THUNDER BAY -- The chief of Neskantaga First Nation says urgent action must be taken to address the health-care crisis in Ontario’s First Nations communities.
Wayne Moonias, in a release issued on Tuesday by Matawa First Nations Management, said communities can no longer wait for action.
“Waiting for a table to be established and waiting for agreement on how immediate actions are to be implemented will take long and is a luxury of time that we do not have and, more importantly, that a life depends on,” Moonias said.
“How many of our people and young generations have to die before the government realizes there needs to be immediate action taken?”
Last Thursday northern Ontario First Nations met with Minister of Health Jane Philpott and Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Eric Hoskins, which led to a decision to create a tripartite join action table.
Work toward that decision is expected to begin by mid-April.
Moonias said there are already plenty of recommendations and several reports detailing solutions for health-care problems plaguing Ontario’s First Nations, including reports produced by the United Nation, the Truth and Reconciliation Committee and the auditor general of Canada.
Immediate actions on addressing the health crisis are already known and should be filtered down directly to our people and the communities who need them and nowhere else. If they do not, faith in this process will wane very quickly,” Moonias said.
He went on to say investments are required to ensure the right kind of change occurs, though stopped short of saying how much money would be needed.
Matawa is a ready and willing partner, said CEO David Paul Achneepineskum.
“The Matawa communities are prepared for direct participation in the joint action table in order to ensure their unique needs and challenges are represented,” he said. “We look forward to our future work with the federal and provincial governments and political territorial organizations on addressing our longstanding health crisis.”
