2023 National Indigenous Peoples Month Celebrations

Thank you for joining us to celebrate the 2023 National Indigenous Peoples Month. Visit Alberta Health Services' Indigenous Health Program  to learn more.

• AHS Indigenous support line launches in Central Alberta

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  Indigenous peoples in the Central Zone of Alberta Health Services (AHS) now have access to a support line to help them navigate the health system.

  The toll-free Indigenous Support Line can be reached by calling 1-844-944-4744 or by dialing 811, #2, #7. The support line is staffed by Indigenous Health Link staff, who will answer callers’ questions, help them access culturally appropriate care and support and assist them with navigating the healthcare system. The line is available weekdays from noon to 8 p.m. Clients can call at any point in their healthcare journey with questions or concerns.

  “The Indigenous Support Line is creating a brave space where our people can speak their truth, a place where they can feel supported asking for guidance and help navigating a complex healthcare system,” says Casey Eagle Speaker, Co-Chair of the AHS Wisdom Council.

  The new service is an expansion of the Indigenous Support Line launched in June 2022 in the AHS North Zone and in May 2023 in South Zone. Since then, staff have taken more than 2,000 calls. In a follow-up survey with clients who used the line, every respondent said they felt respected and supported by the person who assisted them, and more than 97 per cent said they would use the line again and would recommend the line to friends and family.

  The AHS Wisdom Council & Elder Circle played a key role in the creation of the Indigenous Support Line in the North Zone, providing strong guidance and advice to AHS throughout the creation and launch of the project. They continue to encourage AHS to expand the service across the province to better support Indigenous peoples in their wellness journey.

  “The support line connects individuals with someone who listens with patience, spirituality, acceptance, caring and empathy,” says Wisdom Council co-chair Cheryl Sheldon. “Those phone conversations build a deeper understanding of the difficulties Indigenous clients face and it makes a difference, it matters to them, and they feel like they matter to AHS.”

  All Albertans are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency. Health Link (811) also remains available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions.

  AHS values Indigenous culture and the unique needs of individuals, patients and families and is incorporating traditional culture into the healthcare system. For more information, please visit the Indigenous Support Line webpage or you can watch this video featuring staff from the Indigenous Support Line. Dedicated AHS Indigenous Wellness Core staff is available throughout the province and take into consideration culturally appropriate health services for First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

  Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.

• Thank you

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  As National Indigenous Peoples Month closes, we are thankful to the Elders, presenters and participants who gave of their knowledge and time to teach us this month.

  If you missed the live presentations, you can access the recordings here.

  In addition to receiving teachings this month, AHS was proud to announce several initiatives to improve access to culturally safe care for Indigenous patients and families.

  The Indigenous Support Line expanded to the South Zone after being launched in the North Zone last year. There are plans to expand it to other zones. Indigenous patients, families, communities and care providers can call 1-844-944-4744 to be connected with an Indigenous Listener who can support patients through their healthcare journeys.

  Health Link and the Indigenous Wellness Core also collaborated on the launch of translation services in 23 Indigenous languages. Patients can now access care in their own language, which reduces barriers and ensures patients understand and can be involved in their care.

  And on National Indigenous Peoples Day, AHS announced the creation of the Patient Access to Indigenous Spiritual Ceremony policy, which ensures Indigenous patients can perform ceremonies consistently inside all AHS facilities.

  Thank you to everyone who took part in our events this June. We encourage you to join us again at the end of September for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. (September 30).

  
  

  
  

  
  

• The AHS Indigenous Support Line

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  In May 2022, the AHS Indigenous Wellness Core, in collaboration with Health Link, launched the Indigenous Support Line – the first patient navigation line of its kind in Canada. The Indigenous Support Line is dedicated to helping Indigenous patients and families navigate the health system and overcome barriers to ensure they have access to culturally safe healthcare. Hear from members of the AHS Indigenous Wellness Core and the Indigenous Listeners working the lines on how successful the program has been. The line is currently operational in North Zone and South Zone, but there are plans to expand to other zones before the end of the year.

  
  

• Community comes together to raise tipi after wildfire

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  Click here to see the story online.

  
  

  Symbol of home resonates with Indigenous community in Valleyview

  Story by Diana Rinne

  VALLEYVIEW — Resilience was a key theme as the community raised a tipi for National Indigenous Peoples Month in Valleyview on June 2.

  “We are resilient,” says Elder Barb Goodswimmer of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, which was evacuated and suffered significant loss of homes during the recent wildfires. Barb’s home was one of 39 in the community destroyed by the wildfire, with another 33 homes suffering significant heat and smoke damage.

  “We won’t let what happened bring us down,” she shared during the tipi-raising event, “As long as we have land, we have a home.” Rosalyn Goodswimmer, councillor with Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation agreed, noting the tipi-raising felt much more impactful this year in the wake of the wildfire.

  “This is a symbol of home, and this is who we are — it really resonates,” she says. “People going by can see this tipi and know that there is a home for us here. It’s a huge step for us in working together better.”

  The tipi-raising itself came about as a collaboration led by Valleyview Healthcare Centre site manager Tracy Brown, who also serves as president of Metis Local 1929. She reached out to another member of the Metis community, Clayton Fjeld, for help in setting up the tipi a few years ago.

  Fjeld is a planner/scheduler with Pembina Pipeline Corporation in Valleyview. He jumped at the opportunity to get his team involved in giving back to their community. “Pembina is a big supporter of community initiatives to do what we can, so we’ve been doing it every year for three or four years.”

  The Pembina team set up the AHS tipi and later in the day set up a smaller tipi at the Metis Association office.

  This is the first year Valleyview Healthcare Centre has been able to invite guests to take part in the tipi-raising, which included a stew and bannock lunch, following the elder’s prayer and several speeches.

  “We’ve been able to make so many more connections this year as we recognize National Indigenous Peoples Month,” says Brown. “We’re going to keep (the tipi) up for the month of June — and it’s open for everyone to come and step inside and spend some time there.”

  Chief Zone Officer Stacy Greening, who was on hand for the event, says AHS leadership can help support culture change by setting direction on cultural diversity and building a better and more inclusive health system, but “actual culture change, as experienced by our patients and their families, comes from the commitment of our local teams and local leaders to this change and events such as this tipi-raising.

  “This is a visual reminder that everyone is welcome here.”

• AHS now offering translation services in many Indigenous languages

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  Alberta Health Services (AHS) is now offering interpretation services in 23 Indigenous languages, available to all patients receiving care from AHS health care teams.

  Indigenous translation services are now available in the following languages:

  • Algonquian
  • Blackfoot
  • Chipewyan
  • Cree - James Bay
  • Cree - Moose
  • Cree - Plains
  • Cree - Swampy
  • Cree - Woodlands
  • Dakota
  • Dene
  • Dogrib
  • Ojibway
  • Inuinnaqtun Inuktitut
  • Michif
  • Micmac
  • Mohawk
  • North Slavey
  • Oji-Cree
  • Salish
  • Salteaux
  • Slavey
  • Slavey South
  • Tsilhqotin

  AHS is committed to providing culturally safe, accessible healthcare to all patients as an integral part of patient-centred care. We are also called upon in the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action to incorporate traditional healing practices for Indigenous patients and families into western medicine. Providing care in a person’s language allows clients to actively participate in the decision-making process, provide informed consent and ensure safe and effective communication between client, families and all members of the healthcare team. This is just one more way AHS is improving access to culturally safe care for Indigenous peoples.

  Indigenous languages are now offered in addition to the more than 240 languages also offered for interpretation through Health Link 811 at all AHS sites. Interpreter availability may vary based on rarity of language, call volumes, and time of day. Translation of written patient-related records or educational materials is also available.

  For more information, visit Indigenous Languages Interpretation & Translation Services.

• Indigenous 'healing gardens' to sprout across South Zone

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  To mark National Indigenous Peoples Month (June) and National Indigenous Peoples Day today, Alberta Health Services (AHS) facilities across its South Zone are creating ‘healing garden’ spaces, starting with the planting of four sacred traditional plants.

  
  

  With support from partners, including the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation, facilities have received kits that include ready-to-plant sage, sweetgrass, saskatoon bushes and wild mint, along with information on how to plant and care for the plants. If needed, facility staff will receive support to build the planter boxes for their gardens.

  Staff, along with help from Volunteer Resources and other partners, will work to establish their welcoming healing gardens focused on Indigenous health and healing. The garden space they create will be unique to each site, but the end result will be plants that are usable for years to come for ceremony, consumption and education, while the garden space provides a peaceful place for staff, patients and visitors to go for a source of spiritual renewal.

  This project is designed to honour Blackfoot culture and narrow the gaps in health outcomes for Indigenous patients. This form of reconciliACTION will answer some of the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada regarding health (Calls to Action 18-22).

  Some sites may already have an outdoor space where planters can be added; others might need to begin with the planters and work on developing the space over time. Site managers will work with staff, patients, Indigenous liaisons and physicians to design their healing gardens.

  William Singer, (Api'soomaahka, or Running Coyote), Blackfoot creator of the Naapi’s Garden and Katoyiss Seed Bank projects, is a renowned authority on traditional plants and the source of knowledge for this project. He says:

  • Sweetgrass is used in smudge, as an energy food and to treat cough, cold and fever.
  • Mint can be made into tea for comfort, or to treat upset stomach and sore throat.
  • Silver-green leaves of sage can be chewed for sore throat.
  • Saskatoons – referred to as the ‘real berry’ by the Blackfoot people – are used as food and medicine, but also for tools, arrow shafts and pipe stems.

• Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day!

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  Today we recognize and celebrate the cultures and contributions of Indigenous Peoples from across Canada.

  

  Alberta Health Services (AHS) is committed to providing culturally safe, accessible healthcare to all our patients. This includes supporting the practice of Indigenous spiritual ceremonies inside all of our sites.

  Today, the Patient Access to Indigenous Spiritual Ceremony policy takes effect throughout AHS. This policy ensures all patients have consistent support to hold ceremonies no matter where in the province they are receiving care.

  Learn more here.

• Video stories

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  Take a look at some of our videos as we prepare to celebrate National Indigenous Peopled Day on June 21.

• Showcasing diversity

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  Across Turtle Island, there are diverse and rich Indigenous cultures. There are wonderfully gifted talents being shown by Indigenous peoples - some more traditional, and others that may be more contemporary.

  We invite you to honour the numerous and incredible ways that Indigenous culture is practiced - be it dancing, beading, graphic design, spoken word, cooking, research, sports, painting or harvesting medicines.

  Click here to share your inspirations.

  *Please note: This page is moderated and any inappropriate or disrespectful content will be edited and/or removed. Please be aware that once photos are added to the gallery they will be public.

• 2023 Virtual Events Calendar

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  We have lots of virtual events scheduled throughout the month of June!
  For session descriptions and the full events calendar, click here.

  Zoom information will be posted on Together4Health closer to the event dates.

  
  

  Thurs, June 1
  Opening Ceremonies (12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here

  Mon, June 5
  Elder Teaching (9:00 a.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here

  A day in the life of Indigenous Liaisons working in acute care (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here

  Tues, June 6
  Neurodiversity: Autism (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here.

  Thurs, June 8
  Bridging the gap: A look into Canada's first pediatric Indigenous health program (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here.
  
  

  Mon, June 12
  Elder Teaching (9:00 a.m.) - Cancelled
  Honouring Life Presentation (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here.

  Wed, June 14
  Physicians Discussion Panel (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here.

  Thurs, June 15
  Allyship Discussion Panel (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here.

  
  Mon, June 19
  Elder Teaching (9:00 a.m.)

  Tues, June 20
  Traditional Perspectives and Teachings of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Peoples (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

  Wed, June 21
  NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
  Patient Access to Indigenous Spiritual Ceremony Policy (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here.

  Thurs, June 22
  Two-Spirit & Indigiqueer+ Identity Presentation (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here.
  View the PowerPoint PDF
  
  Fri, June 23
  Walking Together to Strengthen Indigenous Cancer Care in Alberta Action Plan (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here.
  
  Mon, June 26
  Virtual Care supports in Alberta: Improving health connections with Indigenous People (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
  Watch the recorded presentation here.

  Thurs, June 29
  Closing Ceremonies (12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)