First Nation leaders get pandemic primer

The 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Toronto and the growing number of human deaths linked to Avian Influenza worldwide have helped to drive home the importance of being prepared for a pandemic.

While initial fears that the strain of Avian Influenza that's claimed 143 lives in Asia and Africa since 2003 would soon begin to take its toll on this side of the ocean have all but dissipated, medical experts worldwide agree that the coming of a pandemic is inevitable, and that the time to prepare is now.

With that in mind, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) played host to a pandemic planning conference at the end of August, inviting Elders, First Nation leaders and health officials from across the province to come together and discuss how communities can prepare themselves to handle a pandemic.

On Aug. 28, the first day of the two-day conference, a panel discussion was held during which potential pandemic scenarios were examined. A number of agencies that have roles to play in planning and executing a pandemic response within First Nations communities were represented on the panel, including the FSIN, Health Canada, Saskatchewan Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Another session later in the day examined the response to recent emergencies in Saskatchewan, including this spring's flooding of Red Earth Cree Nation and the recent forest fires in the North.

On the second day of the conference, those in attendance were organized into tribal groupings and a discussion was held about what is needed in communities in the way of pandemic planning.
According to Vice-chief Delbert Wapass, who holds the health and social development portfolio for the FSIN, some First Nation communities in Saskatchewan have their pandemic preparations well underway, while others are just waking to the fact that this is an area they need to address.
"This conference was held over the course of two days, and the participants started realizing that this was very serious and that it is something they need to ensure that their people are well prepared for, as much as they could be," Wapass said.

"Every community has been working on it to a degree, but there are some communities that really prioritized it. Other communities ... there may have been other things that the community may have been working on. Now I believe that, after this conference, that this is a priority for every First Nation here in Saskatchewan."

A report is currently being put together that will recap the highlights of the conference, including the recommendations that came out of discussions, Wapass said. Some of those recommendations included relying on the wisdom and guidance of the Elders throughout the pandemic planning process and educating more people about traditional medicines and ensuring those medicines are on hand if needed.

One recommendation that was repeated over and over again throughout the conference was the need to communicate, not just during a pandemic but now, before the pandemic begins.

"Communicate now, but not in such a way as to cause panic. Just to well inform membership," Delbert Wapass said. "Advise on the things you can do to minimize a pandemic, for example, wash hands properly and frequently. Eating healthy. Keeping the body fit through regular exercise. These will increase natural defences."

While the final responsibility to put pandemic plans in place will fall to the individual First Nations and tribal councils, the FSIN does have an important role to play in the process, Wapass said, and that is to make sure that, whether its federal money for pandemic preparation or inclusion in the province's pandemic plans, First Nations are not being overlooked.

"Our job is to ensure that we assist the First Nations in getting dollars and making sure that the federal government and provincial government live up to the treaty obligations .. It's our job to work with the leaders here at FSIN, to work with the chiefs, the councillors, the tribal chiefs, the tribal reps, to ensure that our people are not being left behind in regard to the pandemic situation."