This past week's gathering of Aborginal Community Coordinators at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) was another step in the preparation for first year medical students who will be moving to their four week Aboriginal community placements at the end of April. The meetings took place in Thunder Bay and Sudbury (click here to see the NOSM press release about this gathering).

From Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal news online, Sunday, Feb 19, 2006 - http://66.244.236.251/article_4232.php

Med students in for remote experiences
By JONATHAN WILSON

The future doctors of Northern Ontario could be in for a major culture shock this spring.

Northern Ontario School of Medicine students will be leaving the relative comforts of Thunder Bay and Sudbury for remote First Nations in mid-April for a month-long immersion program. 

“For most of these students, it will probably be their first time in an aboriginal or First Nation or Metis setting,” Orpah McKenzie, NOSM’s director of aboriginal affairs, said Thursday.

“It’s a variety of experiences, and it’s all going to happen in four weeks.”

The 56 first-year medical students will be sent in pairs to 28 communities from Moose Factory to Muskrat Dam to Sucker Creek.

Besides their clinical training, they’ll each be equipped with laptop computers and Internet access to continue their regular classroom studies for 12 hours each week.

Another 12 hours will be dedicated to participating in cultural activities unique to the remote North.

“Our community, they do a lot of fishing and hunting,” said Don Sofea, director of health and social services for Nibinamik, also known as Summer Beaver. “You would hunt moose and possibly geese.

“I think it’s going to be a fabulous four weeks for them, and a fabulous four weeks for us.”

The First Nations placement program was one of the primary components envisioned when the medical school was being developed, to help introduce future physicians to the realities of Northern medicine.

“It’s a major reason why this school exists,” said Joel Lanphear, NOSM’s associate dean of undergraduate medical education for the Lakehead University campus.

“The real value is immersion in the culture, as part of our social accountability mandate.”

The two students in Nibinamik will likely reside at Amik Lodge, a sort of hotel-overnight unit for resource people who come into the community, or in the teacherage next to the community’s school.

“In some places, they’ll be in the chief’s home,” Lanphear said.

Nibinamik’s population is mostly Ojibwa-speaking, and Sofea said the med students will be encouraged to explore the area and mingle with residents and elders.

They’ll also be challenged to quickly figure out what their patients are trying to tell them about their conditions.

“They’re going to have to really learn about us,” Sofea said.

Translators will be available, along with each community’s regular nursing staff, nurse practitioners and travelling physicians.

McKenzie said the students may also learn from traditional healers about alternative health care, and partake in traditional ceremonies and feasts.

Health co-ordinators from the 28 communities toured the med school facilities in Thunder Bay and Sudbury this week, the latest step in a two-year process to develop the student placement program.

The group which toured LU also met with some of the students who will be placed in their communities from mid-April until mid-May.

“I think they’re going to have a very enjoyable experience, they’re going to get an eye-opener from this,” said Dean Wilson, office manager of the Gizhewaadiziwin health access centre near Fort Frances which co-ordinates health care in several communities from Lac La Croix to Big Grassy First Nation.

The two students placed at Gizhewaadiziwin will travel to all its communities during their four-week placement and learn about the unique challenges of rural transportation.

“People in Lac Le Croix have to drive 2 1/2 hours one way just to see a doctor,” Wilson said.

“The students are going to see what the difficulty is of getting around in Northwestern Ontario, how difficult it is for these people to access some of these services and what they have to go through.”

McKenzie said the First Nations officials themselves are also learning about what the med school students need to advance their education.

The overall goal is to provide an enriching experience, and convince at least some of the students to return to the First Nations later in their lives.

“Hopefully, exposing students at an early stage in their career to Northern communities, rural communities . . . in the end they will stay and practice,” McKenzie said.

“If we get five or six new doctors in the next few years,” added Wilson, “for Northwestern Ontario, that’s very important.
“We’ve got four weeks to sell them.”

The First Nations placements will continue throughout the four-year program, Lanphear said, adding the cultural component is also a part of the students’ everyday learning.

The Kekeenamawkayo 2006 - “Closing the Gaps” conference took place in Winnipeg this past week (February 14 to 16, 2006). Click here for a copy of the Jan 15 version of the Program at a Glance (WORD document)

Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program supported this event through their Ontario Regional Management Organization. Cal Kenny from K-Net travelled from Sioux Lookout to attend the event and gather some video footage and interviews with some of the presenters. Both the Keewaytinook Internet High School (lead by Darrin and his team of KiHS staff) and the Grade 8 Supplementary Courses (lead by Fernando) were highlighted in a day long workshop about e-learning. The Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute (lead by Brian Walmark) presented their findings about the online professional development series on Special Education, Literacy and Child Development hosted by the KORI team. A video conferencing connection was installed in the meeting room for connections to other sites and demonstration purposes. Brian's presentation is posted online within the new K-Net Online Meeting Space and can be accessed by signing up at  http://meeting.knet.ca/moodle/course/view.php?id=9

Click here to see some pictures from this gathering

Staff from the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Sioux Lookout office set up a display booth at Thursday's Career Fair that was held at the Queen Elizabeth District High School. The booth highlighted the work being done at Keewaytinook Okimakanak and provided the career fair participants with a glimpse of the possible career opportunities available within the organization.

Hosts of the display were Marie Carson (Fort Severn band member) and Kanina Terry (Lac Seul band member). Click here to view the pictures taken during this event.

Click here for more information about this event.

The various presentations and information sessions were video conferenced and web cast so others could watch them over the internet. The archives of these sessions are available online at http://webcast.knet.ca/Careers/

"Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack"

Where:  Heritage Centre, Red Lake
Time:  1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Date:  Saturday, Feb 18, 2006

This workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Celia Haig-Brown, professor at York University, Author of:

• Resistance and Renewal: Surviving the Indian Residential School,
• Taking Control: Power and Contradiction in First Nation Adult Education
• Making the Spirit Dance Within: Joe DuQuette High School and an Aboriginal Community.

This workshop is the sixth of an on-going series that is intended to help heal and develop cross-cultural relationships.  This particular workshop will be about de-colonizing / undoing racism work, with the focus on the residential schools.  The workshop will include a tour of the "Where are the Children?" exhibit now on display at the Heritage Centre.

Everyone is welcome to attend; it is not necessary to have attended previous sessions to participate.  Registration is by donation.  Please bring your own refreshments.

For more information, please call Kaaren at 727-3196 or 727-3006. Miikwech!

Michele Alderton
Director/Curator, Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre
P.O. Box 64
51A Highway 105
Red Lake, ON, P0V2M0
Tel: (807) 727-3006   Fax:  (807) 727-2686
Website:  http://redlakemuseum.com

Showing until March 31st at the Heritage Centre:  Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools 
http://www.wherearethechildren.ca
 and Residential Schools, the Red Lake Story,  http://www.redlakemuseum.com (Click on the Education Program link from our home page to see our Events Calendar)

From Kenora Daily Miner News online at http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com./story.php?id=213733

Treaty 3 youth descend on Kenora for healing conference
Aboriginal youth from across Northwestern Ontario and eastern Manitoba joined with elders and community members Wednesday as they sought ways to the heal the deep troubles facing the new generation.

By Mike Aiken Thursday February 16, 2006

Aboriginal youth from across Northwestern Ontario and eastern Manitoba joined with elders and community members Wednesday as they sought ways to the heal the deep troubles facing the new generation.

Perhaps the most daunting is the appearance of crystal meth in neighbouring First Nations.

“It’s already in my community,” said presenter Kenny Kakeeway of Whitefish Bay.

Even those going through treatment can take five or six months to recover their sense of self, and another four years to regain their thought processes, Kakeeway noted.

“This is a highly addictive drug,” he emphasized, adding local treatment centres are not yet able to handle clients hooked on the drug.

At Whitefish Bay, residents have lost at least eight young members to suicide within 18 months, while another 26 have attempted to take their own lives.

Two years ago, Treaty 3 declared a state of emergency in an attempt to get outside help for their generation in turmoil. At the time, crisis call workers at Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) were logging 300 calls a month, while intervention workers estimated there were 200 children in care.

“We’re Anishinabe,” said Kakeeway.

“We lost a lot of our culture in the residential schools, so we have to go back to that,” he added, referring to the many traditional, sacred practices described by elders during the conference.

Whitefish allows alcohol, which is how harder drugs find their way into homes on the reserve, said Kakeeway.

If young people learned their traditional names and clans, they could claim their roles in society and gain a sense of belonging.

“Once you have that, then you don’t need drugs and other things,” he said.

Organizer Tina Armstrong estimated about 280 attended Wednesday’s session.

The new Boreal Prospectors Association was announced today to promote prosperity through mineral development in Northern Ontario 

Thursday 16th February 2006; Thunder Bay, ON: The Boreal Prospectors Association (BPA) announced today that it has been established to provide a forum in which its members can identify and address the many unique geographical, governmental and cultural challenges facing the mineral industry in Ontario’s far north.

The founding of The Boreal Prospectors Association (BPA) comes at a time of increasing mineral exploration activity and significant discoveries being made in Northern Ontario. It is being pioneered as a member of the Ontario Prospectors Association (OPA) by an executive of independent prospectors, regional First Nation representatives and industry representatives active in Northern Ontario.

Says Doug Parker, a director of The Boreal Prospectors Association: “The role of the mineral industry is becoming increasingly important to economic development of Northern Ontario’s communities. It is the intent of our Association to engage and support individual northern prospectors and to facilitate community-industry interaction by encouraging capacity building and mutual understanding. Through this approach the Association will seek to ensure that mineral industry activities occur to the benefit of local communities, lead to sustainable development within the region and result in a more robust mineral industry.”

Director David Duchesne adds, “The Boreal Prospectors Association can help to enhance northern prosperity by listening to northern voices and echoing the needs of our members. By providing a mechanism that encourages northerners to become part of the mineral industry, the Association can help to create a link to people, land and resources, build lasting partnerships and foster a strong business environment.”

Interested members of the public are invited to attend the association’s annual general meeting and symposium, THE NORTHERN ONTARIO MINES AND MINERALS SYMPOSIUM “Building a Sustainable Future on Bedrock” on February 21st and 22nd, 2006 in Sioux Lookout. For more information visit or email: borealprospectors@hotmail.com.

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Media Contact:

Stephanie Ash, Firedog Communications Inc.
Tel: 1 (807) 767-4443; Cell: 1 (807) 472-5276; Email: stephanie@firedogpr.com

Notes to the Editor:

About The Boreal Prospectors Association

The executive of the Boreal Prospectors Association includes: Thomas Tookate (Attawapiskat), Doug Parker (Independent Prospector), Luc McKay (Shibogama), Mike Fox (NADF), David Duchesne (IFNA), Michael Cunningham (De Beers Canada) and Mitch Diabo (Kasabonika). Currently there are 36 members of the association approximately half of whom reside in northern communities and the remainders are involved with industry and government.

The region North of 51 includes approximately 35 communities all of which are First Nation with the exception of Pickle Lake and Moosonee.

The concept of the association was first proposed by the leadership of Kasabonika Lake First Nation in an effort to encourage capacity building and understanding of the mineral industry in northern communities, improve engagement of the mineral industry with residents of the north and increase local participation in the industry.

The National Aboriginal Diabetes Association (www.nada.ca) is hosting a three day conference in Winnipeg this week. Click here to find out more information about this conference.

From CBC News - Feb 13, 2006

Conference aims to prevent native diabetes 'pandemic'

A conference in Winnipeg is looking for ideas to stem the growing tide of diabetes among Canada's aboriginal community.

Diabetes among aboriginal people was virtually unheard of in the 1940s, but today the risk of Type 2 diabetes among aboriginal populations is estimated at three to five times higher than for non-natives, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

The National Aboriginal Diabetes Association estimates Manitoba could see the number of cases of diabetes triple over the next 20 years in what aboriginal leaders and health professionals are calling a "pandemic."

"Pandemic means that a disease is throughout the entire country," said Alex McComber, one of the conference chairs, who sits on the board of the National Aboriginal Diabetes Association. "If we talk about the phrase using Indian country, it's there, it's everywhere."

Conference delegates say diet, lack of exercise, genetics and stress contribute to the problem, as does lack of access to fresh food in aboriginal communities, especially in the North.

"It's horrendous to eat healthy in the northern communities if you are relying on one store to provide all the food," said McComber, who has helped to teach young Mohawk students about proper diet and exercise at the Kahnawake First Nation near Montreal.

"We know that foods high in fat, high in sugar, high in salt, preservatives, etc., are very inexpensive to send, and they have a long shelf life," making them less expensive and more popular for people living on remote First Nations.

Isabelle Shannacappo, from the Rolling River First Nation, near Riding Mountain, Man., says part of the solution is also personal responsibility.

"We cannot control the diabetes without the help of the people," said Shannacappo, who has had Type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years. "The people have to do their own prevention."

Shannacappo said governments should help provide financial support for dieticians on reserves to help people eat better. She also said, where possible, it's crucial to help get fresh, affordable food to remote communities.

Theresa Oswald, Manitoba's minister of healthy living, says the provincial government is working on programs to grow fresh produce in the North.

It's estimated almost 20 per cent of the First Nations population in Manitoba will contract diabetes.

First ministers meeting in Kelowna, B.C., last fall listed diabetes prevention as one of their top priorities in addressing aboriginal poverty and health care.

Northern Ontario School of Medicine Press Release - Feb 14, 2006

28 Aboriginal Health Leaders From Across Northern Ontario Gather at Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM)

For Immediate Release:  Tuesday, February 14, 2006 -- Aboriginal health leaders from the three major treaty organizations and health access centres of Northern Ontario will be arriving at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine's East and West campuses at Laurentian and Lakehead Universities respectively, later this afternoon for a two-day NOSM orientation session.  The leaders will travel to NOSM from the 28 communities that have been selected as medical student teaching sites.  Each community will host two NOSM students for a four-week placement starting in April, 2006 where the students will learn first-hand about disease, illness, preventative care, healing and health in a rural, remote environment.

NOSM's Director of Undergraduate Medical Education Programs, Marie Matte explained the importance of this part of the NOSM curriculum which provides a hands-on approach to medical education.  "These community placements are the first of many for first year NOSM students.  It is important that we have the input of the community leaders in the development of this unique component of the NOSM curriculum."

Students will spend between 10-12 hours per week in clinical settings such as urgent care, after hours clinics, youth and school programs, substance abuse centres, outpatient settings with RNs, MDs and visiting health care professionals.  Not only will students learn the clinical skills required for the curriculum, they will also examine the roles of all health care providers in rural/remote settings.   During the placements, students will also be required to continue their classroom learning through scheduled sessions that will be delivered through videoconferencing technology.

Orpah McKenzie, NOSM's Director of Aboriginal Affairs noted that the placements will have a large focus on culture.  Students will be expected to spend up to 12 hours per week in community-based, culturally-focused experiences ranging from feasts to hunting and fishing.  "It is important that NOSM graduates are aware of the North's cultural diversity and vibrancy.  By immersing NOSM students in remote, rural Aboriginal communities, they will learn integral communications skills for practicing medicine in the North."

While at NOSM, the Aboriginal leaders will become more familiar with NOSM's curriculum and how it applies to their community.  They will end their orientation session with a congratulatory luncheon on Thursday, where each of the 28 communities will be formally recognized as NOSM Teaching Sites.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a pioneering faculty of medicine. The School is a joint initiative of Lakehead and Laurentian Universities with main campuses in Thunder Bay and Sudbury, and multiple teaching and research sites across Northern Ontario. By educating skilled physicians and undertaking health research suited to community needs, the School will become a cornerstone of community health care in Northern Ontario.

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For more information, or to arrange for an interview, please contact:

Tracie Smith
NOSM West Campus
807-766-7314 or 807-624-7862
Tracie.Smith@normed.ca  

or      Joey McColeman
NOSM East Campus
705-662-7275
Joey.McColeman@normed.ca

Communications Unit
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
West Campus
Lakehead University
955 Oliver Rd.
Thunder Bay ON  P7B 5E1
Tel: 807-766-7300
Fax: 807-766-7370

East Campus
Laurentian University
935 Ramsey Lake Rd.
Sudbury ON  P3E 2C6
Tel: 705-675-4883
Fax: 705-675-4858
E-mail: NormedNews@NorMed.ca

From http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=80372