Native man takes off mask of shame

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The first Native person to test positive for the AIDS virus in Alberta has taken off what he calls his mask of shame to tell others "you have to look death square in the face and help people to understand it can happen to them too."

Ken Ward, whose anonymous letter appeared in Windspeaker Feb.16 explaining his emotional hell since being confirmed HIV positive last year, is now working with the AIDS Network of Edmonton.

"I figure it's time for me to reach out to other Natives -- to their communities and their families. Education is the only way we can survive this thing."

The brash, 33-year-old Enoch reserve Native told Windspeaker in an exclusive interview he no longer wants to hide behind his fears and self pity. He wants to help educate his people about the risks of contracting the deadly and painful disease, which is feared to be gaining ground in the Native community nationwide.

"I've had to grow up a lot in the past year," he said.

Ward is the AIDS Network's first Native volunteer. Before being blasted with news in 1989 his freewheeling, drug-binges days would likely result in his death, he didn't know anything about AIDS except what he read on a poster one day at the reserve.

Before turning to intravenous drug use, Ward hadn't a clue about the dangers of contracting the worst infection to hit the human race since the bubonic plague.

"That poster was the only exposure I ever had. I just felt it wasn't going to affect me, so why bother worrying about it," he said.

"Well, I was wrong to believe that. Now I think, my God, what were the odds!"

Ward is now dedicating his life to promoting education aimed at Native people. He hopes to set up class-room discussions on AIDS at the reserve level and at area colleges. He does stress, however, that pushing education on people won't always do the trick. "You just have to want to be educated. People should start education themselves and their children before the problem gets out of Hand in the Native community."

Ward admits he is living proof that ignorance can lead to death.

When he left for Vancouver two years ago to "check out the night life," there was no reason for him to believe he was doomed to spend the rest of his days regretting his decisions. "But you'll find your whole lifestyle changes -- the way you think about things, and the way you think about others.

"The doors have opened up for me. I let myself get swept away. I have to try to help others from doing the same."

The executive director of the Edmonton AIDS Network said having Ward as part of the group's AIDS education team is vital to the preservation of the Native community in Alberta.

Barry Breau said Native people are particularly at risk because they're not being reached like they should be.

He said preventive measures and education about the causes and effects of IDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) are foreign subjects to Native groups nationwide.

"We have all the information but don't yet know the best way to help the communities directly. Hopefully, having Ken will help," he said.

A Sept. 5, 1989 national aboriginal study determined the greatest concentration of HIV- positive cases were in Ontario, which had 1,777 reported cases. Of those four were male Natives; one was a Native female.

Quebec had 897 reported cases. Six were Native males and two were Native females.

Alberta had 170 with only one Native male case reported, Ken Ward of Enoch.