Sunchild faces drastic social needs

Page 4

SUNCHILD RESERVE - A press conference called by the Sunchild Band Council on March 19 to bring public notice to their need for an ambulance service, also revealed that the community is in a "drastic situation" with other social service problems.

This community, comprised of 510 people, is nestled near the mountains 43 miles northwest of Rocky Mountain House.

Most people are on welfare. The few who do have jobs work as Band employees or on Canada Work projects. The land in the area is covered with rocks or muskeg, making it unsuitable for growing gardens or practicing grain farming.

The Sunchild Chief and Council report that they are isolated politically as well as geographically from services taken for granted by most Canadians. They feel their repeated proposals for change have been ignored by government officials.

Recent federal financial cut-backs on community services has contributed to a situation where housing, health and education services are at a "drastic stage," said

Chief Nelson Daychief. "These cut-backs hit solated communities harder than other communities," said Daychief.

Reserve residents have to travel to town to get their food and receive all other basic needs. The long distance coupled with poverty places a burden on a community that it cannot afford.

Transportation costs take a big chunk off the welfare cheques Sunchild residents rely on to meet basic living needs. The cost of a one-way trip to Rocky Mountain House from Sunchild is $50.

The Sunchild Band wants a community-based ambulance service, preferably staffed by local residents that would respond to health emergencies on the reserve. One option that the Band would consider is that of contracting a private ambulance company to service the community. "The ambulance from Rocky Mountain House usually takes one hour in ideal conditions to reach the place it is needed," says Band Councillor Walter Redbear.

"It is hard for them (ambulance personnel) to find the exact place to go to; we often have to meet them on the road," said Redbear. The Medical Services Branch of National Health and Welfare Canada has rejected the Band initiative for the service in the past, according to Council members.

The Band Council said that they have tried every argument, but have yet to get a positive response to their proposals.

To make the problems worse, the nearby Clearwater County, which used to pay part of the ambulance service costs, has recently cut off money for trips into Sunchild.

The Band Council feel that their requests for better overall health services have been ignored. They reported that occasional "token trips," usually for baby immunization, have been made by nurses. But the last visit was in June, 1985.

Percy Potts, vice-president for Treaty 6 for the Indian Association of Alberta was present to give moral and political support to the Chief and Council of Sunchild.

"We are talking of a very serious community problem and we have a government that is not very people oriented," said Potts.

Potts noted that cut-backs on deliveries of services like the ambulance service are probably related to the Neilson Report proposing cutbacks in federal spending. "Similar problems, like the Sunchild people have, could be widespread, and even more so in isolated communities," said Potts.

Treaty 6, covering central Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan, is one of the few treaties that included provisions for responding to health needs of Indian Nations.

A meeting has been set for April 10, to look at the need for ambulance services for Sunchild and is to include Medical Services Branch and the Band Council.