Cowessess First Nation Community - H1N1 and Pandemic Preparations

Help on accessing alternative formats, such as Portable Document Format (PDF), Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (PPT) files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section.

Health Canada has been working with First Nations across the country to help them prepare for the H1N1 pandemic. The Cowessess First Nations has been planning for a pandemic for close to five years.

Transcript - Cowessess First Nation Community - H1N1 and Pandemic Preparations

Description: The Federal Health Minister addresses a group of journalists.

Federal Health Minister: "This is a success story of what is happening, not only here but in other parts of the country in First Nations pandemic planning."

Description: Small group of people gather outside community Health Centre.

Description: Inside, Cowessess First Nations Health Director shows federal health officials a map illustrating Cowessess First Nation territory.

Description: Daycare provider washes child's hand in sink. Children can be heard playing in the background.

Narrator: Health Canada has been working with First Nations across the country to help them prepare for the H1N1 pandemic. The Cowessess First Nations is an example of a community that has embraced the cause. In fact, they've been planning for a pandemic for close to five years.

Deanna Lerat, Cowessess Pandemic Coordinator: "Our planned objective is to minimize the illness and mortality, of course, and to continue services as much as possible."

Description: Federal officials greet pandemic planning committee in council chambers.

Narrator: A strong partnership has been created between Health Canada, other federal partners, the provinces, and the Cowessess First Nations community. The first step, isolate the risks and, ultimately, develop a unique plan, tailor-made to help encourage 100 per cent participation.

Dr. Paul Gully, Senior Medical Advisor, Health Canada: "They're planning, they're thinking ahead, they're strategizing. Which is really important in order to be able to respond to any emergency situation. So the capacity to do that and the willingness to do that, is very important, not just to respond to a pandemic, but to respond to any other emergency that may occur in the community. And other emergencies do occur."

Description: Cameras click and flash as chief and federal health minister pose for news camaeras in the Daycare.

Narrator: It's the people living and working here who know best what is needed and how to communicate with the members of their community.

Description: Daycare educators and children greet Minister and news cameras.

Daycare educator: "Kyra, honey. Sneeze. How do you sneeze?"

Description: Little girl sneezes into her arm

Narrator: The success of this partnership between Cowessess First Nations and Health Canada is based not only on providing resources, but also listening and responding to their needs.

Thea Jacobs, Regional Pandemic Coordinator, Health Canada: "We were able to help communities like Cowessess and the others to become so successful with their planning because they were telling us what they wanted and we did the work. So it generated the resources that we created, the posters, the booklets, all the workshops..."

Description: Instructor conducts workshop on pandemic planning. [Sound of instructor teaching]

Thea Jacobs, Regional Pandemic Coordinator, Health Canada: "pandemic planning workshops, visits to communities to support the pandemic planners."

Narrator: The Cowessess Pandemic Planning Committee has been busy working through the protocol and putting it to test...

Description: Minister hugs child in daycare. News cameras flash.

Narrator: The community has much to brag about. The message is getting through. Basics like hand-washing, keeping toys clean...

Description: Children wash toys in bucket of soapy water.

Narrator: And adopting simple personal cleanliness techniques that will help stop the spread of disease.

Hughie Lerat, Cowessess Natural Healer: "Once a week we take our grade nines to culture camp and we talk about the different things that are happening in our life today."

Clip of Dr. Paul Gully, Senior Medical Advisor, Health Canada: "So it's a question of translation, it's a question of interpreting. Putting in a way in which the community understands. But in also showing the leadership. Because someone from Health Canada coming, saying that, sure people listen, but do they take it in? And they keep on needing to hear it too."

Description: Instructor shows Pandemic Planning booklet while conducting a workshop.

[sound of instructor explaining booklet]

Narrator: All of this has become second nature, part of the new culture at Cowessess First Nations.

Description: Children wash toys in bucket of soapy water.

Deanna Lerat, Cowesses Pandemic Coordinator: "People are very cooperative, willing to learn, and you know, everybody contributes."

Narrator: There's no question this First Nations community is prepared for whatever the second wave of swine flu brings...

Description: Toddler drops paper towel in garbage and congratulates himself in a nearby mirror.

Narrator: And while it's unknown how hard they will be hit...

Description: Cameras flash as Minister of Health picks up baby from crib.

Narrator: doing what they can to stay healthy has reduced the sense of fear significantly.

Karen Lerat, Pandemic Committee Volunteer: "The people in my community, they don't seem terrified of it or anything like that. And yeah, I think they seem pretty confident. I know I'm confident because, well, we're aware of what to do, other communities might not be so aware."

Description: Native child and daycare educator ring Powwow hand bells at the toddler room at the daycare.

Narrator: The key to the success of the Cowessess First Nations Reserve? Coordinating government expertise and talking to the community about what they want and, finally, incorporating everything into the culture and traditional healing methods of the Cowessess First Nations community.

Hughie Lerat, Cowessess Natural Healer: "Because it's life and death of a lot of people, we want to make sure that we look after what's ours and what's our community's."

Description: Minister talks to baby in a crib.

Federal Health Minister: "Who's staring at you? Who are these people?"

Description: Minister talks to Daycare operator about the daily schedule.

Daycare operator: "They have their breakfast and then they go to their rooms."

Description: Daycare educator teaches the children in the toddler room.

Daycare educator: "What is the duck doing?"

Toddler responds: "No!"