Friends, the question of the GNWT coming up with its new Mental Health Act brings up some topics, or rather, directions, which needs addressing.
Left as government directive, mental health tends to be a rather cut and dried type of administrative matter, most often involving the rights of patients.
This is fine, but there are also moral and holistic ones to consider.
Most recently the legislative assembly made its decision in regard to the right to die. Dene elders like Francois Paulette outright stated that we as humans don’t have the right to play God, period.
Yet there are other and outstanding items to involve. One of these is the danger of racial profiling, when policies are involved. We have had too many instances already of patients from smaller Dene communities not getting the service they need, and in time, to save lives.
A number of years ago I attended an education conference in Yellowknife at the Tree of Peace building.
There was a man there, making his presentation, hoping to have official Dene Nation permission, to have access to Dene blood, of all things.
I am quite certain I was not the only one to feel amazed that this particular issue actually made it on the agenda!
Going all the way back to the study of genetics – for instance – scientists wanted to among other things, to find out more about criminal activity and what makes people want to commit crimes.
There have also been recent and disturbing situations involving a simple lack of communication between the GNWT and our First Nations. Both sides wanted the same piece of land, one for a wellness centre and the other for the new hospital.
When Dene elders like our esteemed Francoise Paulette say we want more direct cultural input into health, he is talking about more than simple government policy.
What we want in terms of mental health, for instance, was also brought up at a Dene leadership meeting, by Katl'odeeche First Nation chief, Roy Fabien.
He said the implication the Mola (white man) always make is that there is something wrong with the Dene mind, which only the Mola know how to fix.
Recently former Chief Joachim Bonnetrouge also stated that the outbreak of suicides in northern Saskatchewan was “right in your face”, meaning that we need to take this to heart and, as Paulette says, have Dene cultural input into possible solutions.
For my part I would agree that we take a more holistic look at our entire health system rather than concentrate on just the mental part of it – or worse – as has been happening, play political power games with peoples’ lives.
Mahsi, thank you.