First Nation Leaders Call for Action on Tragic Health Conditions in Neskantaga
First Nation Leaders Call for Action on Tragic Health Conditions in Neskantaga
TORONTO (October 2, 2015) — Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day, Chair of the AFN Chiefs Committee on Health and the leaders from the Neskantaga First Nation are calling for immediate action on this tragic health crisis and demand the federal candidates for Prime Minister outline their policy positions on First Nations health.
“Children are getting sick, our people are struggling in third-world conditions and living daily with three bottles of water per household. The community has been under a water advisory for over 20 years. While Canada announces their billions in surplus, our community can’t access clean water. What is the priority here? Enough is enough,” said Neskantaga First Nation Chief Wayne Moonias.
“Now is the time to eliminate decades of inaction by successive federal governments on providing essential health services to First Nations. Every single day, our children, adults and Elders are suffering from entirely preventable diseases,” said Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day. “This has been ignored as a quiet crisis, killing our people and it must end now. Once Canadians are provided the details and statistics, they will be shamefully embarrassed and should be angry at the lack of political will to end this crisis.”
| Date: | Monday, October 5, 2015 |
| Time: | 11:30 a.m |
| Who: Neskantaga Chief Wayne Moonias, Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day, Chair of the AFN Chiefs Committee on Health (CCOH), former Chiefs of Neskantaga
Jeff Reading, the Waakebiness Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health Interim Director |
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| Where: | Waakebiness Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto 155 College St, Room 574 (5th floor), Toronto |
The Neskantaga First Nation in Northern Ontario has been under a ‘boil water’ advisory for more than 21 years and the community leaders believe that contaminated water is causing illness due to infection particularly among children. With limited access to medical doctors and other health personnel it is impossible for the community to know if the sores seen in children are caused by contaminated water or other conditions in the community.
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The Chiefs of Ontario is a political forum and a secretariat for collective decision making, action, and advocacy for the 133 First Nation communities located within the boundaries of the province of Ontario, Canada. Follow Chiefs of Ontario on Facebook or Twitter @ChiefsOfOntario #whoisshe
For more information, please contact:
Jamie Monastyrski, Communications 807-630-7087jamie.monastyrski@coo.org
