Featuring notices of events, resources, partner information, calls for abstracts, and other items of interest to Aboriginal health. Posted by the NCCAH as received.


March 2012

Job Posting: We are seeking a qualified Communications Officer to join our dynamic team. The Communications Officer works to support NCCAH knowledge translation activities focusing on First Nations, Inuit and Métis public health through the design, creation and adaptation of a variety of media including web content, other digital and social media, and print publications. Click here for the full job description. Position will remain open until filled.



Circumpolar Health Atlas: When many of us picture the areas surrounding the North Pole, we imagine barren landscapes, wintry conditions, and sparse human and animal populations. Opening up the Circumpolar Health Atlas will undoubtedly change this perception. Abounding with hundreds of vibrant, full-colour photographs and maps, this book presents a stunning and immersive portait of life in the Arctic region, with an emphasis on the factors that contribute to human health in this area. Written with the general reader in mind, it can be enjoyed even by those who have little previous knowledge about the circumpolar regions. The Circumpolar Health Atlas is also an informative and practical reference guide for health researchers, service providers, and policy makers, as it offers a broad, multidisciplinary understanding of the health of diverse populations who inhabit the polar regions of the northern hemisphere. Click for more information and the order form. 
Senior Editor: T. Kue Young, TransCanada Chair in Aboriginal Health in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Associate Editors: Rajiv Rawat, Winfried Dallmann, Susan Chatwood, Peter Bjerregaard.

 

National Research Forum: The National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation (NNAPF) is hosting a national research forum “Many Cultural Strands – One Basket”. A national research strategy can support the development of a culturally-relevant evidence-base that will demonstrate the value of Indigenous Knowledge and practice, with appropriate western theoretical models!  NNAPF is inviting all parties to be involved in the development of research questions to help guide research opportunities specific to the 12 elements and supports identified in Honouring our Strengths – A Renewed Framework to Address Substance Use Issues among First Nations People in Canada.   With 100 delegates confirmed, space is limited. The forum will be held at the Albert at Bay Suite Hotel in Ottawa on March 20-22, 2012. For more information on how you can become part of this exciting initiative, please contact Mike Martin, NNAPF Research Manager at mmartin@nnapf.org, or phone toll free 1-866-436-1340.  

January 2012

CBC Series:  Starting January 12, the series 8th Fire: Aboriginal Peoples, Canada and the Way Forward will introduce audiences to a new generation of Aboriginal people working to redefine the relationship between Canada and Aboriginal peoples.  The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will launch the four-part 8th Fire series on CBC-TV and the four-part Trailbreakers series on CBC Radio One starting January 12, featuring dispatches from a team of Aboriginal storytellers from across the country.   Nearly 40 stories are featured on the CBC website, with new content to be added daily.  The radio series opens with: Fathers without Fathers: Aboriginal Men in Canada on The Current, January 12.Visit CBC for more.



New Resource: A report that addresses the challenges that inadequate housing poses for today's youngest Inuit generation notes that what was once a 'housing crisis' has now become a 'critical public health issue." If Not Now...When? Addressing the Ongoing Inuit Housing Crisis in Canada notes that housing is one of the most significant barriers to health and well-being for Inuit.  The report is published by Inuit Tuttarvingat of the National Aboriginal Health Organization. Learn more.



Call for Papers: The fall edition of the Journal of Aboriginal Health  will be devoted to Inuit health research and community innovations, with a call for papers,  along with community stories and book reviews, on a wide variety of topics.  Manuscripts are due by March 29, 2012.  Contact JAH or Cathleen Knotsch, Senior Research Officer, sknotsch@naho.ca or Mary Ashoona Gergin, Community Liaison Officer, mbergin@naho.ca.




December 2011

New Resource: A report published by the CAPTURE Project offers insights for organizations in Canada working with northern, remote and Aboriginal communities in conducting program evaluations.  Sage Advice: Real-World Approaches to Program Evaluation in Northern, Remote and Aboriginal Communities was informed by a Canada-wide survey of government, northern and Aboriginal organizations.  The project was funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada in a partnership with the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.  Learn more.



Newsletter:  The December edition of the Many Hands, One Dream newsletter highlights resources, initiatives and events related to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Aboriginal child and youth health. The partnership is supported by 12 national organizations, including the Canadian Paediatric Society and the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health, and seeks progressive solutions addressing the disproportionate and multi-dimensional health risks faced by Aboriginal children and young people in Canada.



Save the date: The six National Collaborating Centres for Public Health are pleased to announce their 7th Annual Summer Institute: Advancing Health Equity, Building on Experience, May 15-16, 2012, at the Delta Grand Hotel in Kelowna, B.C.  The event will be informed by the six priority areas of the NCCPH: environmental health, Aboriginal health, infectious diseases, methods and tools for knowledge translation, healthy public policy, and determinants of health.  Visit Summer Institute 2012 for more.



Conference:  The NCCAH is hosting a national gathering: The Sacred Space of Womanhood: Mothering Across the Generations to explore the role of cultural transmission from grandmothers through to mothers-to-be in the post-residential school era. The event will take place in Ottawa, Ontario January 24-25, and will lead to a third documentary film in a suite of DVDs that is continuing to support families and communities.  By invitation.  Contact us at nccah@unbc.ca for more.

November 2011

Northern investment: The federal government plans to invest $20 million over the next five years in climate change adaptation for northern and Aboriginal communities.  The investment builds on the three-year-old Climate Change Adaptation program, even as public infrastructure and housing in the Far North are deteroriating and disruptions to northern wildlife are affecting the livelihood of many of the region's inhabitants.  See The First Perspective and The Hill Times.

Event launch: The Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN) is hosting the Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week Launch Event on December 1, 2011 in Ottawa, Ontario with Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, in attendance. Workshops across the country will continue discussions on Aboriginal HIV and AIDS issues in Canada Dec 2-5, 2011.  See media release for more information. An estimated 4,300 to 6,100 Aboriginal persons were living with HIV (including AIDS) in 2008 and comprised about 12.5% of all new HIV infections in Canada.

Resource:  A coalition of the Assembly of First Nations, the National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation and Health Canada announced on November 8 the release of a national framework, Honouring Our Strengths, to address substance use among Canada's First Nations people.  View press release; see report summary; download full report. For more, please visit National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation. 



Lecture: Dr. Jeff Reading will speak on "Global Indigenous Health: An Opportunity for Canadian Leadership," November 16, 2011, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (PST) at the Centre for Aboriginal Health Research, University of Victoria, B.C. Live web conferencing is available: please e-mail redgar@uvic.ca for more information.

Report: The Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children released a comprehensive analysis of Canada's compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 1, 2011.  Right in Principle, Right in Practice assesses how well Canada respects the basic rights of children, and includes recommendations aimed at improving access to education and child protection for Aboriginal children.  Learn more.

Conference:  The First Nations Health Managers Association is holding its first annual national conference Nov. 22-24, 2011, in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  The theme is "Celebrating and Sharing our Inherent Knowledge in Health Leadership and Management."  Visit www.fnhma.ca or call 613-599-6070 for more.

Newsletter: The First Nations Environmental Health Innovation Network provides a monthly summary of environmental health events, funding opportunities, research news and more.  See the latest edition.  
 

Save the date:  Nov. 14-20 is Antibiotic Awareness Week, supported by health-related organizations across Canada.  Events include webinars with Canadian experts on antibiotic resistance and public health with the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases and other organizations.

E-bulletin: Visit the November E-Bulletin for the six National Collaborating Centres for Public Health, addressing Aboriginal health, infectious diseases, environmental health and more....

Call for abstracts:  The theme of the Canadian Public Health Association 2012 Annual Conference is Public Health in Canada: Creating and Sustaining Healthy Environments. The Call for Abstracts online submission system is now open. Deadline is Dec. 2, 2011. The conference will be held in Edmonton, Alberta, June 11-14, 2012.

October 2011

Report: The fourth annual report of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada focuses on Youth and Young Adults - Life in Transition, highlighting areas for collective action such as injuries, obesity, sexual health practices, mental illness and substance abuse. The report notes challenges faced in particular by Aboriginal youth, youth who live in remote communities, those from low-income families, and sexual and gender minority youth. See: executive summary, download report.

Nomination: The Peter Henderson Bryce Award recognizes excellence in public health advocacy for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Children and Youth. Share this poster and consider nominating someone. Nomination deadline: Jan. 15.  Contact the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada.

Resource: A two-part mini-series by the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases explores the association between solvent abuse and increased susceptibility to HIV and other sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections. See NCCID 'Purple Papers.' 

Call for Abstracts: The International Indigenous Development Research Conference 2012 is inviting abstract submissions until December 1, 2011. The 5th biennial conference in Auckland, New Zealand June 27-30 highlights a multidisciplinary approach for Indigenous development.  Themes include: Healthy and Thriving Indigenous Families; Optimising Indigenous Economic Well-being; and Enhancing Indigenous Distinctiveness.  Contact proceedings@indigenousdevelopment2012.ac.nz for abstract, panel and paper queries. Hosted by Nga Pae O te Maramatanga, the Maori Centre of Research Excellence.

Event: Research Days 2011 - Showcasing Healthcare and Research Partnerships, Nov. 1-2, 2011, Civic Centre, Prince George, B.C. The conference theme of partnerships will showcase research to inform health policy and practice in rural and northern regions.  The Innovation and Development Commons is a partnership between Northern Health and the University of Northern British Columbia. 

Lecture: "Developing an Aboriginal Cancer Care Strategy in Northern BC through Community Engagement," Oct. 31, 2011 at the University of Northern B.C. Gathering Place,  12:00-1:00 p.m.  Contact Cmanahan2@bccancer.bc.ca for more information; RSVP by Oct. 20. The Northern Oncology Lectures are hosted by the University of Northern B.C. and the Northern Cancer Control Strategy.

September 2011

Newsletter: First Nations Environmental Health Innovation Network provides a monthly summary of environmental health events, funding opportunities, research news and more. See September edition.