Dr. Carrie Bourassa is a Professor of Indigenous Health Studies and has been faculty at First Nations University since August 2001. She is an Indigenous community-based researcher that works with, by, and for Indigenous communities. She is working on a new project, culturally-safe health care for Indigenous women infected with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.
“The goal of this research is to create a model of culturally-safe care for Indigenous women infected with HIV, AIDS and/or Hepatitis C from their perspective. Only they know what will work for them and what it should look like. Our goal is to listen to their voices, their experiences, their perspectives and build that model together and then implement it so that research becomes action and improves the quality of care they experience.”
Carrie Bourassa
HIV/AIDS have spread through native communities over the last 20 years, there are many factors to blame including poverty, convicts returning from jail, dirty needles used to ingest heroin and cocaine. “According to the 2006 census data 36% of Aboriginal women were living in poverty compared to non-Aboriginal women in Canada (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, 2012).
Indigenous women also experience barriers to personal empowerment, including the impact of racism that is linked to higher rates of alcohol and substance abuse, and disruption of family systems due to residential school abuse. We must illuminate the impacts of colonization on Indigenous women and how that continues to affect this population living with HIV or AIDS and/or Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). In essence, we truly must “dig deep” to understand why HIV/AIDS has become so prevalent in Indigenous communities and focus on the assets in our communities in order to move forward in a good way.
Hepatitis C which is also the result of dirty needles and liver problems is also on the rise in native communities “While HCV (Hepatitis C) infections are not evenly distributed among sub-populations in Canada, a recent study conducted by the Public Health Agency of Canada (2010) suggests that HCV rates are higher among Indigenous people in Canada. Reported rates of HCV between 2002 and 2008 found that HCV among Indigenous people in Canada was 4.7 times higher than other ethnicities. In addition, 48.7% of HCV cases among Indigenous persons were female compared to 33.9% being female among other ethnicities. This is also in contrast to the general Canadian population where the male HCV infection rate is nearly twice the female infection rate. The report also found that risk factors such as use of contaminated needles or equipment to inject drugs continue to be frequently associated with HCV transmission.
The Project will take 3 years to complete, and there are specific goals that are to be dealt with. “Our goal is to focus on Indigenous women with the premise of helping them to develop evidence-based, community and asset-based solutions that are culturally safe. Our specific objectives include:
1) Understanding the complex Indigenous social determinants of health that interact to produce higher rates of IDU, HIV/AIDS, and HCV among Indigenous women, particularly those who are identified as hard to engage and those who have not been tested.
2) Developing a model of culturally safe care.
3) Increasing the research capacity of All Nations Hope Network (ANHN) – formerly All Nations Hope AIDS Network (ANHAN) and the broader Indigenous community in Regina (pilot site).
4) Developing educational videos to accompany the culturally safe care model and enhancing the understanding of cultural safety for Indigenous women living with HIV, AIDS and HCV.
“Our team feels it is important to focus this first phase of our research on the most marginalized population and engage men and family in later phases or another program of research.” The goals are to illuminate:
How the has the history of Indigenous women influenced/continued to influence their life decisions?
What supports and programs do they currently have access to?
What supports and programs would they like to have access to?
What has helped them to cope with the challenges in their lives?
In what way is historic and inter-generational trauma linked to the high rates of addiction, HIV, AIDS and HCV among Indigenous women?
How do we use an evidence-informed, community-based, asset-based, culturally safe approach to address such complex issues?
Teaching is a high calling, and for Crystal Molina it was a dream that she had nurtured since she was a child.
Crystal Molina
“I wanted to be a teacher because I knew that I would be able to reach our youth and uplift them to a place where they see the power and honor each and everyone one of them have.”
The opportunity came with NITEP, who would help Crystal make her dream come true. They would also help her through difficult decisions, and support her in her decisions once they were to be implemented.
“NITEP has been very supportive of me throughout my years at UBC. They were open to having my children in class when it was necessary, they understood my absences when my children were quite ill and most of all they believed in me, even when I did not. When I was first accepted into NITEP I was going to ask them to wait a year, so that I may have my first child and study afterwards, but Marny, the first year coordinator, believed that I could do both, no doubt it would be hard but it was possible. Other “NTIEP’ers” had and were doing it, and so could I. It is through the support of NITEP, and family and friends that I was able to reach my goal of becoming a teacher.”
Reaching one’s goal never comes without difficulties, and Crystal now a young mother, had to deal with another tragedy that would threaten to destroy her chances of becoming a teacher.
Crystal’s husband was deported to El Salvador; it would be four long years before the customs would allow him to return to see his family in Vancouver.
“It has taken me five years and a semester. My advice for anyone who is wanting to follow this path is to be patient. Enjoy your classes and take in everything they have to offer you. It shouldn’t be a matter of how long it takes you to finish but rather how much knowledge you have once you reach the finish line. “
She is deserving of role model status herself, but when asked who her role models have been she replied there were many role models. There hasn’t been one role model but rather a bunch. NITEP and the First Nations Studies Program, renamed First Nations and Indigenous Studies Program (FNIS), has been the source of my role models from the professors to the students, each and everyone of them have inspired me.”
The UBC MD Undergraduate Program will have not only its largest graduating class in history but also a landmark year for the faculty’s Aboriginal MD Admissions Program. The vision was to have at least 50 graduates from the Aboriginal MD Admissions Program by 2020. This year, the program has exceeded its vision five years ahead of schedule, with 54 Aboriginal students graduating.
“In the past 14 years, the highlights have been witnessing students graduate and creating new opportunities for themselves in the medical field,” says James Andrews, Aboriginal Student Initiatives Coordinator. “In the first year, we had two students who successfully met the recruitment requirements for the MD Admissions Program. Skeptics and critics said that was too low. I told them, ‘Give us some time; we’re a new program.’” Andrews says the number of students graduating in the Aboriginal MD Admissions Program is up 50%. “My main role is to support students in any way I can help, and see they pass their prerequisites, class attendance, their personal lives are dealt with, and that their studies are the main priority.”
From left: Kelsey Louie, UBC Aboriginal MD Admission Program 2015 Grad. Roisin Dooley, UBC MD Admission Program 2015 Grad. Nolan King Hop Wo, UBC MD Program Alumni.
The UBC Aboriginal MD Admissions Program has become an example for other faculties of medicine in Canada and enrolment is at its peak, with 35 Aboriginal students. Andrews also attends workshops and travels to different communities, high schools, and postsecondary institutions in BC as an advocate for the Aboriginal MD Admissions Program. “This is a unique program that works well towards the success of the students,” says Andrews. “We want to share this milestone with all post-secondary across the country.”
This year’s graduates include Kelsey Louie, Roisin Dooley, Lee-Anne Huisman, Casandra Felske, and Ryan Leblanc. Roisin Dooley, from the St. Theresa Point First Nation in Manitoba, says interactions with patients was by far her favourite part of the four year program. Dooley plans to attend Western University, where she’ll complete a five-year residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. First Nations Drum asked her about the importance of having Aboriginal physicians. “Aboriginal communities have largely had their health services come from government providers for many years. However, the history between Aboriginal communities and the government has been far from ideal, with Aboriginal people in places of marginalization with assimilative policies,” Dooley says. “There have been improvements made in this relationship, but there is still a lot of work to be done, and the health care system is one place in which I hope I can help further this. I think it’s important for Aboriginal communities because they can visually see someone who comes from a background similar to theirs in some dynamic and know that they’re culturally safe in a healthcare setting, where historically that has not been the case. I know that allies are also very important in the healthcare field, and great advocates are as well, but it does become an added dimension when you can actually speak to experience with a patient about your Aboriginal community, culture, and background. When this connection is made with patients, it can help with alleviating apprehension of medical procedures or addressing other concerns, as well as having them tell their family and friends to be conscious of their health.”
Dooley also talked about the main concerns facing First Nation communities in Canada. “In my own words, I can only speak to what I have experienced myself as a patient, family member of patients, and as a medical student. I would say that accessibility to adequate health care is a main health concern, especially with remote First Nations communities that are often only provided with medical services from a few regular nurses and visiting medical doctors and other healthcare professionals. A corresponding health care issue to that is food security, because there are many health issues that can arise if you are without a diet that provides necessary nutrients and vitamins.”
Dooley added that mental health is another area of concern in First Nations communities. “There have been many historical traumas experienced by First Nations, which have lasting effects not only on survivors but the children and grandchildren as inter-generational effects that impact mental well-being. Many of the underlying issues for negative coping mechanisms and self-harm are often related to mental health issues, such as narcotic use and suicides. Providing regular services, relating to accessibility, will help ensure improvements in the future.”
Kelsey Louie, of the Sliammon First Nation along the West Coast of BC is graduating from the Island Medical Program out of Victoria, an expansion of the UBC MD Undergraduate program. Louie says that other than all the challenges he faced during the four years at UBC, the big plus was the one-on-one time he shared learning with the professors. “There were 32 students in our program, and not competing for student time with the profs was a huge bonus for the quality of learning.”
Louie, age 33, says says his reason for choosing a career in medicine stems from a personal interest in the human body and supporting the well-being of others, combined with previous healthcare work experiences in Aboriginal communities. “Recognizing the health challenges and disparities faced by our people, in addition to the need for culturally sensitive care, I believed I could help play a significant role in the health and well being of our people by becoming a family physician,” he says.
UBC alumnus Dr. Nolan Hop Wo, a Metis who graduated from the UBC medical program in 2012, says his four years at UBC was a struggle, but one highlight was meeting his future wife (also a fellow medical student). Nolan is currently engaged in research investigating the mental health of Indigenous students attending post-secondary schools within Canada. He is also Resident Director of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada.
Nolan offers this advice to prospective and current students in the UBC medical program: “Medicine is an exciting, challenging, and rewarding career. Becoming an Aboriginal physician, or any other health provider, puts you in a position to be able to improve the health of our Peoples. Being Aboriginal, you have a unique perspective on what health means to us, as well as how our past (i.e. residential schools) influences all aspects of our health. Becoming a physician affords us the opportunity to start to decolonize and improve our health care system from within.”
An NIC nursing student is changing the face of nursing education across Canada, becoming the first NIC student ever elected to lead a national organization. Dawn Tisdale is the new president of the Canadian Nursing Student Association, the voice of nearly 30,000 student nurses across Canada. “It’s still registering with me,” said Tisdale. “Across Canada, many nursing students don’t know where we’re located, but they know about our focus on Aboriginal health.”
NIC Nursing student Dawn Tisdale leads nearly 30,000 registered nursing students across Canada as the elected president of the Canadian Nursing Student Association this year. She hopes to raise awareness of Aboriginal health issues across Canada.
One of her first goals is to act on a resolution to ensure registered nursing students understand Aboriginal health perspectives before they graduate. The resolution would see nursing students work with the Aboriginal Nursing Association of Canada to lobby for curriculum changes. “It’s kind of shocking to hear how little students learn about Aboriginal health,” she said. “All some students get is a few hours in one course, but at NIC listening, learning, and respecting other cultures is built in. I’m honoured they’re talking about NIC’s curriculum as something all Canadian nurses should have.”
Students in NIC’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree learn about diverse peoples and communities from day one. By the end of their third year, they can opt to attend field schools in remote Aboriginal communities with the Wuikinuxv Nation of Rivers Inlet or Dzawada’enuxw Nation in Kingcome Inlet on BC’s Central Coast.
“North Island College is way ahead of any other school of nursing,” said Dr. Evelyn Voyageur, one of four Elders in Residence at NIC and former president of the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada.
As a student, Voyageur dreamed of building cultural inclusivity into nurse education. She turned that passion into a career redeveloping nursing curriculum at universities across BC and found her home at North Island College. “For a long time First Nations traditional values and ways were not included in the education system—it still isn’t—but North Island College is doing that. You can hear about the nurses coming out of here… and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
The BSN programs’ goal is to get student nurses to know themselves so they can work anywhere, with any nationality. Tisdale is doing that. After being laid off from two closed group homes for adults with disabilities, she came back to college determined to upgrade her education and explore new careers.
She didn’t consider nursing until a friend insisted she give it a try. “I had some pretty old ideas of what nurses do, and I didn’t think it would be challenging enough,” Tisdale said. “I thought it was about taking doctor’s orders, not advocating for patients. Meanwhile, here I am now in the most rewarding and challenging degree ever.”
How does she balance her full-time studies, leading a national student nursing association, and being the mom of a five year old? “I almost didn’t,” Tisdale said. “I didn’t know if I could do the job well but my instructors are super supportive. They let me use my role as president in my Nursing Practice courses, which focus on community health promotion and nursing leadership.”
NIC instructors encourage all students to tailor their course work and practice experiences into meaningful and relevant learning. “It never ceases to amaze me what people can do when they are passionate about something and supported to explore their potential,” says instructor Joanna Fraser. “Dawn is an excellent example of the amazing students we have who are having an impact in nursing in the Comox Valley, in Kingcome Inlet, Nepal, or on a national stage. I am very proud of our students and what we do at North Island College.”
Tisdale took over at CNSA in March. This October, NIC’s chapter of the Canadian Nursing Student Association will host nursing students from Manitoba west at a regional nursing conference in the Comox Valley.
For more information on NIC’s nursing programs visit [www.nic.bc.ca/health]. To contact the Canadian Nursing Students’ Association, visit [www.cnsa.ca].
Northwest Law Enforcement Academy’s diploma program improves the odds of being hired by law enforcement agencies. First Nations Student Allan Richard, 24-years-old from Lake St. Martins, lives in Winnipeg, MB and is currently enrolled in the Northwest Law Enforcement Academy’s 640 hour Diploma Program. Allan has always been interested in the law enforcement field and knows that by attending the Northwest program he is improving his odds at being hired by the RCMP, police, Canadian Border Services, and any of the law enforcement agencies at large in Canada.
Allan Richard attending class at Northwest Law Enforcement Academy.
“Northwest Law Enforcement Academy has a great track record with graduating First Nations peoples, and we are so very proud when we learn our graduates have been hired by law enforcement agencies [such as] Manitoba Corrections or the Sheriff’s Department,” says Chief Executive Officer Victor Popow. “We want to see all of our students move into responsible, well paid positions in the field, and the opportunities are huge. With large numbers of the baby boomers retiring, we see law enforcement agencies across Canada hiring and looking for mature, responsible, and well trained individuals.”
Some of the advantages in attending Northwest Academy include the short eight month program and the fact that all instructors are experienced past-serving or retired members of the RCMP, Winnipeg Police, corrections department, or other agencies. Students are learning from people who have done the work and have expertise in what they are teaching. Students are engaged in an intensive program where they learn about criminal law, investigations, interrogation, ethics, self-defense, organized crime, and communications, among other things. Class sizes are small to ensure time and attention is paid to each student, so the quality of learning is much higher.
In 2012, the Idle No More movement (“the movement” or INM) sparked hundreds of teach-ins, rallies, and protests across Canada. What initially began as a grassroots response to impending parliamentary bills that would erode Indigenous sovereignty and environmental protections quickly became one of the largest Indigenous mass movements in Canadian history.
“Though it was born largely out of protest against measures in the Conservative government’s fall 2012 omnibus budget implementation of Bill C-45, the movement was more about culture than achieving any short-term political agenda,” said Ken Coates, Canada Research Chair and Professor, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS). “Its legacy is a new confidence among aboriginal Canadians.”
Coates is also a senior fellow for Aboriginal and northern issues at the Ottawa-based think tank, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, and has recently released #IdleNoMore: And the Remaking of Canada, through the University of Regina Press. He has another book due out this summer called From Treaty Peoples to Treaty Nations: A Roadmap for all Canadians.
Under the guidance of Coates, JSGS PhD student Danette Starblanket is examining how Idle No More activated the global community to demand change to the way government deals with First Nations in Canada. The movement, Starblanket believes, was the catalyst for First Nations people to stand up and voice their opposition in order to demand change and improve the lives of future generations. After more than 130 years of government policy and its negative impact on First Nations lives, the greater First Nations community was demanding for government to undertake their consultation and accommodation obligation as defined by the courts. The grassroots movement was prepared to, and essentially did, move forward without the oversight of the elected First Nations leaders.
“Early on in the movement, there was an attempt by elected leaders to gain control of the processes, but the founders maintained their visions of grassroots action,” said Starblanket. “The founders and subsequent supporters of INM were clear that First Nations elected leaders do not control the movement, nor do they represent or speak on behalf of the movement. For this reason, the movement proved to be very challenging for provincial and federal governments. Because the movement was (and still is) a collective, with no clear lines of leadership and decision-making, Prime Minister Harper, the premiers, and other leaders appeared frustrated that the elected First Nations officials were unable to control the masses.” As a result, the federal and provincial governments found themselves at odds on how to respond and adapt.
In addition to literature reviews, Starblanket is conducting interviews with federal and provincial government officials and First Nations representatives – Elders and leaders. Her goal is to understand how these representatives view the movement and what impact it has had (and continues to have) on government policy, policy-making, and government-First Nations relations.
Following the completion of her PhD, Danette intends to continue her work with Aboriginal leaders and communities. She also hopes to pursue further teaching endeavors to encourage young people to become active in Aboriginal policy and work towards active solutions. “The impacts of the INM movement have instilled a new pride, sense of identity and a general sense of belonging to First Nations, Metis and Inuit youth in Canada,” said Starblanket. “The global support for INM has grown exponentially.”
About Danette Starblanket
Danette Starblanket is the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy PHD student who is examining how Idle No More activated the global community to demand change to the way government deals with First Nations in Canada. (Photo Credit: Boehmer Photography)
Danette began her studies at the JSGS as a Master of Public Policy student in 2013, moving into the PhD program in 2014. Before returning to graduate school, Danette attended the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) and gained a Bachelor of Arts (Advanced) in English in 1993, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 1994, and a Master of Arts in 2001, both latter degrees in Indian Studies. For most of her professional career, Danette worked with First Nations institutions as a First Nations civil servant and as an educator at FNUniv in Regina and other schools offering insight on treaties.
A citizen of the Star Blanket Cree Nation, Danette was heavily influenced by her uncle, Chief Irvin Starblanket, who served as an elected official for more than 30 years and who stood at the forefront of the Treaty protection battle and her grandfather who served as a Senator for the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN).
Vance Conway knows the power of in-community learning first hand. Conway took upgrading at the Cormorant Island Learning Centre before studying Communication Design in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. “If I had to take the ferry and bus to Port Hardy, I wouldn’t have started,” Conway said. “It was hard enough learning how to do something I wasn’t good at in high school. NIC built my confidence level and showed me I could do better.”
Ahousaht’s first class of Education assistants create history in their community.
Vance’s success, and the success of nurses, education assistants, carpenters, and health care assistants in remote communities from Ahousaht to Fort Rupert epitomizes NIC’s students-first philosophy—a framework that builds relationships, empowers communities, and makes education opportunities possible across the North Island. “When a community comes to us with a request, we work very hard to make it a reality,” said Dr. Jocelyne Van Neste-Kenny, NIC’s Dean of Health and Human Services, who retired this year. “It forces us to stretch our processes, but when you look at our successes, it’s worth it every time.”
In Ahousaht, where nearly half of the community’s 725 residents are under 19 years old, residents came to NIC with a specific challenge. “They had educational assistants working in schools who wanted their certificate but didn’t want to leave jobs or family in Ahousaht to do it,” said NIC faculty Mary Pat Thompson, who worked closely with the group. “One of the students asked us to bring the program to Ahousaht.”
The high school in Ahousaht where students teach and take classes.
NIC worked with the Ahousaht Education Society to hire local instructors, find classrooms and computers, and develop an evening class schedule for working students. It also doubled the program length to 20 months so students could take two classes per term and complete both required practicums.
As a result, eight students changed the history of post-secondary education in their community. Vivian Hermansen, Director of Aboriginal Education, noted, “It’s the first time an entire class of students in Ahousaht has completed a post-secondary program without leaving the community. It’s historic.”
The majority of us spend years searching for that spark that will ignite an inextinguishable flame and some… well, some see it in every leaf and log. Truth be told, we are all surrounded with an abundance of reasons to be thankful, kind and hopeful. Blessings are something rarely overlooked by someone like Elsie Yanik. At 98 years young, when asked why she practices such gracious ways in such a kind manner, she will humbly tell a story of a man who brought her and her siblings Christmas gifts on an Eve that they were sure that they had all been forgotten. It was Mrs. Yanik’s first Christmas since her mother’s passing. She was 8 years old then but the twinkle of gratitude in her eye hadn’t ceased to glow. She carried this act of kindness with her throughout her years and kept it close to her heart, so that every action she made since then was guided with the same kindness shown to her as a child.
Indspire lifetime award recipient Elsie Yanik in her white cap and gown. Photo by Greg Ha Linda.
How long has Elsie been helping others? Well, Canada’s 20th Prime Minister Jean Chretien, now in his 80s, was new to the world when Elsie began her journey as a nurse’s aide in Fort Smith at the tender age of 17. She let kindness light the path in front of her, with the destination contently unknown. She would come to be an easily recognizable inspiration, as clear to those who’ve met her as her childhood gift bearer was to her.
If all the fuss seems so familiar to Mrs. Yanik, and indeed it is. It is because she has done this before. The Indspire award is merely the latest in a long line of recognition that she has been awarded. Among many others, she received an honorary Law Degree from the University of Alberta, not long after obtaining her honorary Aboriginal Child & Family Services Diploma from Keyano College. She was an Olympic Torch bearer for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the President of Voices for Aboriginal Women of Alberta, recognized by Pope John Paul II for her tireless years of service as a lay minister. In addition to all this she also spent a decade as a member of the Young Offenders Board and served the Nunee Health Authority in Fort Chipewyan. Always in her element with people of all ages, but especially young people, her presence is nevertheless humbling. Her compassion and inspirational ways of mentoring also earned her a Governor General’s Commemorative Medal and a Stars of Alberta Award.
She was 20 years old when she met her husband at late night mass. Their first date took place on a farm that would eventually lead to a honeymoon in the bush, 49 years of marriage, 4 daughters, 1 son and 12 grandchildren. Mrs. Yanik admits that she never bothered to travel the world until her husband passed away in 1986.She had no need to. Alone however, she found time to explore Europe and paid a visit to Hong Kong among other places.
Today, Mrs. Yanik continues to show how far a little kindness can go and the profound depths of the simplest actions. For that reason she is being recognized yet again, this time with an Indspire Lifetime Achievement Award. Keyano College would like to extend a much deserved congratulations, and commend you for years of compassionate deeds.
Tin Tin in America, a comic in book form, is part of a series written by Helge in the 1930’s that depicted the adventures of a red headed hero and his dog Snowy. The comics were meant for a young audience and have been successful for over 60 years and translated in 70 languages. The title that has offended certain people in Winnipeg is Tin Tin In America, which reflects the 1940’s Hollywood representation of Native people as bloodthirsty savages who capture poor Tin Tin. Keep in mind this is a comic book; it doesn’t come close to John Ford’s brutal depiction of First Nations in his movies that had John Wayne as the star and are seen on television frequently.
“Following yesterday’s media coverage of this topic, we proactively ask that copies of Tin Tin in America be sent to our selectors for review,” Winnipeg communication officer Michelle Finley told the CBC. One can understand the library’s stance. Winnipeg recently received some bad press from Maclean’s magazine, and the Winnipeg Library didn’t want to add fuel to the fire. Professor Niigaan Sinclair gave an explanation of their decision: “The problem is when you show Indians carrying weapons coming out of the 15th, 16th centuries always invested in violence, deficiency, and loss, then [children] think that is what First Nations culture is. When they see a First Nations person riding the bus, going to a job, they can’t conceive the reconcilability of those two things.”
Perhaps professor Sinclair is right, but if you start with a comic book, where does it stop? Children can handle cell phones today with more dexterity than their parents, and their understanding of the world is a lot more developed than any generation that came before them. Does a child being made aware of the last World Wars also look upon Japanese and Germans as evil people? I doubt it. Once introduced to history, children come to accept the bravery and the atrocities of the past as simply the past. There is an intuitive understanding of history that age and advanced schooling will turn into knowledge. Censorship has no place here. We are talking about a comic, a form of expression that uses exaggeration as a tool.
George Remi was a Belgian cartoonist who’s pen name was Helge, famous for his ligne claire (clear line) style. His main character Tin Tin was a young reporter/adventurer who found himself in trouble in exotic countries. The plots were well crafted, usually a synthesis of the adventure/action hero that was popular in movies and books the 1930’s and 1940’s, mixed in with eccentric characters such as his best friend Captain Haddock. There was also a dash of slapstick humour usually supplied by Professor Calculus and the bungling twins a.k.a. private eyes Thompson and Thompson. If you took Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and crossed it with the Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther, the result would be an adult version of Tin Tin.
Unfortunately, Helge never visited America or most of the countries in which he set his stories. His knowledge of First Nations people would have been taken from the movies of the period and perhaps from the German author Karl May, who became a successful writer in Europe with stories of Old Shatterhand and the American frontier. The book in question, Tin Tin in America, is set in the late thirties, but the Natives depicted in the comic belong in the 1870’s when American Indians were at war with the US Calvary. It’s a rather large mistake that is beyond creative licence, but was it intentionally racist? Perhaps not, and considering it was written more than a half century ago by an author who had never met a First Nations person, the question remains, should the Winnipeg Library have taken off the shelves? No, because if you do, then you should also remove The Last of the Mohicans.
Commander of the Canadian Army, Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse’s desire to join the military took its roots during his Air Cadets years in his hometown of Thetford Mines, Quebec. Following in his older bother’s footsteps, he joined the Cadets, and the military way of life became appealing to him in his teenage years. Hainse joined the Royal Military College in St-Jean, Quebec, where he had developed his knowledge of the Canadian Armed Forces, particularly the Army. “Thirty-eight years later, I am still serving and still enjoying every minute of it,” he says.
Annual spending on the military, compared to 2011, has been slated to shrink by a total of $2.7-billion this year, according to a briefing note from the Department of National Defence. That is almost $300 million more than internal estimates and roughly $600 million higher than the figure defence officials acknowledged last fall when they rolled out the department’s renewal plan. “There is no doubt that the fiscal situation has changed over the past few years, and that the Army’s budget is less than it has been,” Hainse acknowledged. “So, we will adjust our priorities to reflect the resources available to us; but at the same time, certain tasks are non-negotiable. I will preserve Army core capabilities by ensuring combined arms live fire training. We will find efficiencies through the Defence Renewal Process, shed some costs through older infrastructure and equipment divestments, and make sure our force is well balanced, meaning that we will ensure we have the right people doing the right jobs in the right locations. At the end of the day, I remain confident that the Army will be postured to complete its missions with the resources available.”
One of the Lieutenant-General’s early domestic deployments was as a Company Commander the Oka Crisis of 1990. “I will say up front that during that period, both the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples faced a very tense and uncomfortable moment, but more importantly, we both learned from that historic event,” said Lt. Gen. Hainse. “With regard to the lasting effects of that event, I believe that the intervening period has enabled a better understanding of the values guiding both communities; it has also triggered a significant increase in the development of Aboriginal programs within Defence. The development of this mutual comprehension continues today, and with my role as Aboriginal Champion for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, I hope to maintain this trend.”
ALOY Completion Ceremony June 20th, 2014 at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario.
Hainse is very proud that the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has a wide variety of programs related to Aboriginal peoples. “Taken together, they serve to recognize and celebrate their many contributions throughout Canada’s history. They allow Aboriginal people to take advantage of the education and training opportunities that the Armed Forces have to offer, like subsidized college and university programs,” said Hainse. He notes that these programs also serve to inform and educate the defence institution so that when the CAF enrols Aboriginal peoples, they join an organization knowledgeable about them and responsive to their unique contributions and cultures. “We work hard with communities and leaders to make this successful. The long and proud history of Aboriginal people in Canada’s military is an important element in these programs.”
The Lt. Gen. described the programs: “We have Summer Training Programs such as Bold Eagle, Raven, and Black Bear; we have the Aboriginal Leadership Opportunity Year at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. Also, our Canadian Rangers Program—not exclusive to Aboriginal youth but very much targeted that way—is another important program. As well, the Aboriginal Entry Program is a three week program for Aboriginal people considering a career in the military. Lastly, the Defence Aboriginal Advisory Group exists to advise senior leaders on a whole range of issues within the department.”
The Defence Aboriginal Advisory Group (DAAG) is celebrating its 20th anniversary in March, 2015. The DAAG offers valuable guidance to the senior leadership of the CAF to promote and create fair, equitable, and inclusive working environments for all Aboriginal members of the Defence Team, both military and civilian. The members of the DAAG support the chain of command in its mandate to foster awareness of Aboriginal issues, recruiting and retention issues, and also provide a forum within the organization for Aboriginal peoples to gather and support one another as they exercise their unique cultural, spiritual, and traditional identities. Since its creation twenty years ago, the DAAG has influenced many positive initiatives, including a change in dress regulations that allows Aboriginal members to wear their hair in a traditional manner. The DAAG laid the groundwork for all the Aboriginal programs.
R. Donald Maracle, Chief of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, and Lt. Gen. Hainse seated on the dais during the ALOY Completion Ceremony at the Royal Military College in Kingston Ontario, June 20th, 2014.
Lt. Gen. Hainse describes his role as the Aboriginal Champion for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces as “first and foremost one of advocacy. I am an advocate for all things Aboriginal in the Army, as well as in the other services and within the defence institution as a whole. Practically speaking, I promote Aboriginal programs in my speeches and presentations. I encourage Aboriginal considerations in Defence business planning and decision making. I help foster an equitable and welcoming workplace through awareness of Aboriginal issues. Overall, I think that the mere fact that we have a Champion in the department demonstrates our commitment to furthering the role and presence of Aboriginal people in the military.”
When asked why he, the Army Commander, is the Aboriginal Champion versus his Commander colleagues at the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy, Hainse said, “perhaps because I asked for it! Both my predecessors acted as Champion, and when I was appointed Army Commander, I requested to carry on in that role. Practically speaking, it is a good fit. The Army is the largest of the three services, and so naturally we employ more people in a broader range of trades. We also have the Canadian Rangers, which is not an Aboriginal organization per se, but over 60% of Canadian Rangers are Aboriginal. But in reality, any one of our senior leaders would be well positioned to play this role; I am just happy that for now, the honour is mine.”
Hainse says, “The face of Aboriginal people in the Forces is a mirror image of the face of Canada. Now more than ever, Canada is a cultural, ethnic, religious and racial mosaic. It is an extraordinarily diverse and accepting country. As a result, our military must strive every day to be a diverse and accepting military. I am proud to see Aboriginal soldiers wearing traditional braids, working alongside turbaned Sikh comrades and female infantry soldiers, and so on. So, to complete my answer to your question, the face of Aboriginal people in the Armed Forces is that of a skilled, dedicated, professional soldier, sailor, airman or airwoman, bringing diversity to the profession of arms.”
ALOY Cadets march past during the ALOY Completion Ceremony held at RMC.
Many of the young Aboriginals who join the armed forces are moving from small and isolated communities to larger urban centres. When asked how the CAF facilitates their transition, Hainse said, “I’m not sure that transition is the best term because it implies an end state. Rather, we see it as a continuous process where Aboriginal applicants are adapting to and ultimately adopting life in the military and the ‘big city’. But clearly, we do understand the challenges and that is one of the reasons why all the programs I mentioned earlier seek to lessen the culture shock. These programs provide mentoring, promote Aboriginal teachings, traditions and spirituality, but even more important, they are developed in close coordination with elders. In addition, the military is also an extended family; we work and play together. It is within this military family that participants receive the support they need to become a soldier in the big city, while at the same time honouring and preserving their Aboriginal heritage.”
“I am certainly very proud to have been entrusted with this responsibility and grateful at the same time, as I have learned so much about Aboriginal heritage, culture and history in this job,” Hainse explains. “Creating and nurturing diversity in an historic institution like National Defence is not an easy task; it is a long term project and to be honest I’m not sure it ever really ends, but, rather continues to mature and improve. We have made enormous progress in my time in the military, and I believe that progress will continue. We have the institutional will and the moral obligation to make it so, and that will guide us in the future.”
“Speaking for the Army in particular, I can say without hesitation that the contributions that Aboriginal soldiers bring to the table will continue to improve the Canadian Army and will ensure we remain Strong, Proud and Ready to serve Canada and Canadians.”
