First Nations health and wellness in Manitoba

A recurring theme in the analysis is jurisdictional ambiguity and the lack of clarity on the respective roles and responsibilities of the federal and provincial government vis-à-vis health and social services to First Nations peoples. [...] Funding gaps are discussed in this section as well, and a process is proposed to resolve the long standing conflict between First Nations and the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) over the administration of the Non Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program. [...] Despite the entrenchment of Aboriginal and treaty rights in Canada’s Constitution (section 35), the federal government has not acknowledged the impact to health of such entrenchment on Aboriginal and treaty right.29 To a large degree, jurisdictional issues which impact on accessibility and comprehensiveness stem from the decades of a ‘tug of war’ over which level of government is responsible for s [...] Long-standing disputes and ambiguity over a wide range of services form part of the basis for the recommendation on the proposed negotiations via the creation of a Manitoba First Nations Health and Wellness Commission (section 8), the proposed joint (First Nation / FNIHB) initiative to develop a new regional NIHB policy and procedures manual (section 4), and the proposed project (section 2) to dev [...] Home Care is defined as the coordinated delivery of a broad range of health and social services to meet the needs of the persons who require assistance or support in order to remain at home or whose functioning without Home Care is likely to deteriorate making it impossible for the person to stay at home in the community.