Carving Out A Difference In Northern Healthcare
A ceremony and plaque unveiling was held at UHNBC to officially celebrate the Aboriginal carving in the Atrium
Prince George, BC – When Nathan Teegee was in grade eight in Fort St. James, he made a pact with his best friend – they would become doctors when they grew up…
Yesterday, the first-year student in the Northern Medical Program was the central figure in a special ceremony at the University Hospital of Northern BC to celebrate an Aboriginal carving, entitled ‘Helping Hands’, that graces the hospital’s Atrium. Teegee spearheaded the project while working with Carrier Sekani Family Services’ Aboriginal Health Committee.
"And I was thinking to myself before I got accepted (into the NMP), how great it would be to come here and work at this hospital and see this artwork," Teegee said. "Come into the hospital everyday and say, ‘Hey, I’m accepted around here’ and the patients that I’m going to treat – half of them being Aboriginal anyways – they’re going to say the same thing, ‘We’re accepted’."
The carving depicts the four clans of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, surrounded by ‘helping hands’. Many in Northern Health had an opportunity to work on those hands, under the guidance of master carver, Peter George, and his apprentice, Clayton Gauthier. The piece is meant to reflect the values of collaboration and harmony. It was blessed during a potlatch and sacred ceremony attended by 500 people two years ago at the Civic Centre, and carefully moved to UHNBC for installation. A plaque unveiled yesterday describes the process and people involved in making Teegee’s dream a reality.
Prince George-Mackenzie MLA, Pat Bell, said the carving really brings together the notion of cultural health, spiritual health and physical health in a way that is important not just to residents in northern BC, but the entire province. The Minister of Jobs, Tourism, and Skills Training noted the release of stats earlier in the day showing a marked increase in Aboriginal high school completion rates in BC, and told those in attendance, "We have lots of work to do, we’re not where we need to be – we’re not where we need to be working with First Nations in education, in cultural opportunities, in health initiatives, but today is another step forward."
Carrier Sekani Family Services Executive Director, Warner Adam, said institutions are often sterile environments and artwork warms them, making the services they provide more easily accessible. Adam thanked Northern Health for its contributions to improving the health status of First Nations, noting a recent partnership accord between the health authority and the newly-established First Nations Health Authority will continue towards that goal and towards "being a leader and a role model for the rest of Canada, if not the world."
Carrier Sekani Tribal Council Chief, Terry Teegee, feels the same holds true for his nephew, Nathan. "I’m so over-the-moon proud of him. But it’s not only this – this is just a small project – it’s just a small stepping stone in his journey."
Nathan and his best friend, Lester Todd Alec – who stood quietly at the sidelines during yesterday’s celebration – have both just completed their first semester of medical school.
Comments
Great story, beautiful piece of artwork. Inspiring.
Could we hang a Hagis there aswell
Cheers
The NMP is a great story, no disputing that.
The carving has been there for 2 years and now Pat’s PR crew come up with yet another plaque dedicating photo-op. How many plaque dedication and scarf giving ceremonies has Pat been at this week ? Next week it will be another plaque for the Cariboo Connector and of course the big one just before the election, the WIDC.
Congradulations to the natives of BC on the placeing of the HELPING HANDS PLAQUE in the atrium of the Northern University Hospital. This art work signifies to all that the hospital is all inclusive.
Cost?
There should be more investment in first nation art and languages in PG. Specially there is a lack of interest in the language area.
Pat Bell should have a serious talk with UNBC about removing the barriers in front of researchers in these languages and help to bring research funding for establishing the proposed language technology center. The proposal has been sitting on the shelf for almost a decade despite being presented last decade to UNBC president Jago as well as the Canadian governor general Clarckson, and more recently to Iwama’s.
Talking of missed opportunities, and idle no more …
A wonderful positive story.
I agree Univ ….. however, I think with the economic situation the way it is and has been recently, reality sets in so the nice to have’s such as culture … whether it is a PAC or funding an improved cultural program, we are spending money on roads, security, etc. in cities, provinces and the nation and applied sciences at institutes of higher learning ……
What we need is a symbol so all feel the warmth and acceptance. Not just a chosen sector of society. The helping hands idea is great.. But needs to accept all who walk through the doors. To single out one race is not acceptable.
^^^EXACTLY.
Nobody says it because its not polite, but it’s true.
Are the aboriginal people any more welcome at the hospital today then they were yesterday? No.
A painting, a sculpture, isn’t going to change anything. You want things to change, stop piting one race of people against the other. As long as we first and foremost see ourselves as native and non native, racism is alive and well.
UNBC strategic 4 research areas are:
1- Environment and Natural Resources
2- Community Development
3- Northern, Rural and Environmental Health
4- First Nations and Indigenous Studies
What I don’t understand is why a proposal for first nation languages (research areas 2 and 4) should “sit idle” on the shelf for a decade in UNBC. There are federal funds and grants available for that kind of research. It only needs support from UNBC administration. The previous VP of research in UNBC even encouraged the lead researcher of proposal to focus on other research areas and UNBC has been pushing people (from MIT, Stanford, McGill, …) with related expertise out.
Perhaps Paul Michel in UNBC who was sitting next to the governor general, when it was raised, can bring this up again in UNBC with Iwama’s.
Sitting-on-shelf idle no more …
Great story, it just shows if there is a will there is a Way to make it!
Money well spend.
“As long as we first and foremost see ourselves as native and non native, racism is alive and well”.
So true, as long as natives see themselves as something special and always need a hand they will always be racist.
That would be way to much money spent on aboriginal studies I for one am not for that because then my taxes will increase even more. They can’t even learn life’s basic skills let alone there own culture. Just my own opinion
Excuse me, racism does not exist because we see ourselves as native and non native. It is like blaming the Jews for the Nazi Holocaust. Racism is an advanced form of bullying and the fault is with the bully/racist or rapist and not the victims.
When the human-rights watchdog documents allegations of police abuse against aboriginal women in British Columbia, then we can conclude that there is systematic racism in BC Police force. Racism does exist in BC and it needs to be stopped.
When there is smoke, there is fire …
When a story involves First Nations, it makes no difference to some frequent posters, who take every opportunity to criticise and carp and insult First Nations people whenever they can work it in. Those are the racist bigots in our midst. Read above to identify them.
Regarding more money to be spent on aboriginal studies….need to get back to basics and spend our tax money
wisely…….
when we have tough economic times, we have to use our tax dollars on needs, i.e. medical care, basic education to fill jobs, infrastructure, security, to name a few. I cannot see where aboriginal studies fits into the above. Grants for “want to have’s” should be cancelled. It is partly because of so many groups having their hands out for hand-outs that we don’t have enough money to cover needs.
As far as the human-rights watchdog allegations of police abuse against aboriginal women…..they are just allegations, need to be proven, and would be against a few bad apples, not the whole police force. It’s not fair to accuse the whole RCMP force of racism.
Further on racism….I agree with Seamutt..
“as long as first nations see themselves as something special and always need a hand, they will always be racist.” We all have the same opportunities and it is how we apply ourselves that makes the difference and separates the achievers from the rest.
“Excuse me, racism does not exist because we see ourselves as native and non native. It is like blaming the Jews for the Nazi Holocaust. Racism is an advanced form of bullying and the fault is with the bully/racist or rapist and not the victims.”
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If we DIDN’T see ourselves as native and non-native, then how could racism exist?
Why don’t we just see ourselves just as individuals first, instead of as a member of this group or that one first?
And as individuals no one person is any better than any other person, unless he or she demonstrates in someway through the exercise of their individual merits and abilities that they are.
Racism exists in Canada, so does bullying and denying their existence does not solve the problem.
And utilizing technology for first nation languages is like carving a technology pen for these languages. Those affiliated with the first nation community need to push for such efforts. It would be a self inflicted wound, if instead, people affiliated with first nation community (or members of their family) become obstacles in front of such research and/or do not remove the existing roadblocks and barriers in UNBC.
It would be an example of a carving knife cutting and damaging its own handle.
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