Aboriginal Health & Healing

A CASTS presentation to Ottawa U School of Medicine

September 18, 2008

CASTS Purpose & Mission

Purpose: CASTS was created to achieve greater Aboriginal representation in S&T occupations

in Canada.

Thus, our Mission is: to assist Aboriginal people in Canadato enter,

to remain, and to excel

in Science and Technologywhile maintaining their traditional knowledge and culture.

We do this by As a Federally incorporated not-for-profit since 1992, our volunteer board of Aboriginal scientists, engineers and educators from across Canada has been promoting science and technology careers and education by:Using a database of members self identified as AboriginalDistributing a newsletter to membersHolding the CASTS Conference biennially (8X)Hold Career Fairs devoted to Science an technologyAward CASTS Scholarship Program annuallyProduce a Guide to Science and Technology education and careers in Canada for Aboriginal Students Developing CASTS Chapters in schoolsPromote S&T employment opportunities on our website

CASTS is a peer group for Aboriginal Scientists and engineers.

• Our Chairperson is Carol Ann Budd

• Ms. Budd is an Aboriginal chemical engineer

• She is head of research for INVISTA Canada improving airbags to protect our lives and pretty faces

• She has four kids....

Our location: Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg

• Near Maniwaki, Quebec about 2 hours on the 105 nord.

• KZ Anishinabeg has 1800 members less than half live on the Rez

• We work 4-6 nurses to death and social workers but NO full-time doctors YET...right Emily???

Aboriginal peoples in CanadaA diverse array of languages, cultures and histories Major Language Families

• Ojibway • Cree • Other Algonquian Families• Inuktitut • Athapaskan • (Siouan) Dakota • Salish • Tsimshian • Wakashan • Iroquoian • Haida• Tlingit• Kutenai

Educational Attainment in CanadaUniversity Education (by census division)

• Percentage of Population (aged 15 and over)

• Less than 6% pale yellow• 6% - 9.9% -flesh tone• 10% - 20% - gold• Greater than 20% - red• Non-ecumene Population

(sparsely populated areas)

The further you have to travel to school, the tougher it is to leave!

The Treaties and Reserve creation

Historical Indian Treaties • Numbered Treaties - green• Province of Canada Treaties

- gold• Williams Treaties – flesh • Upper Canada Treaties -

pale yellow• Area Peace and Friendship

Treaties - ochre• Area Vancouver Island

Treaty

Reserve creation saw the end of freedom for Aboriginal peoples

Languages and Cultures at RiskAboriginal survival prediction better the more remote you are.

Index of Aboriginal Language Continuity (1996)

• 0 - 44.9 [low] 45 - 64.9 • 65 - 84.9 • 85 - 99.9 • 100 - 125 [high]

Aboriginal people & healthcare accessSurvival of languages and cultures at odds with geography

• 0.50 - 4.99 pale yellow• 5.00 - 24.99 bright yellow • 25.00 - 49.99 Gold• 50.00 - 99.99 Orange• 100.00 - 808.28 Burgundy• Sparsely Populated Area –

pale green

Average Distance to the Nearest Family Physician, 1998 (km)

For Aboriginal peoples – where you practice matters..

Where you’re the only game in town

• 825:1 - 8901:1 Sage Green (eek no holidays ever)

• 550:1 - 824:1 Grass Green• 275:1 - 549:1 Kelly Green• 244:1 - 274:1 Dk Green

(low)• No Data

Population-to-physician ratios, 1996

Health Behaviours / Smoking Habits in Aboriginal Communities

Prevalence of smoking (%)1996-97

• 24 - 26 Flesh tone• 27 - 29 Beige• 30 - 32 Cocoa• No data - grey

We smoke most where we can get it easily and need to cope...

Obesity in Aboriginal communities..Help I’m trapped on a reserve and vegetables are 3 weeks old!

Population who were overweight (%), 1996-97

• 27 – 30 - pink• 31 - 39 - lavender• 40 - 42 - purple• No data – grey

• Its also reallly cold in Labrador and southern Manitoba.

Young mothers and healthcare accessSmall babies and young mothers are in steady supply.

Low birthweight, 1996 –mothers aged 15-19 years-

• 7.00 to 19.44% - Deep purple

• 6.00 to 6.99% -Purple• 5.00 to 5.99% - lavender• 4.00 to 4.99% Fuschia• 0 to 3.99% Pale pink • Insufficient data - grey

The western medicine and healing

Health Science • Presenting disease/illness• diagnosis• Evidence• Rational decision making• Client-centred care• Acute /chronic care• Pharmaceuticals• interventions

Aboriginal Healing

In Anishinabe – doctor and healer became different things...

• Andokonini – meant a doctor usually a non-Aboriginal man who searches out disease or illness (usually a man whose function was a diagnostician)

• Endawiwedj – a healer – designation of sex unimportant (both existed equally and their specific methods

• Healing and the providing of the healing service was a gift of the Great Mystery – Kitchi Manido.

What you don’t see in stats: your role

Aboriginal Healers• How many are left• How to find one practicing• How many speak the

language affects knowledge • The amount of demand• What kind of sickness they

are treating• The impact of loss of

ceremonies and their return

Community support in Aboriginal communities• Small communities and home

care• End of life care for chronic

disease in Aboriginal communities

• Mental health supports• Residential school healing

efforts and its success• Positive impact of centers like

the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health (too few)

Choices for the Future...“Me and the folks who buy my food are like the Indians – we just want to opt out. That’s all the

Indians ever wanted – to keep their tee pees, to give their kids herbs instead of patent medicines and leeches. They didn’t care if there was a Washington D.C., or a Custer or a USDA; just leaves us alone. But the Western mind can’t bear the opt-out option. We’re going to have to re-fight the Battle of Little Bighorn to preserve the right to opt-out , or your grandchildren and mine will have no choice to eat amalgamated, irradiated, genetically prostituted, bar coded, adulterated fecal spam from the centralized processing conglomerate.”

The Omnivore’s Dilemma – A Natural History of Four Meals Micheal Pollan

“Keep in mind that in our rush to meet the future, we must be sure to keep the past. Without its foundation no structure stands for long.”

Theodore L. Kazimiroff, The Last Algonquin.

My raison d’etre – and support crew

Guess who is among us????

CASTS Scholar 2007-8• Is a First Nation man• Is from Saddle Lake First

Nation in Alberta• Trained as a nutritionist

before coming to Ottawa U Med School

• Is a National Aboriginal Health Organization role model

• An all-around good guy

This guy is giving this lecture next time.....

WWW.CASTS.CAJoin us and come to Conference 2009!