Noojimawin Health Authority (NHA) was established in 1997 through the Aboriginal
Healing and Wellness Strategy. NHA is one of the six Aboriginal health authorities
in Ontario and the only one to serve the urban and rural Aboriginal communities.
The 2001 statistics revealed that Ontario's Aboriginal population is 188,315 and
147,820 live in urban and rural areas.
A strategic planning session with the Board of Directors and staff in
2002 and a review of NHA's annual submissions has provided a clear and structured direction.
The board of directors are:
- Sylvia Maracle : Executive Director, Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres
- Germaine Elliott : Ontario Metis Aboriginal Association
- Joe Hester : Executive Director, Anishnawbe Health Toronto
- Don Fiddler : Metis Nation of Ontario
- Chantal Kaltwasser : Ontario Native Women's Association
- Paul Carl : Alternative OFIFC
Board Organizations:
Anishnawbe Health Toronto
Metis Nation of Ontario
Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres
Ontario Metis and Aboriginal Association
Ontario Native Women's Association
Staff
NHA has a number of aims and objectives in order to improve health conditions for
urban and rural Aboriginal People to promote the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of persons of Aboriginal descent.
To address and promote
Aboriginal health care needs from a perspective which honours the holistic
approach to well-being and which incorporated the continuum of health.
To facilitate and support
Aboriginal organizations to continue the delivery of local health services
and to impliment an ongoing process of health planning and resource development.
To enhance and encourage
the provisions of culture-based services and programs designed, developed
and delivered with traditional elders, midwives and traditional practioners.
To act as a central research
body to promote the provision of culture based services, consideration of
policy to resource indentification related to need amongst off-reserve Aboriginal
people.
