Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the world: Community pushes for better health services in Torres Strait, Indigenous communities in Guyana succeed in saving rare bird, and First Nation woman named International Joint Commission member.
AUSTRALIA: Surveying healthcare needs
A Torres Strait leader encourages community input on North Queensland health services, the National Indigenous Times reported on Aug. 9.
Submissions for the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network’s Joint Regional Needs Assessment survey is open until Aug. 16. The network, one of 31 independent and regionalized health networks, collaborates with local hospitals and health services under the oversight of the federal Department of Health and Aged Care. Their region includes nearly 20 Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organizations.
Renee Williams, chief executive of the Torres Health Indigenous Corporation, highlighted the unique health needs of the Torres Strait due to the vast distances by land and sea. Based on Thursday Island, Williams also chairs the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service board and is a member of the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organizations Primary Care Working Group. She emphasized the simplicity and importance of participating in the survey, noting that it helps identify necessary programs and services, especially in preventative health for younger First Nations people.
“The JRNA survey will capture what’s happening in the Torres and provide us with clear data and more information on the specific services needed for our communities,” Williams said, according to National Indigenous Times.
The survey is part of state and Commonwealth government efforts to maintain effective service delivery. Rex O’Rouke, chief executive of Torres and Cape Health and Human Services, stressed the importance of collaboration to address both current and emerging needs.
“Our populations are expanding and include a high percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with significant needs, along with an increasingly aging and socio-economically disadvantaged population,” O’Rourke said.
Northern Queensland Primary Health Network Chief Executive Sean Rooney added that understanding people’s experiences is key. “We want to learn more about the health needs impacting people in North Queensland and identify gaps in services to ultimately improve healthcare resourcing and service delivery,” Rooney said.
GUYANA: A fight for a rare bird
In 2000, during an expedition to southern Guyana, researchers from the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Kansas were astonished to spot a red siskin flying overhead. This small bird with a vivid red chest had only been seen in Venezuela, Colombia, and Trinidad and Tobago, where sightings were already exceedingly rare, Mongabay reported on Aug. 5.
During the Guyana expedition, the Wapichan, Macushi, and Wai Wai Indigenous communities of South Rupununi played a pivotal role in assisting scientists with their findings. This partnership sparked a decades-long, community-driven conservation movement that not only safeguarded the endangered red siskin but also reconnected locals with their natural environment.
The red siskin, once widespread across tropical South America, has experienced a severe population decline over the past century. Classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, the species is protected from international trade under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Appendix I. However, despite these protections, the bird is still hunted illegally for its striking red-and-black plumage, used in fashion and by bird breeders to create red hybrids with canaries. The species is also highly valued by pet owners for its song and beauty, with demand extending from the West Indies to the United States.
The discovery of a new red siskin population in Guyana was a landmark event for scientists and conservationists. “There was no information about the bird in the region,” recalls Leroy Ignacio, an Indigenous Macushi who assisted in the early stages of the Red Siskin Initiative, started by Smithsonian scientists Mike Brown and Kathryn Rodriguez-Clark. Ignacio explains that they began gathering data on the bird’s population, nests and behaviors.
This collaborative effort eventually led to the creation of the South Rupununi Conservation Society, which Ignacio now serves as president. “We are not biologists. … We are local villagers, farmers and teachers who wanted to use our abilities to become the guardians of this species,” he said.
The South Rupununi Conservation Society established one of Guyana’s first conservation zones, spanning 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres) of Indigenous land. In June, Ignacio received a prestigious Whitley Fund for Nature award to expand this area and improve its monitoring, management and sustainability. “We’re still trying to determine precisely the number of active birds in the region, as they can move long distances,” Ignacio said, according to Mongabay. “But we have been maintaining a stable population, and that’s already a success.”
Despite these efforts, the pet trade remains a significant threat to the red siskin. Following news of the population in South Rupununi, illegal traders quickly moved into the region. “Almost immediately, birds started going missing,” Ignacio said, with a particular interest from neighboring Venezuela, where the species is nearly extinct. To counter this, the South Rupununi Conservation Society formed a brigade to patrol the forest, monitor smugglers, and deter illegal activity. “We go out in groups and search hotspots for days at a time,” Ignacio said.
The conservation society is also tackling the threat of wildfires, which have become a leading cause of deforestation in Guyana. Uncontrolled fires can devastate the red siskin’s nesting sites and feeding trees. “The birds favor these little forest islands in the middle of the savanna, which are quite vulnerable to fires,” explains Kayla de Freitas, the conservation society’s program coordinator. The organization is working to reintroduce traditional fire management practices that safely renew farming soil and promote biodiversity.
“Most of all, we want to instill in these kids an appreciation for green spaces and wildlife,” said Melville, emphasizing the importance of conservation education. The success of this curriculum in South Rupununi has sparked interest in other parts of Guyana, indicating that a passion for conservation is spreading across the country. “It’s common for kids to know that elephants, sharks or rhinos are being threatened. … But what about the wildlife right here in our backyard?” she said.
CANADA: First Nation woman named to commission
The International Joint Commission has named Susan Chiblow as one of its commissioners, APTN News reported on Aug. 8.
Chiblow, hailing from Garden River First Nation, is currently serving as an assistant professor at the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph in southern Ontario. She now joins five other commissioners responsible for addressing issues related to waterways, levels, flows and investigations along the Canada-U.S. border.
Chiblow is the first Indigenous person to hold a commissioner position. “I’ve also completed my Ph.D. with a focus on N’bi Kendaaswin, which means ‘our water knowledge,’ our Anishinabek water knowledge,” she said. “I’ve always had a relationship, I suppose I can say, with water and always as an Anishinaabe woman, learning about my responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is to protect the water.”
Chiblow grew up in Garden River, a community situated east of Sault Ste. Marie, along the banks of the St. Mary’s River, which connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
My final thoughts
My final thoughts are in Northern Queensland where the importance of the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network’s Joint Regional Needs Assessment survey extends far beyond local communities – it reflects a broader commitment to addressing the unique health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Indigenous communities across the globe share common challenges, such as limited access to healthcare, higher rates of chronic disease, and the need for culturally appropriate services.
In regions like the Torres Strait, these challenges are compounded by geographic isolation, making tailored health interventions even more critical. By participating in this survey, health experts and political leaders can gather essential data to inform targeted healthcare solutions, ensuring that the specific needs of these communities are met.
Moreover, this initiative sets a precedent for similar efforts worldwide. Indigenous peoples in various countries face distinct health disparities that require localized strategies. By prioritizing the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through comprehensive assessments like the Joint Regional Needs Assessment survey, we can inspire a global movement toward equity in healthcare. This call to action encourages experts and leaders everywhere to advocate for the health rights of Indigenous populations, recognizing their unique needs and striving to provide the necessary resources and support.
Ultimately, the success of this survey can serve as a model for addressing the health inequities faced by Indigenous peoples globally, fostering a world where all communities, regardless of their background or location, have access to the quality healthcare they deserve.
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