Indian leaders demand voice on health care

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Indian leaders from across Alberta are demanding an equal say in how health care policies are initiated by the government and who is responsible for offering medical services to Alberta Indians.

They claim the government is shrinking health care services to Indian people in an effort to reduce the federal deficit.

The Alberta Indian Health Care Commission is going to change its role to make sure the government sticks to the treaties.

During the first All-Chiefs Health Conference in Edmonton, March 19-21, chiefs from Treaties 6, 7 and 8 called on the federal government to stop making decisions without consulting Native leaders.

The band chiefs voted to pass a resolution calling for a moratorium on health care policy changes that could affect the members of their bands. It was one of 19 resolution passed during the three-day meeting on health issues.

Grouard Band Chief Frank Halcrow, a commission board member, said the federal government is trying to initiate the health transfer to the province and change its policies without talking it over with his organization.

He said it's time the commission revised its mandate to address health care issues head on by concentrating on the treaties when it demands better care for band members and off-reserve Indians.

"The new commission is looking at restructuring its mandate to address the actual terms of Treaties 6, 7, and 8," he said.

"It's now our position to address issues with a clearer vision."

Halcrow said federal government cutbacks to health care will affect elderly, handicapped and mental health services, as well as reduce support services to nursing, health education and nutrition.

The chiefs are outraged the federal government is trying to hand over its obligations to the province, who they claim has no business dictating health care changes affecting Indians.

"We have to sit down and talk about it. We have to plan a strategy," said Fort McMurray Band Chief Robert Cree.

"It's time we got together to demand these things."

Cree say the federal government is transferring its responsibilities because it's blaming Indians for the escalating federal deficit.

Indians have paid for their health care already by allowing the government to extract natural resources from their traditional lands, he noted.

"It's not our problem they've gotten themselves in a huge debt. We've made an agreement with the federal government. It's up to them to live up to that, and not put it off on someone else. The bands can't afford it," he said.

Maurice Aked, the regional director of health and welfare Canada, who was on hand for one of the conference sessions, shrugged off suggestions his department was dismantling it operations to Indian people.

"I'm not hiding behind policies," he said.

"There's only so much we can do. We, in Alberta Z only have X amount of dollars and X amount of resources."

He invited any disgruntled chief, upset with the health care cutbacks, to come to his office and look at his records.

"The resources we have in Alberta are an open book," he said.