Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the federal government is failing when it comes to some of the big issues in its jurisdiction, particularly Indigenous health care.
Speaking at the annual premiers’ conference on Tuesday, Smith said provincial leaders have a shared frustration with Ottawa.
“The federal government continues to intervene in our areas of jurisdiction, continues to try to dictate how we operate our programs and policies and yet they fail in their areas of jurisdiction,” she told reporters in Winnipeg.
“We’ve got a lot of big issues that the federal government needs to deal with — for instance on the issue of Indigenous health. They are completely failing Indigenous communities in supporting them in urban environments and in supporting them in the mental-health and addiction crisis.”
Federal Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu said in a statement Wednesday that Smith and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are playing politics with the mental health of Indigenous communities.
“That’s a new low,” she said.
Hajdu said the federal government is supporting Indigenous partners.
“We are making historic investments for culturally appropriate mental health and addictions services that work and save lives,” said the statement.
“Pierre Poilievre and Danielle Smith want to take us back to a war on drugs approach. I invite them to leave the political bubble, go on the ground and actually listen to the needs of Indigenous communities.”
On Monday, Treaty 6 First Nations in Western Canada declared a state of emergency over rising opioid deaths and called on all levels of government for immediate support to address the crisis.
“Families, friends, and loved ones are being lost to this devastating crisis,” said Grand Chief Leonard Standingontheroad.
“If harm reduction isn’t available, our people will die. The Confederacy of Treaty No. 6 Nations is asking the federal government to intervene and offer more effective, flexible and long-lasting support.”
The confederacy said in a statement that the treaty’s medicine chest clause dictates that the federal government has an obligation to provide health care on an ongoing basis. It said it expects all levels of government to adhere to and respect their treaty obligations.
It said the rise in mortality rates due to opioid toxicity is seven times higher among Indigenous people in Alberta — and 50 per cent of those people are between the ages of 20 and 39.
The death rates, it added, have spiked since the provincial government closed safe consumption sites.
There are seven supervised consumption sites across the province, but Smith’s government has focused on treatment and recovery for people using drugs.
Alberta Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Dan Williams said in a statement late Monday that the “deadly disease of addiction devastates families and destroys communities in Alberta and across North America, and this is especially true in First Nations communities.”
He said the province is partnering directly with First Nations to address the issue in the spirit of reconciliation.
“We’re continuing to strengthen these partnerships with Treaty 6 by committing to build and fully fund a recovery community in direct partnership with Enoch Cree Nation,” he said.
“Across Alberta we’ve announced the construction and funding of three more recovery communities in direct partnership with Tsuut’ina Nation, Siksika Nation and Kainai Nation. These are historic actions by the Government of Alberta that are outside of our traditional jurisdiction but are essential to moving forward in partnership with First Nations.”
Williams added that the province agrees with the confederacy that it’s time for the federal government to step up and provide more support for First Nations communities.
In an interview with Global News on Tuesday, Dr. Esther Tailfeathers — who recently resigned her position as senior medical director of the Indigenous Wellness Core (IWC), a part of Alberta Health Services — said it’s up to both Ottawa and Alberta to respond to the drug crisis.
“We knew that there were unacceptable numbers of deaths of young people and people in our communities and in the cities due to drug poisoning, whether that be opioid or other substances,” she said. “And we know that over the years, the substances have become more toxic and more available. And the supplies are being altered to become more addictive.
“They’re actually causing so many more deaths. The original Narcan that we have been using for reversal of the overdoses is not working because there’s a number of other toxic substances in the drugs.”
The Treaty 6 First Nations said there is an 18.2-year discrepancy in the life expectancy of Indigenous individuals and that mortality rates of opioid poisoning are seven times higher amongst Indigenous individuals compared to the general population.
According to Alberta Health Services data, the life expectancy of First Nations Albertans has gone from 71 years old in 2017 to 63 years old in 2021.
“I actually knew this was coming,” Tailfeathers said. “We saw the trends starting at least a couple of years ago, but we had not seen clear data on what the life expectancy is.
“I’m not surprised with the life expectancy. It should be a wake-up call to all of Canada, and especially to the province of Alberta, because it’s one of the main health indicators that all countries use to judge whether or not they’re successful in their health programming … This tells you that this is a failing grade for the province of Alberta.”
Tailfeathers said, as part of the new health transfer agreement, the federal government has committed funding to the provinces that is specifically earmarked for Indigenous healthcare, particularly for mental health and addictions.
“In my talks with different communities and chiefs, there has been no engagement. Most of the chiefs are not aware this is going to occur,” she said.
Indigenous leaders must have a seat at the table to help decide how this money can best be used, Tailfeathers said.
“This money that’s coming from Ottawa is earmarked for primary care — which is very important to our communities — it’s earmarked for mental health and addictions, it’s earmarked for recruitment of health professionals, such as physicians and nurses and other health professionals, to Indigenous communities,” she explained.
“There’s a lot of good recommendations and a lot of things Ottawa has included in the dollars, or the governance of the dollars, for Indigenous peoples in the province. As far as I know, Indigenous peoples have not been consulted or engaged in this process.
“There are not Indigenous voices at a governance level to make sure that our voices are heard and that a governance model includes what Indigenous leaders want to see in the delivery of health-care services, as well as accountability for the dollars that are sent from Ottawa for Indigenous people in each province.”
— With files from Heather Yourex-West, Global News