Reaffirming All Health Decisions Must be made by the Treaty Chiefs

Reaffirming All Health Decisions Must be made by the Treaty Chiefs

WHEREAS, our First Nations have the fundamental right and responsibility to make decisions regarding the health and wellbeing of our people;

WHEREAS, this right and responsibility cannot be taken from us by any other government, team, or corporate body;

WHEREAS, this Assembly of Chiefs has consistently reaffirmed that the Weeneebayko Area Health Integration Framework Agreement (WAHiFA) and the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) are not to undermine our First Nation's Aboriginal and Treaty rights to health, including our First Nations' right to make decisions about the health and wellbeing of our people;

WHEREAS, WAHA has, and continues to, make decisions that ignore the direction of the Treaty Chiefs, including our resolutions in 2001, 2008, 2014, and 2015 that affirmed that the location of a new regional hospital be at Moose Factory;

WHEREAS, in 2014, this Assembly of Chiefs resolved that WAHA "has no mandate or authority to override or ignore duly passed Chiefs resolutions with regards to the location of the new regional hospital

or any other health related resolutions and decisions;"

WHEREAS, Moose Cree First Nation is not a signatory to WAHIFA, however recognizes the importance of protecting our Aboriginal and Treaty rights to health and having our First Nation communities being the ones making decisions about our health needs and services;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Chiefs reaffirm that all decisions regarding the health and wellbeing of our people must be made by our First Nations, as part of exercising our rights and responsibilities;

IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED THAT this Assembly of Chiefs calls for an urgent meeting of the Council of Chiefs to discuss health governance and decision-making;

through a resolution passed where all Mushkegowuk First Nations are present;

IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED THAT nothing in this Resolution is intended to, or will be interpreted to, prevent or constrain any individual First Nation from pursuing its own discussions, proposals or agreements regarding the health and wellbeing needs of their community.

IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED THAT in order to ensure that this resolution and our First Nation rights and responsibilities are respected by WAHA and others:

the WAHA board is instructed to refrain from making any decisions or taking any actions which impact or affect the health and wellbeing of our First Nation communities, including related to the location of the hospital on Moose Factory, without first obtaining the consent of our First Nations; and

the Mushkegowuk Council and leadership refrain from making any decisions or taking any actions which impact or affect the health and wellbeing of our First Nation communities without first bringing the matter to this Assembly of Chiefs and obtaining the support of our First Nations

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