AIDS and the Native community

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AIDS, an acronym that has crept into the English language in recent years as a word synonymous with suffering and death, is still not fully understood by Native people across Canada.

The Joint National Committee on Aboriginal AIDS Education and Prevention wants that changed.

The one-year-old Native consortium is pushing for the federal government to make AIDS education more understandable to Natives.

Though hidden in the isolated regions of the country, far out of touch with rest of society, Canada's Native communities are beginning to feel the effects of the deadliest disease to infect mankind since the bubonic plague.

But according to Alberta spokesman Ray Fox, ignorance adds to the risk of contracting Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

He says community-based initiatives are to best way to change people's attitude.

"One of the reasons why we developed these policies for the government is to support community programs and to offer some support to the health organizations," he says.

"This will give them a better educational base on AIDS and its potential."

The consortium is comprised of 12 Aboriginal communications groups from across the country including the Assembly of First Nations, Metis National Council and the Indian and Inuit Nurses of Canada.

He said the Aboriginal Youth and Elders Councils also have representatives on the committee.

The committee was established last year to research and identify the problem and recommend policies to help Natives understand AIDS and how they can lessen the risk among their own people.

Fox says the committee has sent their recommendations to federal health minister Perrin Beatty.

The national committee has found that the greatest concentration of AIDS is in Ontario which has 1,177 reported cases. Only four are male Natives and one female as of Sept. 5, 1989.

Quebec has 897 reported cases. Six are male Natives and two female.

Alberta has 170 with only one Native male case reported as of Sept. 5,1989.

The national committee recommended that aboriginal communities be targeted for educational campaigns and preventative programs.

The committee has suggested that aboriginal decision-making forums be hold to educate community leaders in the form of government meetings, school board assemblies, regional board meetings and tribal activities.