Hope Dumas, aged 9, died in a fire that destroyed her home on Sandy Bay Reserve, Manitoba because the home was so substandard it was burned to rubble in 15 minutes.
Native band officials blamed the tragedy on run-down, over-crowded housing on the reserve, which has resulted in several fires. According to CBC News (February 3, 2009), “Fifteen people lived in the older wood-frame home on the reserve…”
Poor Quality Housing on Canadian Reserves
The death of Hope Dumas is just one of many Aboriginal People who have perished in fires because of substandard housing. Two weeks earlier, January 14, 2009, five people died in a house fire on Chemainus First Nation reserve near Ladysmith, British Columbia. CTV News reported (February 18, 2009) that, “Housing quality and overcrowding were part of the debate following the tragedy.”
A 2004 Background Paper prepared by the Aboriginal Round Table gives some scale to the problem: “As of March 2004, INAC (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) reported a total of 95,479 dwelling units on reserve, of which 16,878 required major repairs and 5,199 needed replacement. On-reserve housing shortages are currently estimated at 20,000 units, with an additional 4,500 new units needed annually to meet the requirements of new households.”
Neglect of Aboriginal People a Global Problem
Indigenous Children’s Health Report: Health Assessment in Action is a study that was released on March 30, 2009. It showed what Toronto researcher Dr. Janet Smylie described as startling Native health gaps in Canada, as well as the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Dr. Smylie says the widespread incidence of health problems suggests social deprivation rather than genetics is the root cause.
According to the study, infant mortality rate in all four countries is up to four times that of non-native babies. Other findings include:
- "higher rates of sudden infant death syndrome;
- "higher rates of child injury, accidental death, and suicide;
- "higher rates of ear infections;
- "a disproportionate burden of respiratory tract illness and mortality;
- "a disproportionate burden of dental caries; and,
- "increased exposure to environmental contaminants, including tobacco smoke."
“The health disparities we encountered are clearly tied to social issues that disproportionately affect Aboriginal children,” said Dr. Smylie. “Approximately one-third of Aboriginal children come from low-income households and food-security is a serious concern. Poor water quality and substandard, overcrowded housing also contribute to health problems.”
Remote Reserves Have Poor Health-Care Services
The Manitoba First Nation community, Garden Hill, is 450 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. It’s a fly-in settlement of about 4,000 that has a nursing station and occasional visits from a doctor.
On March 30, 2009, The Winnipeg Free Press reported on the death of an infant from Garden Hill First Nation. Reporter Carol Sanders wrote that Melita Barkman took her six-month-old son, Chace, to the nursing station because he had a fever.
“She was sent home and told to give the baby Tylenol and cool baths to reduce Chace’s fever.
“The next day, she took Chace back to the nursing station and the baby had a seizure.
“He was flown to Winnipeg and diagnosed with a common form of strep infection that, uncommonly, spread to the lining of his brain, resulting in meningitis.” Chace died a few days later.
The baby’s father, Conrad Barkman, told a Winnipeg news conference, “We’re here so people will get better treatment for their kids.” Garden Hill’s Chief demanded a task force be set up to look into the poor quality of health care on Canada’s reserves.
See also: Bad Social Conditions among Inuit
Rupert Taylor - Rupert Taylor is the editor of a magazine that provides background to current events.
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