SASKATOON – A memorandum of understanding was signed in Saskatoon on Monday to study cancers in First Nations and Metis people.
The goal of the agreement between the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), the Metis Nation – Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency is to develop an effective cancer surveillance system.
The $1.07-million project is funded by the Canadian Partnership against Cancer and will look at which cancers are more prevalent in aboriginal people.
“We’re getting more and more questions about what is the burden of disease in that population? What kind of cancers do those people get? Are they the same as the cancers the rest of the population gets?” said Jon Tonita with the cancer agency.
“We can’t answer those questions.”
Those are questions Kimberly Jonathan with the FSIN hopes the project will answer.
“We know we have a high rate of cancer. We know we have a high rate of breast cancer, lung cancer, but to have that on paper and to have sound strategies going forward on how do we educate effectively from infancy to prevent and ensure we’re cancer free,” said Jonathan.
Observations recorded during the three-year period will also help generate more awareness about the impact cancer has on First Nations communities.
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