Summary of communication, collaboration, planning and priorities shared by Northern Leadership.
Regional Health and Wellness Plan
This
interim Northern First Nations Health and Wellness Plan (2013), informed by the
Northern BC First Nations Issues Paper (2009), articulates the vision, goals, objectives and activities necessary for realizing improved health for First Nations peoples residing in the north. The
Plan also describes the realities in which we live and grow and how we will know that we have achieved our vision and goals. Given the nature of our changing realities it is likewise expected that so too will this document evolve over time. It begins with our vision, values, and the principles that guide our actions.
Read the Northern Regional Health and Wellness Plan (PDF 2.71 MB)
Implementing Our Health and Wellness Plan: An Overview (PDF 4.88 MB)
Population
The table below provides estimates of the First Nations population living in the Northern Region using different data sources, including the 2011 Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)'s Indian Registry, the 2006 Census and the 2011 Census. According to AANDC 2011 data, the First Nations population in the Northern Region is close to 47,200, representing 35.6% of the First Nations population in BC.
Northern Region Status First Nations Population Estimates, 2006 and 2011
|
| AANDC 2011 (Total pop)
| AANDC 2011 (On-reserve)
| AANDC 2011 (Off-reserve)
| Census 2006 (On-reserve and Off-reserve) | Census 2011 (On-reserve) |
| Northern | 47,173 | 15,881 | 25,435 | 32,015 | 12,313 |
| Total BC | 132,687 | 61,374 | 71,313 | 110,545 | 75,255 |
Sources: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) and Census, Statistics Canada
First Nations Communities
| Blueberry River First Nations |
| Liard River |
| Doig River |
| Fort Nelson First Nation |
| Halfway River First Nation |
| Dene Tsaa Tse K'Nai First Nation |
| Saulteau First Nations |
| West Moberly First Nations |
| ?Esdilagh First Nation |
| Burns Lake |
| Cheslatta Carrier Nation |
| Lhoosk'uz Dene Government |
| Kwadacha |
| Lake Babine Nation |
| Lheidli T'enneh |
| McLeod Lake |
| Nadleh Whuten |
| Nak'azdli Band |
| Nazko First Nation |
| Nee-Tahi-Buhn |
| Lhtako Dene Nation |
| Saik'uz First Nation |
| Skin Tyee |
| Stellat'en First Nation |
| Takla Lake First Nation |
| Tl'azt'en Nation |
| Tsay Keh Dene |
| Wet'suwet'en First Nation |
| Yekooche |
| Dease River |
| Nisga'a Village of Gingolx |
| Gitanmaax |
| Gitanyow |
| Gitsegukla |
| Gitwangak |
| Nisga'a Village of Gitwinksihlkw |
| Gitxaala Nation |
| Glen Vowell (Sik-e-Dakh) |
| Hagwilget Village (Tse-kya) |
| Haisla |
| Hartley Bay (Gitga'at) |
| Iskut |
| Kispiox |
| Kitselas |
| Kitsumkalum |
| Nisga'a Village of Laxgalt'sap |
| Lax-kw'alaams |
| Metlakatla |
| Moricetown |
| Nisga'a Village of Gitlaxt'aamiks |
| Old Massett Village Council |
| Skidegate |
| Tahltan |
| Taku River Tlingit |
| Binche Whut'en |
Umbrella Health Organisations in the NHA
|
Umbrella Health Organisations |
| 1. Carrier-Sekani Family Services |
| 2. Gitxsan Health Society |
| 3. Nisga'a Valley Health Authority |
| 4. Tahltan Health and Social Services Society |
Northern First Nations Health and Wellness Communiques
Community Engagement Communique - Lake Babine: Fall 2015
Community Engagement Communique - Carrier South: Fall 2015
Community Engagement Communique - Carrier Lakes: Fall 2015
Community Engagement Communique - North East: Fall 2015
Community Engagement Communique - Coast Mountain Alliance: Fall 2015
Community Engagement Communique - Tahltan-Iskut: Fall 2015
Community Engagement Communique - Northwest: Fall 2015
Community Engagement Communique - Haida Gwaii: Fall 2015
Community Engagement Communique - Kaska-Tlingit: Fall 2015
The Northern First Nations Health and Wellness Planning Communique - September 14, 2012
The Northern First Nations Health and Wellness Planning Communique - January 10th , 2013
Northern First Nations Health Partnership Committee Communique - September 13, 2013
Northern Regional Table Communique - November, 28th, 2013
Northern First Nations Health Partnership Committee Communique - January 9, 2014
Northern Regional Table Communique - April, 10th, 2014
Northern First Nations Health Regional Table Communique - Summer 2015
Northern First Nations Health Partnership Committee Communique - December 11th, 2015
Partnership Accord affirms significant action on First Nations health disparities in Northern BC
May 16, 2012
COAST SALISH TERRITORY (Vancouver, BC) – The Northern Regional Health Caucus, interim First Nations Health Authority and Northern Health have announced signing of the historic Northern Partnership Accord that opens new doors for cooperation and planning to improve health outcomes for Northern First Nations. The Accord lays the groundwork for innovations in health service delivery and the creation of a more integrated, culturally appropriate, safe, and effective health system.
“The Northern Partnership Accord is a forward-thinking document that we will see in the future as a turning point in the creation of a more effective health service delivery system for First Nations in Northern BC,” said Warner Adam of the Northern Regional Health Caucus. “The mutual cooperation and willingness to work together between partners with the goal of improving the lives of our First Nations communities made this Accord a success.”
Included in the agreement is the development of a joint Northern Health and Northern First Nations Health and Wellness Committee and Plan that will identify the health needs of First Nations in the North, find solutions, and use measurable indicators to track its success. The Northern Partnership Accord acknowledges the right of self-governance for each First Nation, and the partnership between Northern Health, the interim First Nations Health Authority and the North Regional Health Caucus to close the gaps and remove barriers to accessing and improving services.
First Nations in Northern BC face distinct health service challenges with many remote communities spread out over a vast area of land. The North includes almost two-thirds of BC’s land base and has the highest proportion of Aboriginal people in any region of the province. Statistics have shown that health indicator gaps are larger for First Nations in the North than the rest of the province, along with facing unique issues related to social determinants of health in areas such as housing, education and economic factors.
“Northern Health has a commitment to high quality services and a population health approach,” said Cathy Ulrich, CEO of Northern Health. “Working with the interim First Nations Health Authority in ensuring those principles to lead us to better outcomes for all people is a vision we both share.”
Partners will work to increase understanding of First Nations traditions, customs and protocols in the entire Northern Health system including incorporating a Cultural Responsiveness Strategy. Other joint initiatives include coordination and alignment of planning and service delivery, additional recruitment and retention of health professionals in the North, and improving coordination of primary care services, access to services in remote communities and communications.
“Our Northern Caucus has come together as one voice representing all viewpoints and in close collaboration with Northern Health created this Accord that will prove to offer concrete outcomes to Northern First Nations and positively impact all residents of the North,” said Marjorie McCrae, Northern Regional Health Caucus Representative. “First Nations in Northern BC face some very unique challenges in the health care system, but this Accord is a great example of the positive working relationship we have and the bright future ahead.”
This Accord builds on several key provincial and regional documents including the Transformative Change Accord: First Nations Health Plan, Tripartite First Nations Health Plan, Consensus Paper: British Columbia First Nations Perspectives on a new Health Governance Arrangement, British Columbia Tripartite Framework Agreement on First Nation Health Governance, and Regional Summary of Governance Discussions 2011: Summary of feedback from Northern Regional Caucus and Health Partnerships Workbook 2011.
“Northern Health is committed to providing integrated and accessible health services to all people in Northern BC,” said Charles Jago, Chair of the Northern Health Board of Directors. “This relationship provides the framework for us to work in partnership with First Nations on long-term solutions to health care needs.”
Northern Health is divided into three Health Service Delivery Areas of the Northeast, Northern Interior, and Northwest, similar to the three sub-regions the Northern Caucus has organized around. Northern Health provides health services to 300,000 people over an area of 600,000 square kilometers in the province of British Columbia with over 7,000 employees.
The Northern Regional Health Caucus is composed and representative of Northern First Nations and serves as the regional planning and engagement forum for First Nations health in the region through the interim First Nations Health Authority.
Download a PDF of the Northern Partnership Accord here:
Northern Partnership Accord PDF (550 kb)
First Nations Community Education Program
The First Nations Health Authority, Northern Health, the Northern Medical Program and the Health Arts Research Centre have partnered on a unique program that offers MD undergraduate students an opportunity to be immersed in a northern BC First Nations community.
The program is designed to have medical students deeply absorbed into a northern First Nation community and thus provide future physicians an opportunity to critically and creatively reflect on their own understandings about health, wellness, resiliency, capacity and culture in northern First Nations.
Learn more here.
