First Nation blames pre-natal deaths, child removals on living conditions

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Natives demand action on housing

Canada.com - Don Mills,Ontario,Canada

First Nation blames pre-natal deaths, child removals on living

conditions

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?

id=828e1298-cf4b-4926-9d03-fec293f73341 & p=1

Kines, Times Colonist

Published: Tuesday, December 02, 2008

PORT HARDY -- The Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nation is demanding

immediate action to deal with mould-infested housing that it blames

for a rash of pre-natal deaths, respiratory illness and child

removals on the Tsulquate reserve near Port Hardy.

Chief Paddy Walkus yesterday took reporters and cameramen on a tour

of several condemned or still-occupied homes on the reserve about

500 kilometres north of in hopes of drawing attention to

his people's plight.

In one house, the black mould ran thick along the windows and

baseboard heater where 65-year-old n Wamiss is recovering from

leukemia and requires oxygen to breathe.

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Font:****In another, the smell of mould stung visitors' eyes and

coated the carpet, walls and window ledges of rooms that once housed

an infant now in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family

Development.

" It's crazy to see what some of the them actually have to live in on

a day-to-day basis, " Walkus said.

The mould is so bad in some houses, Walkus said he can smell it on

the residents when they come into his office.

" I just can't imagine what the young people, especially babies, have

to inhale. "

Band officials reported three pre-natal deaths in the past two

months that they link to the mould and overcrowding on the reserve.

One of the pregnant women was living in a house with at least 16

other people, Walkus said.

" I have strong reason to believe that what happened is a direct

result of the living conditions. "

Band manager Dennis McGill fought back tears while describing living

conditions on the reserve. He said residents have a high incidence

of asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

He also attributes a number of child removals to the poor housing

conditions. More than 60 of the band's children are currently in the

care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development, he said.

The ministry says the actual number is 47 -- seven of whom are in

care on reserve and the other 40 off-reserve.

The band council has become so frustrated by the child apprehensions

that last month it passed a resolution, serving notice that it wants

to renegotiate its child welfare dealings with the ministry. The

resolution passed after the ministry seized a newborn child from a

hospital in November.

" Part of their reason for removing the child was the housing

conditions, " McGill said. " So we made a political move here and

stated: 'Look, this is wrong. We're going to take control of our

children and families here.' "

Children's Minister Tom Christensen said in an interview last night

that none of the children have been removed because of substandard

housing, but because of other child protection concerns. However,

Christensen said he sympathized with the band's frustration and

stressed his ministry's willingness to work with the chief and

council.

In particular, Christensen said his ministry will work with the

federal government, which has responsibility for housing, to get the

Tsulquate the help they need.

North Island MLA Trevena said the situation on the Tsulquate

reserve highlights concerns raised last week by Children's

Representative Ellen Turpel-Lafond, who warned that the lives

of B.C.'s aboriginal children may be getting worse instead of better.

Trevena called for all levels of government to work at resolving

the " crisis. "

" Twelve, 15 or 20 people living in a two- or three-bedroom house,

black mould causing kids to get sick and houses condemned, " she told

the legislature last week. " This isn't a Third World country but a

First Nations reserve -- Tsulquate, just outside of Port Hardy.

" There shouldn't be any finger-pointing in this, and there shouldn't

be any shrugging off of responsibility when it comes to children's

health. "

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