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HealthWellnessNutrition11TuesdayMay72013HealthresearchershelpsetupwildfoodprogramsFortProvidenceFortResolutiongethelpwithsnacksandworkshopsByMEAGANWOHLBERGIndigenoushealthresearch-ersfromtheUniversityofOttawaarehelpingschoolsinFortProvidenceandFortResolutiontosetupsnackprogramscookingclassesandnutritionworkshopsforyouthandfamiliescenteredaroundwildfoods.Theprogramswhichbeganlastfallandarereceiv-ingextrasupportstafffromOttawastartingthismonthaimtobringlocalharvesterseldersandyouthtogethertodiscusstheimportanceofwildfoodbothculturallyandintermsofhealthpreparethefoodandofcourseeatit.EldershavebeentellingusfordecadesthatpeoplethatliveclosertothelandarehealthierandweveputalotoftimeandeffortbothonthesocialscienceandthesciencesidetotryandprovethatsaidCourtneyMasonaresearcherfromtheIndigenousHealthRe-searchGroupinOttawawhoisworkingwithbothschoolsontheprojects.Basicallyweseethatpeoplewholiveclosertothelandhaveaccesstomoreaf-fordableandhealthierfoodandtheyhaveaccesstocul-turallyappropriatephysicalactivity-asweallknowbeingonthelandtakesacertainamountofphysicalabilities-andthenofcourseNWTintroducesthreenewimmunizationsByRENEFRANCOEURTheNorthwestTerritoriesdepartmentofHealthandSo-cialServicesisintroducingthreenewimmunizationpro-gramsthisfalltofurtherpro-tectchildrenfromsomeofthemostcommonillnessessuchaschickenpoxandbabyrotavirus.TheseprogramsincludethecombinedvaccineformeaslesmumpsrubellaandvaricellaknownastheMMRVshotapprovedforusebyHealthCanadain2007.PreviouslyonlyaboostershotformeaslesmumpsandrubellaMMRwasofferedintheNWT.Thiswasgivenintheformoftwodosestoinfantsoneat12monthsoldandthesecondat18monthsold.Thevaricellashotcom-monlyknownastheinocu-lationagainstchickenpoxwasgivenseparatelyat12monthsaswell.Nowaseconddoseofvari-cellaisalsobeingofferedintheNWTtoschool-agechil-drenjustbeforetheyenterkindergarten.Thedataisshowingthatforlong-termprotectionweneedaseconddoseofthevaricellavaccinewhichwasnotknownwhenthevaccinerstcameoutDr.AndreCorriveauchiefpublichealthofcersaidatarecentpressconference.Alsonewtotheimmuniza-tionslististherotavirusvac-cineintheformoftwomouthdropletsfornewborns.ThisisasafevaccinethathasbeenavailableforyearsCorriveausaid.Therotavirusaffectsalmosteverynewbornduringtherstyearoflifeandislargelythecauseofdiarrheaandvomiting.Somebabieshavetobere-hydratedsotheyarebroughttoanemergencyroomorphysicianforassessment.Itsnotadiseasethattypicallycausesdeathorseriouslong-termconsequencesbutitisasignicantburdenforthepar-entsandthehealthsystem.AccordingtoaCanadianPediatricSocietyreportbyDr.MarinaSalvadorioftheChildrensHospitalofWest-ernOntarioinLondonitisestimatedthatoneinsevenchildrenundertheageofvewillseekhealthcareonein20willvisitanemergencydepart-mentorbehospitalizedandonein62willbehospitalizedduetorotavirus.AllthevaccineprogramsarevoluntaryCorriveauexplainedandhavecomeintoplaythisyearthankstofundingsecuredinthe2013budgetthroughtheearlychildhoodstrategy.Thelogisticsforhowtheinoculationprogramswillop-erateinthefallarestillbeingworkedoutCorriveausaid.HealthWellnessVaccinestheculturalcontinuitiesthatareassociatedwhencom-munitiesareclosertothelandhesaid.Bothschoolsaimtopro-videstudentsofallageswithwildfoodsfourtovedaysaweekaspartofthesnackorlunchprograms.WhileinFortResolutionthestu-dentsaredirectlyinvolvedwithgettingtheresources-primarilythroughnetsh-ing-DehGahschoolinFortProvidencehopestobuildandstrengthentiestocom-munitymembersoutonthelandwhocanprovidewildfoodstothestudents.Theideaisnotonlytohavekidshaveaccesstohealthyfoods-thatsjustpartofit-buttheideaisalsotoconnectpeoplethatareonthelandwiththeschoolMasonsaidaddingthatharvestersgetpaidforthefoodstheybringin.Eldersandcommunitymembersarealsoinvolvedintheproject.Webuiltinallthesein-tergenerationalknowledgeexchangecomponentswherebasicallyelderscomeintotalkabouttheimportanceofthewildfoodsforthekidsandaboutthecultural-linguisticaspectsofbeingonthelandandeatingthesefoodsMasonsaid.Forsomeofthekidsitsnotanydiffer-entthanwhattheyvegrownupwithbutforalotofkidsinthesecommunitiestheydonthavethatintheirlives.Theyrehopingformoosewaterfowlandbisontobeincorporatedinthespringalongwithindigenousplantsandmedicines.NewworkshopsstartingupinFortProvDehGahschoolwillalsobegettingsomeextrahelpfromtworecentgraduatesoftheUniversityofOttawaoverthenexttwomonths.WhileMeaganOHareanAboriginalstudentfromnorthernOntariowillfocusgenerallyonrunningthesnackprogram-takinganinventoryoftheresourcesbroughtindistributingthefoodandevaluatingtheproj-ect-RebeccaBrodmannwillbehelpingyoungandex-pectingmotherswithwildfoodsnutritionandcookingworkshops.Shesgoingtoprovideaworkshoponceaweekatthehealthcentretherethatsgoingtofocusonthediffer-entaspectsofhealthparticu-larlyformomsandfamiliesandthenalsoonceaweekshellberunningacookingworkshopwhereshellgetanyoftheyoungmomswhoareinterestedinparticipat-ing-therellalsobeanelderthere-andbasicallytheylldeveloparecipethatinvolveswildfoodsandcookwithwildfoodstogethereattogetherthatkindofthingMasonsaidofBrodmann.Theideawasnotjustaroundlearningaboutcook-ingandhealthbuttheideainmymindwastoprovideaspaceactuallyforyoungmomstobetogetherandsharewhatitistobeamomandallthosethingsheadded.BothstudentsarefundedthroughtheCentreforCom-munityEngagementsStu-dentsforCanadasNorthinitiative.TheIndigenousHealthResearchGroupisacol-lectionofmultidisciplinaryscholarsfromtheUniversityofOttawawhoworkwithAboriginalcommunitiesoncommunity-basedprogramsofferingbothfundingandexpertiseasrequired.Theorganizationhashealth-focusedprojectsrun-ninginYukontheNWTBCandnorthernOntario.DehGahSchoolinFortProvidenceishopingtosecureabisonhuntingtagthisyeartoprovidemeatforitsdailywildfoodsnackprogramandupcomingworkshopsonnutritionforyoungmothersandtheirfamilies.PhotocourtesyofIndigenousHealthResearchGroup