"Six Nations- Hospital Representation"

Anita Hill, a former band councillor and member of the Six Nations health committee, said hospitals are often insensitive to the needs of aboriginal patients.

"A lot of times (aboriginal patients) want a traditional healer, and they're just not available. The hospitals wouldn't even know what (the patients) were talking about."

Ms. Hill said Tuesday that she doesn't think any of the local hospitals have aboriginal board members.

Hospitals often change procedures or make other decisions which affect aboriginal communities without consulting the people or informing them of the changes, she said.

"We want them to recognize that we are different, and then we're going to say we must be consulted" on all issues affecting aboriginal health, said Wendy Johnson-Martin, a community health representative at Six Nations.

Here are some of the other suggestions which the committee will make when it meets with ministry officials in November:

• Regional aboriginal advisory councils should be established to advise hospital boards on issues related to aboriginal health.
• Hospitals must recognize aboriginal communities as seperate and distinct from other communities.
• Aboriginal governments should select the board members who will represent their communities.
• District health councils should be located and administered on reserves by the local governing body and funding for such boards should be allocated according to band membership.

The seven-member Six Nations health committee also wants a hospital to be built on the reserve, to replace the Lady Wellingdon which was shut many years ago.