contact: Tel: (403) 943-9500, ext. 22280

substantially improve the coordination of efforts to Fax: (403) 943-9505

prevent and eliminate the abuse of Inuit women and E-mail: Kim.Kiyawasew@CalgaryHealthRegion.ca

children.

Contact: Tel: 1-800-667-0749 The Cost-Benefits of Preventing Injuries from

E-mail: nuluaq@pauktuutit.ca Motor Vehicle Collisions and Falls Involving

First Nations People in Canada

Stay Safe - Two-Part Interactive Education Presented by Phil Jacobs. Research by P. Groff, T.

Program for Children Albert, E. Cloutier, and P. Jacobs, SMARTRISK.

Presented by Candice Biggar, Health Canada, Research presented included cost of unintentional

Healthy Environments, Consumer Safety Branch. injuries in motor vehicle crashes and fall-related

Program designed to teach preschool and school-

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 21









incidents and the potential savings from effective

prevention. Contact: Tel: (780) 448-4881 / Fax: AIPC 2004 Steering Committee

(780) 448-0018 / E-mail: philip.jacobs@ualberta.

ca or pgroff@smartrisk.ca

Dr. Judy Niles – Co-chair

Workshops Presentations FNIHB - HQ - HC Chronic Disease Division

E-mail: judy_niles@hc-sc.gc.ca

The Northern Remote Water Safety Community

Resource by Brian Derkach Tina Martin – Co-chair

Tel: (204) 982-6730 / Fax: (204) 942-8267 Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Health

E-mail: brian.derkach@redcross.ca Secretariat

E-mail: tmartin@afn.ca

White Stone Aboriginal Youth Suicide

Prevention Training for Youth Educators Kerrie Duncan – Co-chair

by Devon Taylor Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

Tel: (403) 245-3900 / Fax: (403) 245-0299 Website: www.itk.ca

E-mail: sptp@suicideinfo.ca

Acknowledgements:

Aboriginal People and Injection Drug Use: The conference was organized by the National In-

Injury Prevention through Harm Reduction dian and Inuit Community Health Representatives

by Jessica Daniels Organization (NIICHRO) under the direction of the

Tel: (780) 479-3166 National First Nations and Inuit Injury Prevention

E-mail: congo.mom@hotmail.com Working Group, with the participation of Health

Canada, SMARTRISK and other private and public

Exploring the Application of the Safe organizations.

Communities Model in First Nations

Communities by Nadine Gudz A special “Thank You” to all those who have con-

Tel: (416) 964-5812 / Fax: (416) 964-0089 tributed their time and expertise towards the First

E-mail: ngudz@safecommunities.ca National Injury Prevention Conference 2004: Lori

McGregor, Doug Mercer, Joyce Fersovitch, Phil

Walking the Prevention Circle: Understanding Groff, Peter O’Neil, Teresa Smith, Dr. Meena

Child/Youth Maltreatment for Dawar, Nancy MacDonald, Sally Lockhart, Jenni-

Aboriginal Communities by Shelley Cardinal fer Hall, Tonia Dawson, Velma LaBillois, Danielle

Tel: (250) 995-3508 Trépanier, Paul Gutoskie, Erin Robinson, Camille

E-mail: shelley.cardinal@redcross.ca Jones, Helen Hsu, Shawn Feely, Catherine Carry,

Dawn Vallet, Dr. Herb Simpson, Jay Lambert,

Changing Reality by Genevieve Fox Kathy Belton, Larry Gordon, Marianna Brussoni,

Tel: (403) 212-2676 / Fax: (403) 258-1881 Morag MacKay, Rick Haga, Ross Hodgeson, Pat

E-mail: gfox@treaty7.org Thomson, Gordon Trueblood, Dr. Rose-Alma

McDonald, Robert Conn, Mike Waite, Brenda

Elias, Kyle Prettyshield, Kelly Missens, Bev Peel,

Improving Community Viability through Health

Denise Picard, Pascale Garrett, Trudy Jacobs, Peter

and Safety in the Workplace and in the Home by

Fred Matthews McFarlane, Wendy Mayo, Sandy Roth and Judi Ja-

Tel: (866) 231-0641 / Fax: (780) 466-6791 cobs.

E-mail: fred@thecorexperts.com

PAGE 22 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004









AND THEY ALL HAD A GOOD TIME…



On Friday evening, delegates and guests were

captivated with the colour and movement of the

best that Manitoba has to offer. Clarence Nepinak

emceed a spectacular and entertaining evening

starting with a demonstration of traditional

powwow dancing that defines the rich culture of

the region with the Summer Bear Dance Troupe

leading into the foot-tapping, exhilarating dance

skills of the Asham Stompers, Metis step dancers. Asham Stompers

As we sat awestruck by the enthusiasm of the

dancing, an invitation was extended to the audience

and most were brought to the floor to join in some

Social dancing.



After the speeches and the photo ops with the

conference Honorary Chair Tina Keeper and the MARILYN TOBIAS

Asham Stompers and Summer Bear Dance Troupe, 2004 CHR AWARD RECIPIENT

the floor was filled again in response to the

multitalented Darren Lavallee and Trapline Nominated by the Association of Iroquois and Al-

entertaining with their original music as well as lied Indians, Marilyn is from the Delaware Nation

covering the favorites of the audience. The crowd of Moravian of the Thames in Southern Ontario.

rocked and as the evening ended, everyone left with Marilyn has served her community for over 23

a smile on their face and a bounce in their step. years, beginning her career at the Delaware Health

Centre as a Referral Clerk in 1980; not long after

she became the Community Health Representative.



An excellent public speaker, she has given presen-

tations on Grief Recovery at the Elders Conference,

as well as being a guest speaker at a past confer-

ence on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. She successfully

set up a Sweat Lodge at the Delaware Health Cen-

tre and was recently appointed as the

Social Dancing “Grandmother” of the lodge.



Her training includes: Certified Grief Recovery

Specialist; Certified Reality Therapy; Choice Ther-

apy; Quality Management; two-year Mental Health

diploma through Mohawk College in 1992; Seniors

Darren Lavallee & Fitness Instructor; Palliative Care I and II, Ministry

Trapline of Health.



The community recognizes all she has contributed

in her work as well as her coordination of the fol-

Summer Bear Dance

lowing activities:

Troupe

• the ongoing assistance of a Traditional Healer

from Nova Scotia to assist her community

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 23









members

the Diabetes Support Group, the monthly Foot Closing of the Conference

Care Clinics and the first one-day conference

for the Southern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Emcee Joyce Fersovitch who had remarkable

Initiative stamina to be involved with this conference as

celebrations for receiving/sending the Wampum planner, emcee, workshop presenter on two

Belt for the Diabetes Wampum Belt Walk in subjects and gracious host to the participants and

June 2002 guests made her comments brief and to the point.

past President of the Moravian Seniors Group,

coordinating such activities as fitness, quilting, The facilitators and co-facilitators on the

baking, catering, and fundraising, and was suc- workshops were acknowledged for their

cessful in purchasing a van for their outings. contribution of bringing these issues into the

forefront. The input received throughout the

She assists her membership in all aspects of health conference will be reviewed and information

including their mental, spiritual, physical and emo- provided will support long term attention and

tional needs as well as being a loving mother and action on Aboriginal Injury Prevention in First

grandmother for her family. Nations and Inuit communities. The one

recommendation was brought forward by Dennis

The National Indian and Inuit Community Health Renville on making this an international endeavor

Representatives Organization is pleased to have to prevent injuries and save lives and the

Marilyn Tobias as a role model for all Community stakeholders were there to push forward this

Health Representatives across Canada. recommendation.



“As a CHR I wear many hats, many responsibilities Joyce Fersovitch concluded the first Aboriginal In-

in reaching a goal that can benefit our future gen- jury Prevention Conference 2004 with this com-

erations. It’s been enjoyable and rewarding to ment: “The CHRs and other health workers and

have worked 23 years in my First Nation commu- professionals came to Winnipeg to pick up the ba-

nity, as I look back and relive the memories – I can sic tools. Now it is up to our health funders to en-

say I did a darn good job.” sure that they get the support and the financial re-

sources they will need in their work. And there is

-Marilyn Tobias no excuse for not doing so. It has been proven time

Community Health Representative and again that Injury Prevention not only saves

lives, it can save millions of dollars in unnecessary

medical costs. I hope that now we can work to-

gether on this.”



Conference delegates were thanked for their

commitment to raise the issue of injury prevention

to a prominent focus area in all First Nations and

Inuit community programming and promotion.

Elder Linda Blomme closed the conference with a

circle of hands held of those in attendance being

thanked and words for a safe journey home. Special

thanks were extended to Elders in attendance with

their communities for their leadership, support, and

NIICHRO President Karen Keshane (right) guidance throughout the conference.

presents Marilyn Tobias with CHR Award.

PAGE 24 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004









NIICHRO Initiatives parent that, if given the opportunity, each country

could benefit greatly from the others by sharing

Injury Prevention: more about the issues and challenges facing their

The wrap-up of the National Aboriginal Injury Pre- respective CHR/Ws.

vention Conference included giving certificates of

participation to those who attended the National In- With funding and direction from Health Canada,

jury Prevention Conference and letters of apprecia- the National Indian and Inuit Community Health

tion to all those who were involved and who con- Representative Organization (NIICHRO) of Can-

tributed financially or with their time to this event. ada has facilitated this international comparative

Conference proceedings needed to be gathered and study: A Comparative Review of CHR/Ws’ Scope

prepared for dissemination. All information will be of Practice in International Indigenous Communi-

available at www.niichro.com. ties. Certainly both Health Canada and NIICHRO

have recognized the escalating needs regarding

Tobacco Cessation Strategy: scope of practice issues facing CHR/Ws within

The project is titled: “The Regional CHR Training Canada. In fact, in July 2003, a round-table discus-

in Tobacco Control Strategies: A Demonstration sion on standards and accreditation for CHR/Ws

Project to Establish Community–based ‘Best Prac- was coordinated by NIICHRO (and attended by

tices’ in Aboriginal Communities.” The Tobacco Health Canada, among other stakeholders) as a first

Control Strategies for CHRs: Training Manual was step in the initiative to develop and manage na-

completed May 3, 2004. The proposal was for tional occupational standards of practice and ac-

NIICHRO to develop a region-based “Train the creditation for CHR/Ws in Aboriginal communities

Trainer” program - to ensure the involvement of lo- across Canada. In acknowledgement of such issues

cal trainers and capacity building among CHRs - within Canada, as well as in recognition of the is-

for two regional sessions. NIICHRO is in the proc- sues internationally (in Australia, New Zealand and

ess of developing a system to track the impact of the United States), Health Canada and NIICHRO

the program implementation on tobacco use in First have engaged their resources to complete this inter-

Nations and Inuit communities. national comparative study. Participation from key

The manual is currently being evaluated for First stakeholders identified in Australia, Canada, New

Nations, Inuit and Metis context and recommenda- Zealand and the United States has proven to be es-

tions will be incorporated as we progress through sential to the successful completion of this study.

the project.

Within this study, the intention has been to explore

Comparative Review of International CHR issues and challenges for CHR/Ws in more detail

Standards: by highlighting the following areas:

In October 2003, the International Network in In- - historical overview of the indigenous peoples in

digenous Health Knowledge and Development each country

(INIHKD) held an inaugural meeting in Towns- - review of the evolution of CHR/Ws and the de-

ville, Australia with participation from Australia, velopments regarding scope of practice for

Canada, New Zealand and the United States of CHR/Ws in each country (including specific

America. During that meeting, it was acknowl- initiatives and projects)

edged that each of these four countries main- - analysis of survey questionnaire data that ad-

tained community health representatives/workers dressed

(CHR/Ws) as an integral part of their indigenous • job description/scope of practice

health care system. As discussion ensued, it was • organizational structure

discovered that the CHR/Ws in indigenous commu- • budgets and salaries

nities across all four countries seemed to be facing • standards and accreditation

similar issues and challenges – particularly with re- • professional relationships

spect to “scope of practice.” Indeed, it became ap- • challenges and best practices.

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 25









The data within this study should prove valuable to dressed the CHRs acknowledging the important

all involved with the structuring of policies and work they do and share her hopes of developing an

strategies and with the development, review and re- action plan for new and different ways of develop-

vision of standards of practice and systems of ac- ing capacity in the communities. She looks for-

creditation for CHR/Ws. As well, the information ward to working with NIICHRO on other initiatives

(including acknowledgement of key international they are pursuing together with FNIHB.

CHR/W stakeholders) should prove valuable to the

organizers of the next International Network in In- Following these addresses, Ms. Keshane spoke to

digenous Health Knowledge and Development the CHRs present informing them of the previous

(INIHKD) Forum, which is being planned for Octo- evening’s discussions and concerns at the meeting

ber 2005 and will be hosted by Canada. of the Board of Directors.



Compensation Office: 1. Membership fees could not be incorporated

August Newsletter Vol. 15 has been mailed to all in this conference’s registration as

compensation recipients and this document has NIICHRO coordinated the conference for

been uploaded to the NIICHRO website as well. the National First Nations and Inuit Injury

Prevention Working Group.

Annual General Meeting and Board of Directors 2. Problems with achieving quorum. The by-

laws state that two-thirds is quorum and the

The annual gathering of CHRs for the NIICHRO directors wanted that requirement lowered

Annual General Meeting had a disappointingly low to 50 per cent plus one.

turnout. With so few CHRs present, it was decided 3. The copy of the bylaws distributed to the

to revise the agenda and not hold elections for Board was dated 1992. No revised copies

President. were available and the Board requested re-

view of the bylaws to bring them up to date

and reflect the organization’s present needs.

4. Discussion of the election process took

place and there was an inquiry about

whether CHRs at the AGM should vote not

only for the President but for the full execu-

tive committee.



Left to right: Karen Keshane, Tara Bjorn- With the new Executive Director, the Board felt it

son and Debbie Dedam-Montour was an excellent opportunity to undertake a process

to address each of these concerns.



President Karen Keshane proceeded with the meet-

ing by introducing invited keynote speaker Tara

Bjornson, Manager, Special Projects Unit, Ac-

countability and Capacity Development Division,

Business Planning and Management Directorate,

Health Canada. Ms. Bjornson spoke of the excel-

lent work NIICHRO has done in distributing the

CHR Settlement despite the magnitude and com-

plexity of the agreement and praised the achieve-

ments of the Compensation Office. Michelle Crête,

Director of Accountability and Capacity Develop-

ment, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, ad-

PAGE 26 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004









Saskatchewan Elder and retired CHR Shirley Propose further amendments and/or addendums

McNab concluded with a few words, reminding the Present revised Bylaws to next year’s AGM for

assembly of how they came to be there in the first ratification

place and that as CHRs they were responsible for Members: Velma LaBillois, Cheri Corbiere, Betty

the organization by taking an active interest in par- Ann Cardinal and Oliver Okemow

ticipating. She then closed the 2004 Annual Gen-

eral Meeting with a prayer. Membership Committee:

Review sections of the Bylaws related to mem-

The next Annual General Meeting will take place bership

in Montreal (Quebec) on June 3, 2005. Look for Review and approve membership requests

more information on the website www.niichro.com. Propose revisions and/or recommendations

when necessary

Members: Liz Stevens, Thelma Mason, Marie

Current seats being held on the NIICHRO Board Stanley, Ann Pischinger, and Patsy Gray (Molly

Region Representative Davis)



1. AB Betty Ann Cardinal, North & Central Training Committee:

2. AB Molly Calfrobe Davis, South Provide direction on CHR training issues such

3. BC (4,5) Vacant (3 seats) North, Central, South as Telehealth

6. MB Oliver Okemow Advise any working group advisory body in re-

7. MB Thelma Mason gards to standards of practice and accreditation

8. NB Velma LaBillois (Vice-President) Assist in the development of scopes of practice

9. NF/LB Selma Ford across country

10. NS Mary Basque Members: Karen Keshane, Kathy Michael, Sarah

11. NT Ann Pischinger Moonias, Selma Ford, Mary Basque, Linda Gam-

12. NU Kathy Michael ble, and Marion Schafer

13. ON Cheri Corbiere

14. ON Liz Stevens (Secretary/Treasurer)

15. ON Sarah V. Moonia Your concerns, comments or interest in these com-

16. QC Eliza McGregor (Patsy Gray, Alt.) mittees must be sent to the Board Member of your

17. QC Vacant (Francophone) region who will then bring it forward to the na-

18. SK Karen D. Keshane (President) tional level. There are a few seats vacant on the

19. SK Lynda Gamble (Connie Gordon, Alt.) Board of Directors. This will be brought to the at-

20. SK Marie Stanley tention of the Membership Committee for recom-

21. YT Marion Schafer mendation on how these vacant seats can be filled.



On August 27, the Board held a conference call NIICHRO Website

where they proposed to revise the quorum to 50 per The website is being revised in an effort to commu-

cent plus one. The Board’s Executive Committee nicate effectively and to enable NIICHRO to easily

will remain in place until elections can take place update the site. Visit us soon at the new NIICHRO

on June 3, 2005 to facilitate addressing various website www.niichro.com .

issues.



The following are the Committees, their mandate

and membership:

gh

Bylaws Committee

Review and assess the bylaw revisions pro-

posed by NIICHRO staff

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 27









ACROSS CANADA

The Monster’s Gonna Get Me!

I woke up again in a cold sweat with my heart

racing, and a panicky feeling in the pit of my

National CHR Day stomach. What was the monster chasing me? I

remember when any of my children were awakened

Considering that CHRs are very by a nightmare, I would sit and comfort them,

important front-line health work- trying to get to the root of their fears. I have

ers within our communities, always been of the opinion that if you examine

NIICHRO invited all communities what is going on in your life today, you can usually

to use National CHR Day as an figure out what your monsters (fears) are. Are you

opportunity to show their CHR(s) facing a big decision, is something in your life out

how much they are appreciated. of your control, are you afraid to face a certain

situation in your life?

Taking CHR(s) to a special lunch, sending a bou-

quet of flowers and/or presenting them a gift from a At the time, I had just re-entered the work force

local artisan were just some suggested ideas on after many, many years being a homemaker and

activities a community could undertake to show ap- raising a family. But circumstances had made it

preciation and honour this precious resource. necessary to go back to work to help out

financially. When I last worked in an office

A promotion package was sent to all communities setting, we had the newest innovation – electric

containing the National CHR Day poster that we typewriters. While I had kept up my typing skills

suggested be placed in a public area to inform other over the years, there was a monster that I realized I

community members of this special day. The gold had to face. It was that computer sitting on my

ribbon enclosed with the poster is the symbol to re- desk. We had one at home; my son could operate it

mind everyone to “Treat CHRs like Gold” not only like a pro. But I had convinced myself I was too

on September 16, 2004, but also throughout the old to learn; that I would forever remain computer

year. illiterate. And THAT was the cause of my panic

and discomfort.

given

As well, ribbons will be given upon receipt of

But you know what? With the encouragement and

2004-

2004-2005 membership fees. patience of my co-workers and a few evening

classes at the local high school, my “monster” has

actually become my friend. -Linda Horn

SHARING OUR STORIES

NIICHRO is inviting all to submit a short story

In Touch newsletters used to include brief articles (150 words) you want to share with CHRs and

from CHRs and other health workers sharing other health workers. Submit your story by mail,

experiences, celebrating milestones and just fax or email to NIICHRO. Pictures will be

showing how far we can go. returned if you include proper mailing address.

NIICHRO staff discussed this as an on-again, off-

again content page for In Touch. Linda Horn,

NIICHRO receptionist, shares her experience of

when she started working here, shows an example gh

of perseverance and great humour. Thank you,

Linda, for sharing the following:

PAGE 28 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004









Special Announcements and New Positions International Meeting on Inuit and Native

American Child Health

April 29-May 1, 2005

• Bernice Downey, Executive Director at the Seattle, WA

National Aboriginal Health Organization

(NAHO) Join the American Academy of Pediatrics and the

• Dawn Bruyere, Executive Director at the Canadian Paedicatric Society, in cooperation with

Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada the Indian Health Service, for the first ever Interna-

(ANAC) tional Meeting on Inuit and Native American Child

• Valerie Gideon, Director at AFN Health Se- Health. Pediatricians, family physicians, residents,

cretariat and Youth and other health care professionals, clinical re-

• Gilbert Courtois, Vice-President to the searchers, state and federal public health employ-

Board of Directors for the First Nations of ees, child advocates, and other professionals and

Quebec and Labrador Health and Social family representatives dedicated to working with

Services Commission (FNQLHSSC) First Nations, Inuit, and American Indian/ Alaska

Native (AI/AN) children should attend.

Please contact Linda Horn at NIICHRO ext. 21 for Participants will have the opportunity to share ideas

the following: on culturally effective health care delivery models,

present research findings, and dialogue about

Found after the AIPC2004 in Winnipeg, MB strategies to improve the health of First Nations,

• Glasses Inuit, and AI/AN children and communities.

• Watch Thanks for your help. Please contact Liz Jarvis at

Moved? Phone: (847) 434-4915 or Email: LJarvis@aap.org

Close to the end of the Compensation Trust

NIICHRO needs current addresses NATIONAL SURVEY OF KEY

Retired? FASD AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS

NIICHRO would like to know when and from

where. Also current address. Best Start has been contracted by Health Canada to

do a national scan of key public awareness cam-

Daylight Saving Time: Spring Ahead, Fall Back paigns across Canada. Simply put, Best Start will

Last Sunday in October is the time to change back complete a phone survey of people involved in

the time one hour. planning key FASD awareness campaigns, and will

develop a report outlining implications to future

campaigns. The survey will include a total of 70-

100 Canadian campaigns that took place between

National Aboriginal Health Organization



National Aboriginal Health Organization’s upcom- 2000 and 2004. The report will be made available

ing publication Lifelines: Profiles of First Nations, on the "Public Health Agency of Canada" website.

Inuit and Métis Health Care Workers in Canada Your assistance in identifying key FASD aware-

would like to invite you to nominate First Nations, ness campaigns in your region. This project has the

Inuit and Métis health care workers whose stories potential to assist people in selecting effective

and career paths would be a source of inspiration FASD public awareness strategies. Until recently,

for readers. The deadline has been extended to De- people had planned awareness activities based on

cember 15, 2004. Please contact NAHO at 877- guiding values and knowledge of their communi-

602-4448, email at naho@naho.ca or NIICHRO of- ties. This report will compile valuable new infor-

fice for more information. mation about messages, images and strategies that

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 29









have been shown to be effective in increasing NIICHRO proudly acknowledges Ellen Diabo

awareness about FASD. The report will help (Building Maintenance) who took part in the Avon

health organizations and FASD interest Walk for Breast Cancer in New York City on

groups consider approaches that are respect- October 2 & 3, 2004.

ful, appropriate for their communities, and

evidence-based. The survey will include both Bravo Ellen

large-scale campaigns with a solid evaluation and the

component and smaller innovative campaigns. Mohawk Spirit

The survey will include awareness campaigns walkers from

with different areas of focus. Here are some Kahnawake

examples: 1. campaigns to increase aware- and

ness of the risks of alcohol use in pregnancy Akwesasne.

and 2. campaigns to increase awareness of the Early Detection

needs / challenges / strengths of individuals

with FASD. We want to include awareness increases chances of

campaigns designed for different groups, in- surviving

cluding awareness strategies for youth,

women prior to or during pregnancy, justice,

health care providers, families/caregivers of BECAUSE OCTOBER IS

individuals affected by FASD etc. This sur- BREAST CANCER MONTH

vey will NOT include initiatives such as train-

ing events, websites, or production of single HOW TO DO YOUR MONTHLY BREAST

resources such as posters or brochures. The SELF-EXAMINATION

survey will focus on awareness campaigns, IT’S AS EASY AS 1,2,3

and what we have learned from them. Please 1. IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR First, with hands

let me know of any key awareness campaigns on your hips. Second, with arms above your head.

in your area that should be included in this Look for any dimpling, puckering or change in the

survey. I look forward to hearing from you size, shape or contour of the breast. Check for a

and welcome your suggestions. If you have change in skin texture, discharge from, or a change

any questions, please feel free to contact me. on the nipple.



Wendy Burgoyne, Health Promotion Consult- 2. LYING DOWN Place a towel under your right

ant shoulder and your right hand behind your head.

Best Start: Ontario's Maternal, Newborn and Examine the right breast with the fingers of the left

Early Child Development Resource Centre hand. Start at the outermost edge of the breast,

Tel: 1-705-856-2997 or 1-800-397-9567 pressing in small circles towards the nipple. Check

(press 3) every part of both breasts. Look for any change from

Fax: 1-705-856-1320 last month. Using the tips of the fingers with arm at

Email: wawawend@onlink.net your side, check the underarm area. Start high under

the arm and slide your fingers along your ribs.

Remember to change your Reverse the process for the other breast.

smoke alarm batteries.

3. IN THE SHOWER Place your right arm behind

your head. With the middle three fingers of your left

hand, roll and touch every part of the right breast,

gently felling for a lump or thickening. Reverse the

process for the left breast.

PAGE 30 IN TOUCH VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004









NIICHRO Membership Drive

Have You Paid Your Fees

for 2004/2005?





NIICHRO is presently conducting a membership drive for the purpose of updating its mailing list to

include all new CHRs, verify all mailing addresses of present CHRs and their health centers and

collect membership fees due. By becoming a member of NIICHRO, you join a growing number of

people who recognize the need to support health promotion and prevention personnel at the

grass roots level. Offering annual training sessions, training and resource kits, research re-

sources, and opportunities to network with CHRs and other community health workers across

Canada, NIICHRO works towards its goal of improving the quality of health care services offered

to Aboriginal people through the work of CHRs.



With your membership, you receive the organization’s quarterly newsletter and early notification

of, and invitation to, all conferences, training workshops and meetings pertinent to front-line work-

ers in Aboriginal communities.



There are two ways to support NIICHRO: annual support through a NIICHRO Regular or Associ-

ate Membership fee. Organizations or individuals can provide support through a donation to

NIICHRO to continue its work towards upgrading the quality of health care of Aboriginal people to

the standard enjoyed by the rest of the population of Canada. A charitable tax receipt is issued for

all donations.



Membership criteria:

Regular member: Fee - $100 per CHR

Open to Community Health Representatives (CHRs) who have received CHR training from a rec-

ognized institution and/or who are employed as a CHR on a continuous basis. As a Regular mem-

ber and a trained CHR, you have the right to vote at the General Annual Assembly.



Associate member: Fee - $150 per person

Open to all individuals or organizations that do not meet the criteria for Regular members yet wish

to share and participate in promoting health in Aboriginal communities, i.e., all interested parties

such as Community Workers, Educators, and Researchers. Associate members do not have the

right to vote at the General Annual Assembly.



Honorary member: Fee - Gratis

Retired CHRs and Elders as designated by the Board of Directors. Honorary members do not

have the right to vote at NIICHRO meetings unless they are eligible to meet regular membership

criteria or are appointed by their region to attend the General Annual Assembly.





For further information on NIICHRO:

Telephone: (450) 632-0892

or email: niichro@niichro.com

VOLUME 28, FALL ISSUE 2004 IN TOUCH PAGE 31









National Indian & Inuit

Community Health Representatives Organization (NIICHRO)



Organisation nationale

des représentants indiens et inuit en santé communautaire (ONRIISC)





MEMBERSHIP FORM



I. Membership Information



First Name:_________________________________________________________________



Last Name:__________________________________________________________________



Title:______________________________________________________________________



Organization/Health Centre:____________________________________________________



Address:____________________________________________________________________



Community:________________________________________________________________



Prov:_____________________________ Postal Code:_________________________



Tel:______________________________ Fax:________________________________



Email:______________________________________________________________________



(Membership form can be sent by fax to (450) 632-2111 for invoicing)





II. Method of Payment

Mail Membership Form with Fee (cheque or money order only), payable to:



NIICHRO, P.O. Box 1019, Kahnawake, QC, J0L 1B0



Credit Card Charge:



___VISA ___MasterCard Card Number:__________________________



Expiration Date: _______________________



Cardholder Signature:____________________________________________________________





III. Membership Fee (one form for each membership only)



______ CHR $100.00 Trained:____ Untrained:____



______ Associates $150.00



______ Honorary No fee

Upcoming Events 2004/2005

GENERAL POPULATION

ABORIGINAL - HEALTH Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) International Francophone Confer-

Native Men’s, Women’s and Youth Wellness Conference ence

October 24 – 27, 2004 December 9-10, 2004, Quebec City (Quebec)

Vancouver, BC Contact: Toll-free: 1-866-ASAFERA (272-3372) or E-mail : info@safera.qc.

http://www.nativewellness.com/conference.html ca



Mental Health Issues in Aboriginal Communities Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder - Equality of Access: Rights and the Right

October 26 – 28, 2004 Thing to Do - National Conference, Victoria

Sudbury, Ontario February 24-25, 2005 Victoria, BC

Contact: (705) 692-0420, E-mail: mhc@shkagamik-kwe.org Contact: ( 604) 822-2801or by email at ipinfo@interchange.ubc.ca



The Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN) 6th Annual AGM World Conference on Breast Cancer

Aboriginal Women, Children and Families: Standing Strong Together June 8-12, 2005 Halifax, NS

October 28-30 Toll free: 1-877-811-9222, Tel: (613) 549-1118;

Halifax, Nova Scotia E-mail: wbcoadmin@cogeco.net

Web: www.caan.ca Web: www.worldbreastcancerconf.ca



4th B.C. Aboriginal Diabetes Conference 3rd New Zealand Injury Prevention Conference

Diabetes: Lifetime Wellness November 2 – 4, 2005

November 1-4, 2004 Wellington, New Zealand

Penticton Lakeside Resort & Conference Centre Contact: E-mail: network@ipn.org.nz

Penticton, British Columbia www.ipn.org.nz

Contact Donna Felix at tel. 250-838-0373, or donnafelix@telus.net

Others

National Aboriginal Health Organization’s Second National Conference National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence

Training Workshops/Youth Workshops - Nov. 6-7, 2004 National Conference on Family Violence

National Conference Strengthening the Cicle

Nov. 8-10, 2004 November 5 - 7, 2004

Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, MB Ottawa, Ontario

Contact: (819) 779-4610 or E-mail: karen@huntercourchene.com Contact Email: info@nacafv.ca

Website: www.nacafv.ca

Aboriginal Early Childhood Development Conference

November 28 – 30, 2004 Manitoba Aboriginal Youth Career Conference

Winnipeg, Manitoba Brandon, MB

E-mail: fnihb-dgspni@hc-sc.gc.ca November 15-16, 2004

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fnhb/

“Continuing with Our Journey”

Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project 2nd Annual National Indigenous Sexual Abuse Conference

Training Program in Diabetes Prevention February 21 - 24, 2005

February 2005 Edmonton, Alberta

Kahnawake, Mohawk Territory E-mail: allanbeaver@abmail.ca

Website: www.ksdpp.org www.nisac.homestead.com/index.html



International Meeting on Inuit and Native Healing Our Spirit Worldwide

American Child Health 5th Gathering

April 29-May 1, 2005 August 6-11, 2006

Seattle, WA Shaw Convention Centre, Edmonton, Alberta

Contact: www.aap.org/nach/InternationalMeeting www.healingourspiritworldwide.com









NATIONAL INDIAN AND INUIT COMMUNITY PUBLICATION REGISTRATION 40069101

HEALTH REPRESENTATIVES ORGANIZATION

P.O. Box 1019

Kahnawake, QC J0L 1B0