Ambulance serves Native cowboys

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Pimatisowin. In Cree, it means "life".

This is the name given to the unique ambulance service that travels with the Roasting Cattle Company.

In most cases, ambulance service is obtained from the town or closest town a rodeo s being held at.

But Pimtisowin ambulance workers have earned the trust of the cowboys who ride in rodeos supplied by Roasting Cattle Company stock.

The husband and wife team of Hazel and Tim Millar and paramedic Chris Hall have earned that trust for some very good reasons.

"For awhile, the cowboys sort of frowned upon me because I was a woman," Hazel Millar recalls.

"I remember one cowboy was hurt and I said 'OK, drop your pants!", she said. "He said 'you've got to kidding,' I said 'Heck. You've seen one backside, you've seen them all.

"We've gained their trust and they know they can count on us to be there for them all the time."

The ambulance service is new to Ma-Me-O Beach. Located on the Pigeon Lake reserve, it began service July 1.

"We want people on the reserve to know we're there for them now," Millar said.

In actuality, the ambulance service has been around for more than two years and almost half of its employees are Native.

"Most of the time, we make housecalls on the elders and children. We drive people into hospital who need medical attention," Tim Millar said.

Ambulance service that work the rodeos usually charge about $60 per hour.

However, there were frequent complaints by some cowboys that the ambulance services were never available when needed.

Pimatisowin works differently.

Hey are available at each rodeo they attend and don't charge the rodeo producer Herman Roasting for their services.

The only time a charge is made is when we attend to a hurt cowboy or need to drive someone to hospital, Hazel Millar said.

Cowboys who travel the circuit where Pimatisowin service is available know they are in good hands.

"They feel safe in knowing we travel the circuit with them," Tim Millar said.

Arrangement were made with the Hobbema Health Centre, with the approval of the Four Bands Administration, to provide and welcome Pimtisowin, which serves the Pigeon Lake

area and the NANCA rodeo circuit.