Category: Health

Health concerns pour out at assembly

The first-ever Cree special assembly on health and social services heard an outpouring of concerns about everything from diabetes to suicide and the housing crisis. And delegates didn’t spare the Cree Health and Social Services Board from their criticisms. Delegates came up with a list of 46 “major problems” that need ... read more ››

Sadie’s walk

The success of Sadie’s Walk last year in raising diabetes awareness in the Cree communities has the Cree Health Board gearing up for this year already. Last year more than 10 per cent of the Cree population showed up to walk. The Health Board says its success was due to ... read more ››

100 miles of health

Congratulations to the walkers in Waskaganish who just celebrated the conclusion of the 100 Mile Challenge with a feast and awards banquet. The challenge put forth was for teams of two or more to walk 100 miles or more over a 100-day period this past summer. This contest was designed to encourage ... read more ››

How to have a healthy pregnancy

Some women think you should eat a lot more when you’re pregnant, and that the more weight you gain the better for your baby. But this is not true — most Cree women need to gain only 15 lbs. to have a healthy baby. Thinner women and teenagers may need ... read more ››

Diabetes epidemic worse than ever Crees have one of highest recorded rates in world

Crees have one of the highest rates of diabetes recorded anywhere in the world, according to figures from the Cree Board of Health and Social Services. In some communities, 19 to 24 per cent of adult Crees have diabetes, according to the latest health board figures. Only two other populations anywhere in ... read more ››

Sadie’s Walk raises diabetes awareness

Sadie Muik was a Native woman from out west. She was a well-loved woman who worked to raise awareness of diabetes. Tragically, she was killed by a logging truck. Her community started a yearly walk to honour her memory. The walk for Sadie has grown. Each year, Native communities across Canada ... read more ››

Traditional Ways Take on Diabetes

More proof that traditional lifestyles are better for your health. An Australian Aboriginal community is taking on diabetes by going back to the land. The program was started by two grandmothers. It focused on boosting physical activity among people who have diabetes and their families. Older women started playing basketball. People went ... read more ››

Eat Better Klik Lite™

A miracle has occurred in the world of nutrition. Klik Lite. Do not adjust your reading glasses. Yes, Klik Lite is now available for the growing numbers who are conscious of their diets. According to taste tests, people like it. Or so we are told. And it’s less fatty. Klik Lite is ... read more ››

Good News And Bad News In Health Study

Crees are more healthy than other Native people across Canada, but they are still lagging behind non-Natives, according to a new study by the Cree Health and Social Services Board. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Crees aged 15 to 24. Between 1987 and 1992, nine Crees in that ... read more ››

TALKING TEEN SEX

Rosie Wapachee, the Community Health Representative in Nemaska, says it is vital today that parents teach their teens about sex. “When I was growing up, my mother never talked to me about sex. I was always taught that sex was a sin, that it was wrong. But today, it’s not like ... read more ››

Health Canada Talks To You: Building Healthy communities

In 1994 Health Canada introduced a new initiative called Building Healthy Communities. This program provides funding to aboriginal communities to help create healthier family and community environments in which all members can thrive. Its objective is to give communities the means to expand and improve the quality of, and access ... read more ››

Health Fair

On April 10 and 11, Chisasibi is holding a Health Fair in the Mitchuap. Information booths dealing with everything from alcohol and drug abuse, to nutrition, dental hygiene, anti-smoking, and child development will be set up so that “People can get to know all the resources and people available to them”. ... read more ››

Smoking is so Glamorous!

FROM THE HOME OFFICE IN RADISSON, QUEBEC: THE TOP 10 LIST OF WHY SMOKING IS SO COOL 10 hurting children whose lungs are so much more vulnerable 9 Expensive. If you start smoking at 13 and smoke a pack a day, by the time you turn 30 you will have spent around ... read more ››

Diabetes epidemic alarms health staff

A diabetes epidemic is spreading through the Cree communities because of poor diet, inadequate exercize and lack of information about the problem, warn health experts. The number of Crees with diabetes is 150 times greater today than it was 20 years ago and rising steadily. “Everybody I’ve talked to is diagnosing it ... read more ››

Methylmercury a hazard around the world

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay for inviting me to attend the 12th International Neurotoxicology Conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA. The conference was on the neurotoxicity of low-level methyl-mercury exposure. Mercury seems to be a major ... read more ››

Cree Health: Debating the Issues

The two opinion pieces on this page were written by Samson Sandy, who is the information officer of the Cree Health and Social Services Board. We welcome opinion pieces from all our readers, and we strive to reflect all views in our pages. Searching for a common crossroad The Cree Board of ... read more ››

Diabetes Epidemic in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan natives are experiencing an epidemic of diabetes and are far more likely than non-aboriginal people to suffer life-threatening complications from the disease, says a report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The report says the province’s First Nations people are 16 times more likely than non-natives to develop kidney failure ... read more ››