Indigenous Health – Waabishki Bineshins

The IERHA commits to strive towards an environment free of racism for both employees and community members. The IERHA seeks to identify patterns of harm towards Indigenous, black and marginalized community members and employees and take actions to disrupt any form of racism. The IERHA commits to holding employees accountable to our Anti-Racism Policy. Learn more: Disrupting Racism in Health Care – Interlake-Eastern RHA

Waabishki Bineshins (White Thunderbird) Indigenous Health is an Indigenous-led team guided by the teaching that Spirit must always come first. To honour this teaching, our team offered tobacco to an Elder from one of our communities and asked them, through ceremony, to help us find a name that would guide our work in a positive way. Through that ceremony, we received the name Waabishki Bineshiins, or White Thunderbird. This name reflects not only our spiritual foundation, but also our accountability to our relatives and communities. Identifying as Waabishki Bineshiins affirms our commitment to uphold our responsibilities and improve cultural safety, health equity, and reconciliation within our health system.

Supporting our relatives when accessing healthcare

Interlake-Eastern’s Indigenous Health team tangibly contribute to health service delivery that aligns with the four strategic directions. Their skills and cultural understanding are welcomed as part of our care teams and by patients who take comfort and healing from the care they contribute. The Indigenous Health Skaabe ensures cultural safety for Indigenous patients during their stay and throughout the discharge planning process in hospital. This includes advocacy, navigation, relationship building, interpreting and facilitating health education for clients with major emphasis given to language and cultural differences.

Adam Sanderson
Director, Indigenous Health

Prior to joining Interlake-Eastern RHA, Adam worked with Sagkeeng First Nation Health Centre for 12 years, five of these years were in the position of health director. He is a business administration graduate and is currently working on a bachelor’s degree in social work. Adam directs and oversees the Indigenous Health program and liaises with community partners. His office is located in Pine Falls Health Complex.

Jamie Boyer, RN, BN
Manager Indigenous Health

Jamie is a First Nations registered nurse from the Sagkeeng First Nation who previously worked as manager of health service in the Healthy Sexuality and Harm Reduction Program at WRHA. She has over a decade of experience working in the health system that includes a wide scope of experience that includes public health, home care, primary care, and acute care. In addition to advocating on behalf of Indigenous patients and communities in our region, Jamie supports the work of the Indigenous Health Skaabes, Indigenous Health Social Workers and Elders.

Nelson Chaske
Indigenous Elder/ Traditional Knowledge Keeper

Nelson is a Dakota/Anishinaabe Elder with more than 30 years of experience in culturally sensitive program education and development, advocacy for First Nations families and communities, and facilitation of Indigenous ceremony and healing strategies rooted in traditional practices. He has a deep understanding of numerous Indigenous cultures across Canada, the United States and Mexico. He also has experience providing education on residential school impacts, racism and trauma-informed care. Nelson provides cultural support and advocacy services primarily at facilities on the east side of the region, including smudging ceremonies, prayers and teachings to patients and staff on request.

Robert Maytwayashing
Indigenous Elder/ Traditional Knowledge Keeper

Robert Maytwayashing was raised on Lake Manitoba First Nation. He is fluent in Anishinaabaemowin (Ojibwe) and he is a pipe carrier, sweat lodge keeper and attends the annual ceremony of Sundance, amongst other ceremonies. Over the years, Robert has served as both a council member and chief of Lake Manitoba First Nation. Prior to becoming the regional knowledge keeper, Robert was Interlake-Eastern RHA’s Indigenous human resources development officer.

Cara Widrick
Indigenous Elder/ Traditional Knowledge Keeper

Cara Widrick, the Indigenous Elder for Selkirk Regional Health Centre provides cultural guidance, personal consultation, active listening, support and mentorship to patients at SRHC and their families on an as needed basis. Her work at the hospital is to help families on the obstetrical unit bring new babies into the world in a culturally safe manner. Cara has over 38 years supporting cultural ways of being, knowing, and healing in various settings.

Kachina Barnard
Indigenous Health Social Worker

Kachina Barnard serves as an Indigenous Health social worker based out of Selkirk Regional Health Centre. As part of her role, she supports and advocates for relatives and families who are in the hospital by using a holistic method and weaving together Indigenous and Western ways of knowing. She helps to ensure their concerns are heard and followed up on. At the same time, she also works with the health team for discharge planning to ensure that relatives return home safely. Prior to this role, Kachina worked at an Indigenous youth group home. She also has several years of experience working as a family addictions treatment counsellor at the Mikaaming Mino Pimatiziwin Healing Lodge in Sagkeeng. In addition, she provides one-on-one counselling to youth in Winnipeg.

Megan Chartrand
Indigenous Health Skaabe

Melinda Henderson
Indigenous Health Skaabe

Melinda Henderson is an Indigenous Skaabe based out of Ashern Lakeshore General Hospital. In this role, she supports and advocates for Indigenous patients and their families. At the same time, she helps them to navigate the health-care system and aims to ensure a respectful and safe environment. She also helps facilitate community connections and supports health-care professionals in respecting Indigenous patients’ cultural practices, traditions and religious beliefs. She brings to the role experience in frontline social services, and she has also served as a volunteer with multiple organizations.

Jaycee Seenie
Indigenous Health Skaabe

Jaycee is an Indigenous Health Skaabe at Selkirk Regional Health Centre with previous experience working in the materials management department at a southern RHA. He also brings experience facilitating cultural activities like drum making and singing.

Patrick Thomas
Indigenous Health Skaabe

Patrick is from Pimicikamak (Cross Lake), and through his role as a Skaabe at Selkirk Regional Health Centre, he supports relatives by ensuring they receive equitable treatment in their health-care journey. This includes connecting individuals with available resources, advocating for safe and supported discharges, and working alongside Elders to ensure spiritual care is offered as part of the healing process. Previously, Patrick served as an Indigenous healing coordinator at Marymound, where he worked with children, youth and young adults to reconnect them with traditional forms of healing, spirituality and culture. Outside his professional work, Patrick is actively involved in ceremonial traditions and continues to practise traditional spirituality.

Jazlyn Wark
Indigenous Health Skaabe

Jazlyn is Métis and has lived in Pine Falls for her entire life. She is committed to supporting the health and well-being of Indigenous communities in her hometown. As an Indigenous Health Skaabe based at Pine Falls Hospital, Jazlyn can also provide services to nearby hospitals based on referral. Her role involves delivering culturally appropriate care, facilitating community connections, discharge planning and assisting with navigation of the health-care system. She also advocates on behalf of Indigenous patients and provides emotional support during their hospital stays. Before she joined the Indigenous Health team, Jazlyn worked a registered cardiology technologist with Shared Health. She is currently pursuing a bachelor of social work degree and is on track to complete her studies in December.

Cody Widrick
Indigenous Health Skaabe

Cody Widrick is a Selkirk Red River Metis. He has been a Skaabe and attended ceremonies with various indigenous communities/nations since childhood. These teachings and experiences support Cody in his work with the IERHA Indigenous Health Team.

Cheryl Sinclair
Knowledge Keeper

Cheryl is a resident of Lake St. Martin First Nation and previously worked with the local health centre. Her ability to speak Anishinaabaemowin (Ojibwe) and training in applied counselling at Red River College Polytechnic helps in her support of Indigenous patients and families, encouraging trust. She connects people with community health teams on pathways in and out of the withdrawal management service. She provides translation services and emotional support in the hospital.

Indigenous Health Strategy

IERHA realizes the need to change the view of Indigenous health within the region and understand the resiliency of this population as a key foundation on which to improve Indigenous health outcomes. The purpose of the region’s Indigenous Health Strategy is to guide the Interlake-Eastern Health Region and potential Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners in the region toward a shared understanding that addressing health inequities cannot occur in isolation, but rather through working together. This strategy dovetails with the strategic goals outlined in the regional strategic plan.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action contains a number of actions specific to health. We are committed to incorporating the spirit of these Calls to Action as they relate to the culture, programs and services provided in Interlake-Eastern RHA. To that end, they are foundational to the Indigenous Health Strategy and IERHA’s overarching strategic plan.

Giigewigamig Traditional Healing Centre

Giigewigamig Traditional Healing Centre is located in the Pine Falls Health Complex.

Giigewigamig Traditional Healing Centre opened to the public in Spring 2017. The addition was designed to provide better, more culturally  appropriate health care services to families in Sagkeeng, Black River, Hollow Water, and Bloodvein and the surrounding Métis communities.  The redevelopment provides space for traditional healers and elders, an additional nurse practitioner, a First Nation and Métis outreach liaison, a medical lab assistant and spaces for support services. 

The Giigewigamig First Nation Health Authority is independently operated by the GFNHA Elder Council, representing its member First Nations of Sagkeeng, Black River, Hollow Water and Bloodvein. We are located at the Pine Falls Health Complex. “Giigewigamig” means “A place of healing,” in Ojibway which was named by the Rev. Ernest McPherson Senior of Black River. Tammy Constant is the operations manager for Giigewigamig Traditional Healing Centre.

The mission is to create a place in the hospital for loved ones to support family members who may be ill and seeking care in the hospital and: 

• ​​​​​​​​​ Offer a place where family can prepare traditional meals and medicine for loved ones in the hospital 
• Provide access to First Nations traditions, culture, language, healing ceremonies, medicines, and teachings to provide holistic and natural care for all people 
• Assist community members to coordinate spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical care that meets their needs 
• Provide patient interpretation and advocacy
• Inspire a new standard of quality health care, and advocate for greater accountability to honour the Treaty Right to health through the jointly coordinated services of Giigewigamig, the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority, the Province of Manitoba and Health Canada.

Disrupting Racism

At our core, as health care workers, we are committed to the compassionate and professional support and delivery of health services for all, regardless of race, religion, language or global events. It takes a collective effort to stand up and effect change.

Interlake-Eastern RHA is an active participant in provincial initiatives to improve equity for Indigenous, Black and Racialized individuals and communities by improving access and experience across our health system while making steps toward better health outcomes.

Report an incident of racism, review cultural resources or read about our racial climate survey here: Disrupting Racism in Health Care – Interlake-Eastern RHA

A National Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support to former residential school students. This 24-Hour Crisis Line can be accessed at:  1-866-925-4419