Overview Of Healthcare Of The Nisga’A Nation
In a region near the Nass river lies a nation known as the Nisga’a Nation. The history of this Nation began during a time where there was no light present on earth. It was their Chief of Heavens known as K’am Ligi Hahlhaal who sent down and created four tribes, or pdeek, which composes the Nisga’a Nation we know today. This period of darkness resulted is disorder and conflict for the Nisga’a pdeek. To help reduce the disorder experienced by the Nisga’a pdeek during this time of darkness, K’am Ligii Hahlhaahl sent done his grandson Txeemism to bring light to this Nation.
The Nisga’a Nation has their own health authority known as Nisga’a Valley Health Authority (NVHA). The NVHA was established in 1984 and is accountable to deliver improved health care to the Nation in an “effective and sustainable manner”. The NVHA aims to embrace the concepts of the Nisga’a Nation by focusing on using a holistic approach to overall health and well-being. A plan has been created by the Nisga’a Valley Health Authority titled “A Shared Path to Improved health” which focuses on improving the health outcomes of the Nisga’a people. Non-traditional healing and clinical health care resources that are accessible to this population include physician services, nursing services, dental services, psychology services, and suicide prevention. While these resources and primary health care services are available, the Nisga’a Nation faces some challenges related to their health. As reported in the Nisga’a Nation Health Plan 2015-2020, the reported life expectancy for the Nisga’a people is 73. 8 years, compared to the provincial average of 81. 4 years. Additionally, the potential years of life lost (PYLL) due to death from natural causes or suicide/homicide is significantly higher among this Nations. More recently, in 2015 the Nisga’a Nation experienced 30 live births who all survived except one infant who died between 0-6 days after being born.
One concern that was expressed by the Nisga’a people during a community open house was the prevalence of cancer within their population and if there was a relationship with their drinking water. Although there is no evidence supporting this relationship, between the years of 2011 and 2015, 59 deaths occurred among the Nisga’a Nation, 16 of which were related to cancer. The Nisga’a people have access to 26, 838 square kilometers of territory where they can engage in harvesting activities, salmon fishing, and hunting. Many of the Nisga’a people continue to hunt, forage, and harvest as a means for food, allowing for this Nation to continue the traditional practices passed down from their ancestors. One of the most significant and unique healing approaches relevant to the Nisga’a Nation is the work of Halayt, or shamans. Halayt were men and women from the chiefly class who were regarded as spiritual beings who possessed the ability to see inside the human body and attempt to heal those who fell sick.
The Nisga’a Nation strongly believes in balance and therefore when people from their tribes fell sick, the Nisga’a considered the sickness a result of the individuals having their soul missing or misplaced, creating an internal imbalance. These healers considered the individual to be healthy and wholesome once again when the soul was returned, and balance was restored. In cases where the soul was believed that it could not be returned to the individual’s body, the individual was considered to have “gone to the other side” or “was declared daawihl andoosda’a. During this traditional healing process of summoning the soul back to its appropriate body, the Halayt would don special clothing and use traditional equipment including a “bearskin robe, a headdress made of bear class, and ambilaan (apron), it’iskw (charms), and hamootkw (soul catchers)”.
