Tuberculosis in aboriginal communities: Then and now

'It is well known that the children habituating so closely in the residential schools die at a higher rate than in the villages. That is not justification for changing the policy of the department, which is geared toward the final solution of the Indian problem.' (Duncan Campbell Scott, Supt of Indian Affairs, circa 1920's)

Globe and Mail

Christine Diemert, globeandmail.com: Thanks for joining us today Bill. Just before we finish, is there anything we should look for tomorrow as Mr. Harper makes his speech. Bill Curry: There are at least two key things to look for tomorrow. The Conservatives have been accused of moving grudgingly toward this apology, so former students will certainly be watching Prime Minister Harper to assess the sincerity of the apology. His Indian Affairs minister insists it will be very genuine. Secondly, it will be interesting to see if the PM says anything about the number of deaths that occurred at the schools. For the past 20 years, the focus has largely been on the students who are still alive and their claims of abuse. However an increasing number of people are looking for answers and statistics on those who died at the schools. There are many claims of unmarked graves at the schools and statistics about deaths are unclear. A federal panel has been looking at this issue for the past year and has yet to make its findings public. The government, one would assume, has whatever information that has been gathered. If the government of Canada were to make clear statements on this aspect of the story, that would definitely be something to watch for.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080609.wdiscussioncurry0609/BNStory/National/?pageRequested=3

Natives died in droves as Ottawa ignored warnings BILL CURRY AND KAREN HOWLETT From Tuesday's Globe and Mail OTTAWA — As many as half of the aboriginal children who attended the early years of residential schools died of tuberculosis, despite repeated warnings to the federal government that overcrowding, poor sanitation and a lack of medical care were creating a toxic breeding ground for the rapid spread of the disease, documents show.

And today...?Tuberculosis in aboriginal communities

Tuberculosis continues to hit aboriginal communities much harder than the Canadian population at large. Health Canada says that in First Nations communities, TB rates are eight to 10 times higher than overall Canadian rates and 20 to 30 times higher than Canadian-born, non-aboriginal rates. Between 2002 and 2006, TB rates for aboriginal people on and off reserve were 29 times higher than for the non-aboriginal population, said Angus Toulouse, Ontario's vice-chief for the Assembly of First Nations. "It's hush-hush," said Lori Lemaigre, 30, of La Loche, Sask., about 650 kilometres north of Prince Albert. She was successfully treated for tuberculosis and meningitis in 2006. People don't like to talk about TB, but it is widespread in the community, where two or three families often share a three-bedroom house, Lemaigre said. The overcrowded housing is not only a health hazard but a national disgrace, said Alex Robinson, chief of the Cross Lake First Nation, about 500 kilometres north of Winnipeg, which faced an outbreak of TB in 2008. In Nunavut, the number of new and relapsed cases of TB soared to a high of 156 cases per 100,000 population, compared with an average of about five cases for every 100,000 nationally, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The World Health Organization calls tuberculosis a disease of poverty, and employment and economic development opportunities are the best cure, Toulouse said.

And this ...

Canadians are often puzzled and even hurt when our nation's health and health care ranks poorly against that of other nations. There is one central reason for our poor ratings and it is not public Medicare or long wait times or not enough doctors or lack of funding. The single most powerful reason is the poor health and health care of our (sic) First Nation, Inuit and Metis citizens.

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/2008/11/13/7393146-sun.html