BY ADELLE LARMOUR

A new health centre will help fulfill a long-awaited vision for the Batchewana First Nation.

This spring, construction will begin on the new $3.5 million regional health centre in Rankin, near Sault Ste. Marie. Health Canada contributed $1.5 million toward the facility with the remaining amount financed internally, according to Chief Dean Sayers.

After 10 years of advocating for a larger facility encompassing a variety of services, Sayers said this new 15,000-square foot health centre is part of a vision of returning to their traditional practices.

“The vision that our elders have, the vision that our leaders have and the vision that our community has is to see our original medicinal understandings and ways being larger and more prevalent in our community,” Sayers said. “We believe our ability and resilience come from our traditional and medicinal ways. We’d like to evolve to a place where the language, medicines and various healing methodologies are completely and fully embraced, and recognized as an everyday part of life by all of our members.”

The new health centre is a giant step forward from the current working space of 3,000 square feet, where 30 employees serve approximately 2,300 members. The centre’s primary focus will be to meet the needs of its own First Nation members, although it serves both Native and non-Native people through the Aboriginal Health Access Centre, a provincially-funded service.

Presently, the centre employs a doctor, several nurse practitioners, a public health nurse (RN), community health representatives, a medicine man, a dietitian, personal support workers, and addiction and mental health workers. Other services include homemaking and medical transportation services, all of which will be accommodated in the new facility.

The centre will incorporate programs that support a more holistic approach, promoting prevention, intervention and healthy lifestyles. Sayers believes that living by the philosophies of his ancestors will improve the overall quality of life of community members.

“Our ability with this health centre to be able to do the work and research necessary can and will have beneficial effects for future generations so we can get back to where we once were with that balance and that harmony,” Sayers said.

Partnerships with the North Shore Tribal Council, Nog-da-win-da-min Child and Family Services and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) will help address health issues unique to the Aboriginal population, like the high rate of diabetes and heart disease.

“We’ve been trying to incorporate our child welfare services because social and health issues are so related,” Sayers explained.

A research facility in the form of a dry lab, which will be a statistics and information-gathering space, will be run by staff from NOSM. Sayers is looking forward to working collaboratively with NOSM and sharing knowledge about resources and healing medicines.

The building’s architectural design will incorporate elements unique to the Anishinabek people. Some of those elements are traces of copper placed throughout the building. Copper is a protective medicine, which provides a safe, clean environment for healing to occur.

An outdoor timber dome structure will be part of the center’s teaching lodge. Its spherical roof is intentionally designed like a patchwork shell, which allows people to look inside as there are no secrets and everyone is welcome.

“Part of our obligation to our people is that we wouldn’t develop a regular, run-of-the-mill health centre,” Sayers said.

With a projected completion date for the summer of 2010, Sayers believes they are setting a new standard through collaborative work with other agencies to meet the health needs of the Batchewana First Nation.

“Our people and leadership are looking forward to more relationships of that nature to help all of us improve the quality of health care.”