NAN defends treaty rights to health services in rejection of provincial LHINs
NAN Rejects Health Regionalization Scheme
Posted by: Communications and Media jyoung@nan.on.ca 3/1/2006
In a news release distributed Wednesday March 1, 2006 NAN Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler is demanding the provincial government withdraw its plan to impose Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) on the 49 First Nation communities within NAN territory and begin government to government negotiations regarding the Province’s treaty obligations for health care delivery.
NEWS RELEASE
NAN REJECTS HEALTH REGIONALIZATION SCHEME
THUNDER BAY, ON Wednesday March 1, 2006: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler is demanding the provincial government withdraw its plan to impose Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) on the 49 First Nation communities within NAN territory and begin government to government negotiations regarding the Province’s treaty obligations for health care delivery.
“By negotiating health care delivery on a government to government basis with NAN, the Province will show they are interested in fulfilling their obligations as a treaty partner,” said Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler who’s responsible for the health portfolio at NAN. “First Nations health care must be First Nations designed and controlled.”
Fiddler’s comments come after a year of futile discussions that led to no real changes and ignored Health Minister George Smitherman’s own proposed amendments to Bill 36 (LHINS) that passed at the provincial legislature in Toronto this afternoon.
Fiddler is also demanding health care and health care funding reflect the demographic and geographic realities of remote First Nation communities in Ontario and hopes by fulfilling treaty obligations the people of Nishnawbe Aski can maintain control over existing First Nations health authorities.
“The regional health scheme of LHINS ignores the First Nation treaty partnership with Ontario which threatens remote First Nations with more travel to access medical treatment,” said Fiddler. “LHINS reduces local control of health delivery by existing First Nation health authorities, making the system even more ‘centralized’ and culturally insensitive than it already is.”
NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy is concerned the implementation of LHINs reflects a larger constitutional issue whereby Ontario has failed to consult and accommodate First Nations.
“The bigger issue is that although Ontario is legally bound to consult and accommodate First Nations, the Province has failed to do so before implementing changes to health care delivery,” said NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy.
Among the total 14 LHINs in Ontario, LHIN 13 and 14 include communities within NAN territory. Northeastern LHIN 13 has a total of 41 First Nation communities, 19 of which belong to NAN. LHIN 14 in the Northwest has a total of 66 First Nation communities, 30 of which belong to NAN. 33 First Nations in the two Northern LHINs are remote fly-in communities.
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For more information please contact:
Jenna Young NAN Communications Officer (807) 625 4952 OR (807) 628 3953 (mobile)