HIV/AIDS awareness continues, but progress is slow

The Canadian Aboriginal Aids Network is spreading awareness about the impact of the disease in the Aboriginal community.

Each year, CAAN holds a week-long series of events across Canada inviting key partners, members of parliament, and members of the public, to come to together to engage in discussion around issues faced by those affected by HIV and AIDs, and learn preventative measures.

This year the week kicked off in Calgary on Dec. 1, and ended with a breakfast on Parliament Hill.

“It’s a special opportunity for leaders in Canada to support the work we do. The theme is ‘Getting to zero… Zero new infections, zero discrimination, and zero HIV-related deaths in Canada,” said Ken Clement, CEO for CAAN.

“One of the most important things is to bring issues of HIV and AIDs to Aboriginal leadership and Aboriginal communities. Because one of the things that continues in our communities is the stigma and discrimination for those living with HIV and AIDs,” he said.

The rate of HIV infection is higher in the Aboriginal population than for non-Aboriginal people, and there are a variety of circumstances that contribute to this, according to Clement.

“The numbers for our Aboriginal people are 3.6 times higher than other Canadians… When we look at Aboriginal Aids Awareness Week, we need everyone to be part of the prevention, the education, access to care, testing, treatment and support,” he said.

Further, issues resulting from the effects of colonization, and systemic and systematic discrimination have also contributed to the problem, as many Aboriginal people are dealing with the trauma leftover from those.

The numbers of people infected by HIV are still increasing, and issues with substance abuse—particularly injection drug use, which is an easy way to contract the disease—are particularly high for Aboriginal people, said Clement.

“It’s a combination of challenges that are being faced by people… If someone gets news they are HIV positive, they need support. And it could be in a traditional way or a western way. I think people who are affected need that early intervention and support so they can understand what the treatment is all about,” he said.

There are also certain populations that are particularly vulnerable within the Aboriginal community, and CAAN held talks in honor of each group, including children and youth. Speaking on behalf of CAAN and the National Indigenous Youth Council on HIV and AIDs on Dec. 1, Elizabeth Potskin addressed the issues specific to her and her peers.

“As a youth myself, I’ve actually encountered and experienced first-hand the youth around my age. They don’t usually listen to older generations… they listen to youth their age, because those youth are going through those experiences,” said Potskin, of why being a voice to and for young people, is so important.

“Some of the key issues I touched on were that all of those different sexually transmitted infections and diseases do not discriminate against any type of body… And partying, and alcohol, and drugs, is a big part of it,” she said.

To Potskin, alcohol, drugs, and the party culture of young people, leads to a lack of concern about adequate protection, such as condoms. And this became crystal clear for her this past year, when a good friend was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection.

While the STI wasn’t AIDs specifically, the friend was emotionally devastated, and it was still enough to make Potskin take her role as a youth representative more seriously.

“It totally hit home… and I didn’t come to my home community here in Edmonton, my circle of friends, and talk about these things. And if I did, maybe it would have helped, and maybe that person would not have contracted… she probably would not have made so stupid of a decision,” she said.

One of the other vulnerable populations are two-spirited people—the Indigenous phrase used for gay, lesbian or bisexual people. Dave Miller is a two-spirit person, who is on the executive board for CAAN, and is also on the executive board with the Canadian Treatment Action Council.

Miller was diagnosed nearly five years ago, and found there were limited resources and supports to help him come to terms with his diagnosis.

“I made a promise to myself and to everyone that was affected by HIV that I would do everything possible to help out our Aboriginal people, because I had a rough time in my early diagnosis… I didn’t know a lot about HIV and I started abusing drugs and alcohol and isolated myself, and had a couple suicide attempts,” said Miller, who now wishes to prevent others from experiencing the same difficulty he did.

“I basically want to bring back as much information as I can to the communities I work in, around HIV and stigma and discrimination… HIV is not a death sentence, and I find a lot of healing in myself in helping others,” he said.