Communities band together to fight for improved health benefits

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A passionate cry for adequate medical service for Alberta's Indian people both on and off their reserves echoed throughout three days of meeting at the first All-Chiefs conference on health care held in Edmonton.

It was the first time Alberta's Indian communities banded together to fight for fair health benefits they claim are entrenched in their treaties.

More than 600 people packed into a conference hall at the Convention Inn to devise a health care policy plan aimed at Indian people of Alberta.

Elders, chiefs and Indian organizations pounced on the federal government for trying to place the onus for health care onto band councils.

Henry Quinney, chairman of the Alberta Indian Health Care Commissions, said the answers to the problem of peer medical treatment for Alberta's Indians lies buried in the treaties that have been overlooked by the government for too long.

Quinney said the "medicine chest" clause in Treaties 6, 7 and 8 has been eroded through federal government neglect.

It's time Alberta Indians were consulted before medical policies are changed that would affect them, he said.

"It's always been a one-sided interpretation of the treaties. Hopefully, by pulling together, we can place serious discussion on traditional rights at the community level," he said.

"We want to ensure our medicine chest is kept as it should be."

Native leaders maintain the medicine chest clause was part of the treaties between Native leaders and Crown commissioners, who agreed to provide unrestricted medical services to Alberta Indians.

The commission was set up 10 years ago by health and welfare Canada in response to a study conducted by representatives of Treaties 6, 7 and 8, who discovered Indians weren't accessing medical services properly.

Quinney said the AIHHC is now determined to charge its focus to ensure the federal government not give up its responsibilities by handing over medical service to the province or individual bands.

Treaty 6 health care field worker Jerome Yellowdirt said it's time Alberta Indian chiefs were made aware the problems they're facing at their own band levels are the same throughout the province.

"Nothing has ever been done to get the chiefs together to discuss health care as a treaty issue. Health care was never a priority," he said.

"But they're (federal government) trying to cut back the entire heath care program (ambulance service and medical service and medical service and equipment). It's time we fought it as Indian people."