Campbell River Mirror, Local Journalism Reporter
A medical response team has been dispatched to a remote Vancouver Island First Nation community to help guide it through a serious COVID-19 outbreak.
Continue reading COVID-19 outbreak in First Nation near Zeballosthe Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A group of newly trained Indigenous doulas reclaim their future bringing back birthing traditions
The first birth Indigenous doula Roberta Williams attended also happened to be the first child born in Kwagu’ł territory in over 30 years. Williams, 23, is one of 17 Indigenous doulas trained last year, in what is a new wave of traditional birth knowledge and reclamation.
Continue reading Kwakwaka’wakw doulas reclaim birthing traditionsthe Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
COVID19 has people at home, with less frequent opportunities for connection. The isolation increases when it is compounded with the stigma of substance use or mental health issues.
“In many cases, underlying chronic, severe trauma is related to substance use and during these dual public health emergencies it becomes even more important to increase mental health and wellness supports for BC First Nations people,” explains Dr. Nel Wieman, First Nations Health Authority’s (FNHA) acting deputy chief medical officer.
In B.C., 261 people have died of COVID-19. As of Sept. 30, 2020, 1202 people have died from overdose in the province this year.
In response to this combined crisis, the FNHA accelerated their plans to launch a virtual substance use and psychiatry service.
Continue reading Virtual mental health service improves accessthe Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
As of July 31, the percentage of First Nations individuals living on reserve reported positive for COVID-19 was one-quarter of the rate of the general Canadian population, according to Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). “The work that communities have done, to ensure the safety of their citizens, of their Elders and of their communities generally has been phenomenal,” says Dr. Shannon McDonald, who is the Chief Medical Officer at the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA). McDonald is Metis and Anishinabe, and introduces herself as a guest on Tsawout territory. But as COVID-19 cases continue to increase across B.C., several First Nations have also announced increasing numbers of positive COVID-19 cases.
Continue reading First Nations grapple with COVID-19the Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
First Nations individuals living on reserve had COVID-19 rates that were one quarter of the rate of the general population — what can be learned from this?
Continue reading COVID 19 rates of Indigenous peoples living on reserve is one quarter of the general populations
