It was a beautiful yet chilly day when we flew into Waskaganish to attend the grand opening of
the Community Miyupimâtisîun Centre (CMC) January 21.
You could still see the remnants of the huge snowstorm that hit the community weeks earlier.
One resident said nobody went out New Year’s Eve because you couldn’t get out of the house
and if you did it was next to impossible to get around town.
Despite the enormous snow mounds everywhere, it didn’t affect the visitors’ tour of the
community and the CMC’s official opening.
Cree Health Board Chair Jeannie Pelletier and Waskaganish Chief Darlene Cheechoo were on
hand to welcome the guests, who included Cree Grand Chief Paul John Murdoch, Minister of
Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty, and Quebec Deputy Minister for Health and Social
Services Daniel Paré.
And what a tour it was seeing the vision of the Waskaganish community and the CHB come to
fruition with the CMC. It was certainly different from the clinics we see in other communities.
It was the way the space reflected the Cree way of life. Each examining room had a name, be it
Faith, Secure, Thankfulness or Kids. They were all comfortable and welcoming spaces as was
the entire centre.
Pelletier was proud of the laboratory which will help diagnose health problems without having
patients having to travel south. She said it was a historic day having a place that combined Cree
traditions and culture with what the people of Waskaganish envisioned.
“They are designed according to the Nisk Model, a family-centred approach, in addition to
allowing a better understanding of traditional care,” said Deputy Minister Paré.
Chief Cheechoo was amazed at the new facility, saying it would provide services many had to
leave the community to access.
“This is a milestone,” Cheechoo said. “We are able to bring them back home and to their
families.”
Pelletier agreed, saying the CMC would “benefit the health and well-being of our patients for the
years to come.”
One person said his mother had pointed out how hard it was to travel such long distances for
dialysis. Dealing with exhaustion, separation from family, and the disruption of daily life took its
toll. “Not just from the body but the spirit,” he added.
Pelletier said the CMC showed a shared commitment to bring health services closer to the people
and married Cree traditional knowledge with the highest standard of care.
Grand Chief Murdoch said he was proud to be a part of the centre’s opening celebration. He felt
it was important that the healthcare services the Cree need should reflect their heritage and what they need now and in the future. He said the centre reflected this as the community had a say in
its design and use.
Murdoch agreed with Paré that the Cree Nation were trailblazers. He said the next generation
should understand the importance of this advance in health services, one that gives them a
foundation to build on.
An interesting aspect of the tour was the birthing centre, which revives Cree midwifery
traditions. Mothers and grandmothers were consulted on its design and the health benefits for
new-borns, mothers and the entire family. It was felt doing it this way would make for a healthier
community.
Gull-Masty said that during her time in the Cree Nation Government the topic of midwifery was
often discussed. “We will be reaping the benefits of this in ways that we are not even aware of,”
she insisted.
“It’s not just because you are able to have your baby in the territory. There is a sacred moment
when our new members are taking their first breath of life, when they’re introduced into the
world. This is so significant you can’t capture that in words.”
The Nation asked if she would have wanted something like this when she had children. Gull-
Masty shared something she has never talked about before.
“When my first son was born, I was high risk,” she shared. “I had to go to Val-d’Or. I was there
for 30 days. I was a very young mother, and I was alone. It was very challenging so to see this is
offered to you with the comfort of your family and community and the midwife telling you that
after three hours you can go home.”