NAHO finds release of Métis-specific information a step in the right direction

OTTAWA, ON — The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) commends Statistics Canada on the release of its article on Métis health and well-being today. The article, entitled An Overview of the Health of the Métis Population, summarizes findings from the 2006 Métis Supplement of the Aboriginal Peoples Survey.

“We have been saying for years that there is a clear gap in information about the health and well-being of Métis people,” said Dr. Paulette C. Tremblay, Chief Executive Officer of NAHO. “The release of this Métis-specific information is an important step in the right direction towards closing that gap.”

The report analyzed Métis health and well-being by examining the social determinants of health – information such as demographic information, health behaviours and health care utilization. Key findings outline many significant gaps in health between Métis and the total population, including the following:

• Métis tend to have high rates of chronic disease. Just over half (54 per cent) of Métis adults report having been diagnosed with a chronic condition.


• Twice as many Métis adults report asthma (14 per cent) and diabetes (seven per cent). For Canada, the rates are eight per cent and four per cent, respectively.


• The most common chronic condition reported for Métis youth was asthma, at rates almost double that of Canada’s total population – 20 per cent for Métis versus 11 per cent for Canada.

“Despite these gaps in health status, there are many positive signs of the increasing well-being of Métis, particularly among youth,” said Dr. Tremblay. “While we must address the significant gaps in health, we must not overlook the positive indicators that clearly demonstrate the resiliency of Métis. This strength and resiliency is seen throughout the Statistics Canada report, particularly in the increasing health status of many Métis youth.”

Approximately one third of Métis people reported access to traditional medicines or wellness practices. Interestingly, Métis living in urban centres are more likely to report access to traditional healing practices.

Furthermore, almost 60 per cent of Métis adults rated their health status as very good or excellent. And, according to the report, the Métis population in Canada is growing. In fact, the number of people identifying as Métis increased 33 per cent in the five years since the last Aboriginal Peoples Survey in 2001. There are now 389,785 people in Canada who identify as Métis, making up 33 per cent of the Aboriginal population in Canada of 1,172,790.

Dr. Tremblay went on to say, “Sound policy, programs and services are built upon good health information. At NAHO, we will be using this new information about Métis health to inform our work. We hope it will inform the work of provincial and federal health initiatives for Métis.”

Catherine Graham, Director of the Métis Centre of NAHO says, “This is a great day for Métis in Canada. As this and other information begins to make its way to leaders, researchers and community members, we will hopefully begin to see programs and services developed in accordance with Métis needs and priorities.”

NAHO is proud to have played a role in the development of the report. A NAHO Métis Centre Research Officer, Joyce Seto, was one of the authors.

Visit the Métis Centre of NAHO.

NAHO hosts event to bring awareness to Addictions Recovery

The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) invites you to attend our next Guest Speaker Series presentation entitled “The cost of addiction: An ex-NFL star's journey to recovery” with Mr. Alvin Powell on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Mr. Powell is Director of Prevention Services with the Saving Station Foundation.

Mr. Powell is a former NFL football player for the Miami Dolphins and the Seattle Seahawks. At 6-foot-5, 320-pounds, he was an imposing figure on the football field until he fell prey to the disease of addiction. Now recovered, Mr. Powell has turned his life around and works tirelessly to help others quit their habit and prevent young people from ever starting.

As Director of Prevention Services for the Saving Station Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of substance abuse, Mr. Powell has visited hundreds of high schools, universities, sports associations and corporations. In his visits, he tells his compelling life story of how drugs ruined his NFL career, his life, and brought him to the brink of death.

Mr. Powell has dedicated the past 10 years to prevention of drug and substance abuse, as well as helping those in crises who are suffering from the disease of addiction. “Drugs do not care who you are,” he says. “They do not discriminate against color, creed, race, size, economic background or even age.”

I hope you can join us for a first-hand account of the struggles and loss Mr. Powell faced when trapped in his addiction, and the path that ultimately lead to sobriety and helping countless others avoid the pit-falls of a disease that affects so many Aboriginal communities.

Click here for more information on Mr. Alvin Powell and the Saving Station Foundation.

If you plan to attend, please R.S.V.P. svanloffeld@naho.ca.

We look forward to seeing you on February 18, 2009.

The National Aboriginal Health Organization is Celebrating Birth

OTTAWA, ON — The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) is hosting a special event to celebrate the rebirth of First Nations, Inuit and Métis traditional approaches to child and maternal care. At this event NAHO will announce its acceptance to be the new home for the “Canadian and American Traditional Midwives Blanket” and launch a selection of NAHO’s new midwifery, child and maternal health resources.

“Today, on Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Day, NAHO is celebrating birth” says Dr. Paulette Tremblay, CEO of NAHO. “By announcing and promoting the importance of First Nations, Inuit and Métis traditional approaches to child and maternal care, NAHO is recognizing the work of the Aboriginal midwives who give life to traditional practices and pass on their invaluable knowledge.”

In May 2008, at the Invitational Gathering on Indigenous Birthing and Midwifery held in Washington, DC, hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Martha Greig, a traditional midwife and Inuit Elder accepted this blanket on behalf of all traditional Canadian and American traditional midwives. Health Canada invited NAHO to house and display this important symbol of traditional Indigenous birthing practices. NAHO is honoured to showcase the “Canadian and American Traditional Midwives Blanket” in the reception area for all to see. It is a reminder that this is one way Aboriginal Peoples can bring new life to traditional practices which celebrate the gift of birth surrounded by families within their home communities.

The event will be held in Ottawa on Thursday February 12, 2008 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Penthouse (17th floor) at the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel at 150 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario.

The National Aboriginal Health Organization is a national, non-profit, Aboriginal-designed and –controlled body that works to influence and advance the health and well-being of Aboriginal Peoples through knowledge-based strategies.

For media inquiries, contact:
Colleen Patterson, Communications Officer
Tel: (613) 237-9462 ext. 559
Toll Free: 1-877-602-4445 ext. 559
Cell: (613) 863-9001
E-mail: cpatterson@naho.ca

For more information click here

NAHO seeking First Nations, Inuit and Métis role models for youth award

Ottawa, ON - The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) is once again searching for Canada’s best and brightest First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth for nomination to the 2009-2010 National Aboriginal Role Model Program (NARMP).

The Program, which has been organized by NAHO for the past five years, aims to highlight the accomplishments of First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth aged 13 to 30. The Program’s theme is “Lead Your Way!”

All Aboriginal youth are being called upon to nominate their role models by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, March 20, 2009.


“Across Canada, the National Aboriginal Role Models of NAHO touch the lives of First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth in a meaningful and real way,” says Dr. Paulette C. Tremblay, CEO of NAHO.

James Makokis, the National Spokesperson for the NARMP, says, “Role models are authentic individuals who are true to their identities. They give others the courage to push beyond their own potential, opening the door to new possibilities.”



“Nominate someone who inspires you so that others can learn from, and share in their gifts,” Makokis encouraged.

A selection committee of Aboriginal youth will choose the top 12 role models. Those chosen will be role models for a year, visiting First Nations, Inuit and Métis schools and communities to share their stories of hope and success. NAHO will be producing posters and trading cards of each of the role models.

Click here for more info on the nomination call.
Click here for more info on the NARMP.
Click here for more info on the mascot.

Middle photo by Sean Jacquemain.
Bottom photo by Fred Cattroll.

National Aboriginal Health Organization signs Collaborative Agreement with the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network

Ottawa, ON – Dr. Paulette C. Tremblay, CEO of the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO), and Kevin Barlow, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN), today signed a collaborative agreement formalizing a partnership between their two organizations.

The two research-based organizations signed the document at an open house hosted by NAHO to further raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.



“One of NAHO’s main goals is to promote an understanding of the health issues affecting Aboriginal Peoples,” stated Dr. Tremblay. “As HIV/AIDS continues to grow among the First Nations, Inuit and Métis populations, it is important that individuals and communities have an understanding of this growing health concern.”



“As CAAN prepares to move full force into its national campaign to end HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination at the Canadian Aboriginal Festival this weekend, we are very excited to know that the National Aboriginal Health Organization will be involved in CAAN’s work to improve awareness of Aboriginal HIV/AIDS and its related issues,” said Barlow.

Barlow went on to say, “These types of partnerships are important to truly making a difference for the Aboriginal population, by way of supporting knowledge creation and finding effective ways to get this knowledge into our communities. NAHO is a key stakeholder in this regard.”

NAHO and CAAN intend to collaborate on specific projects of mutual interest, including publishing a joint issue of the Journal of Aboriginal Health with a specific focus on HIV/AIDS issues, developing awareness campaigns, assisting with each other’s projects and dissemination efforts, and more.

Special thanks to Steven Vanloffeld for emceeing and Natalie Dunleavy for photographing the event.

The 8th Canadian Immunization Conference

More than 1,200 immunization experts gathered at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto, Ontario from November 30 to December 3, 2008.

This conference brought together non-governmental organizations, vaccine manufacturers, provincial and territorial immunization policy and program planners, as well as professionals from the many disciplines involved in the immunization field.

I attended this conference to gain a broader understanding of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). While I have a strong background in health promotion, additional skills building in the areas of HPV epidemiology and vaccine developments was a valuable tool for me to acquire.

I found the plenary sessions, special lectures, the exhibit hall and the posters from Grade 6 students who expressed their ideas about immunization and healthy children to be very informative.

I even had the opportunity to participate in a lunchtime workshop about best practices on “How to Pack a Vaccine Cooler Bag” during mass immunization clinics and appropriate tools for vaccine transportation.

During a walk through the exhibit hall during lunch, I also met Gerri the Giraffe (pictured above) who promotes immunization in Ottawa.

Canadian Aboriginal Festival

Promoting the Journal of Aboriginal Health during the Canadian Aboriginal Festival at the Roger's Centre in Toronto, ON is one of my many tasks working the NAHO booth this weekend.

Also featured is NAHO's new pop-up banner.

Click here for more info on the Journal of Aboriginal Health