Strong Voices: Stories of Struggle & Strength Living with HIV

Our graphic novel ‘Strong Voices: Stories of Struggle & Strength Living with HIV’ is now available!

Working with very tight timelines to put this project together, our first step was to find 4 Aboriginal people living with HIV who were willing to share their story. We also needed to recruit 4 Aboriginal artists to develop these stories into picture form. Most importantly, we had to find one writer who was able to bring these stories together into a single book.

The first thing we did was put up posters calling for Storytellers. This was not an easy task - as in many communities, HIV is stigmatized and people are not always comfortable talking about their experience.

Bill, who works with Peer Support and as a speaker for AIDS Calgary, had volunteered before the project had even started. As a long-term survivor with 28 years living positive, Bill shares his story of how he became an advocate for awareness in Aboriginal communities. Bill is from a Métis settlement in northern Alberta. Keegan Starlight, a local artist from Tsuu T’ina, provided the artwork.

Michelle was one of the first people to call about participating in the project. From southern Saskatchewan, Michelle was raised in the city where she attributes her introduction to hard drugs at an earlier age. In and out of prison for most of her life, Michelle was able to reconnect to Aboriginal teachings through prison programs. She attributes her healthy lifestyle to Native spirituality and her family. Grant Smith from Edmonton provided the artwork for Michelle.

Aaron, a young man from Saskatchewan was adopted as a baby into a non-native family. Growing up he travelled across Canada and the states by hitch-hiking and train-jumping. While living in Vancouver he found out he was HIV+. With support of his family he is able to have a positive attitude and hopeful outlook. Tank Standing Buffalo provided art work for his story.

For the final interview we contacted Krista, an HIV+ mother who has given birth to HIV- children after her diagnosis. Krista is an advocate for HIV+ mothers, having faced discrimination and stigmatization in the medical system herself. Krista shares how she got to where she’s at and how her family has been her support and source of strength. Lydia Prince from Prince George illustrates her story.

With the guidance of the Strong Voices Advisory Committee and a local Blackfoot Elder/Cultural resource, we were able to include the medicine wheel teachings and provide examples of these teachings throughout the book.

The goal of this book is to bring awareness of HIV to the Aboriginal communities, where HIV is currently considered an epidemic. Due to social determinants and stigma, Aboriginal people are often diagnosed with HIV at a younger age and at later stages (with an AIDS diagnosis for example). Since 25% of Canadians who have HIV do not know it, our goal is to promote testing and harm reduction approaches while building awareness and support for those affected by HIV.

For a copy of the book (hard copy or digital) contact us at info@aidscalgary.org

Valentine’s Day is the Day of Love

Valentine’s Day is the day of love. 2013 Valentine’s Day is also Calgary’s Fifth Annual Valentine's Day Women's Memorial March for Murdered and Missing Women (Press-Release: Calgary Memorial March, 2013)

 

The Memorial March is in recognition of the disproportionate numbers of Aboriginal women who have never been found or have been murdered.

 

Alberta has the second highest cases of murdered and missing Aboriginal woman in Canada. Most of those are murder cases. (Native Women’s Association of Canada, 2012)

HIV

Aboriginal woman not only have high numbers of murder and kidnap, but they are disproportionately high at being diagnosed with HIV.

 

Statistically, Aboriginal woman are being diagnosed in the advanced stages of HIV which may lead to the AIDS label. They are being diagnosed at younger ages than their non-native counterparts. Majority of HIV diagnoses are from IDU use (Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, 2011) or through heterosexual intercourse. (Emily Bridges, 2007)

Why such high numbers?

These statistics are an indicator of how Canadian society treats Aboriginal woman. Aboriginal woman are more likely to experience: “poverty & low socioeconomic status; gender-based violence; historical trauma; biological susceptibility; gender imbalance & inequities; colonial depiction of Aboriginal Women; racism; stigma; discrimination and sexism; unresolved trauma related to sexual abuse; social exclusion; unequal opportunities for education; and unequal opportunities for access to healthcare.” (Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, 2011)

 How does this tie together?

Aboriginal woman may have difficulty accessing or trusting health care providers which delays testing and treatment. Condom negotiation becomes difficult for those who are in abusive relationships. They may have a lack of education and/or access to education about HIV and diseases. Attending distant social/ceremonial gathers increase unprotected sexual contact. (Emily Bridges, 2007)

 As woman…how do we help ourselves?

Conversations of healthy sexual decision, by parents, is proven to delay first sexual experience and increase the use of contraceptives when engaging in sex.

Self-efficacy (the measure of one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals) helps develop healthy boundaries.

Being academically focused.

Having a positive native identity and belonging has a very strong effect with good sexual health.

Valentine’s Day

Aboriginal woman in Canada face a very hard road, and to have our hardships recognized on such a beautiful day is very appropriate. It’s giving back to the woman who went on before us and showing ourselves and others that, yes, we are human and, yes, we deserve the right to be loved and respected. Recognizing murdered and kidnapped Aboriginal woman is essential to our healing. We also need to protect ourselves, not only physically, but sexually.

 The Memorial March takes place Thursday, February 14, at 6 p.m. at Scarboro United Church, 134 Scarboro Ave. S.W., Calgary, Alberta.

 

Bibliography

Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network. (2011). FACT Sheet: Aboriginal Woman and Girls. Vancouver: Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network.

History. (n.d.). Valentine's Day. Retrieved February 13, 2013, from The History Channel Website: http://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day

Native Women’s Association of Canada. (2012). Fact Sheet: Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Girls in Alberta. Ohsweken: Native Women's Association of Canada.

Press-Release: Calgary Memorial March. (2013, February 12). Retrieved February 13, 2013, from Marketwire: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/calgary-march-for-murdered-and-missing-women-set-for-february-14-1755905.htm

 

 

Aboriginal Artwork Contest

On December 1st, AIDS Calgary launched an exciting new Aboriginal Artwork Contest. Through the contest we hope to find an image to be used in our work building partnerships and strengthening the response to HIV/AIDS in urban, rural, and on-reserve Aboriginal communities.

Rather than hiring a design company that doesn't have a lot of contact with the community, we thought we would go straight to the community ourselves. The winning artwork will be used for marketing and promotional materials distributed in Aboriginal communities across Alberta.

The contest is a great opportunity to build your resume and express your creativity, while supporting and positively impacting Aboriginal people across the province.

The theme of the project is “Strong voices working together in the face of HIV.” We hope to see submissions which represent the strength and diversity of Alberta’s Aboriginal people, as we work in partnership towards HIV prevention, education and the compassionate support of Aboriginal persons living with HIV/AIDS.

At AIDS Calgary, we know that the more voices we have, the stronger the message. We also know that Aboriginal people are leaders who make a difference in building strong and healthy communities. Our goal is to gather the wisdom, kindness, hope, and humour of Aboriginal people as we travel the road towards healthy and supportive individuals and communities.

This contest is open to all Alberta residents who identify as Aboriginal. The winner of the contest will receive a $350 cash honorarium.

For complete contest information please see the full contest rules. Deadline for submissions is Monday, January 31st, 2011.

Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week

Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week occurs annually from December 1 - 5. The theme for World AIDS Day 2009 is Universal Access and Human Rights. This theme highlights and underscores the importance of understanding HIV and AIDS from a human rights perspective.

This years Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week echoes this important theme and how it pertains to Canadian Aboriginal issues. “Universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support is a critical part of Aboriginal rights,” states Ken Clement, CEO of Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network. “Our event will create a platform for us to explore legal, federal and moral obligations to provide those basic health services to the Aboriginal people - First Nations, Métis and Inuit – who make up a unique segment of the concentrated HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada.” (1)

Unfortunately Aboriginal people are overrepresented in HIV infection rates. “Since 1998, the proportion of positive HIV test reports attributed to Aboriginal persons has remained steady, at just over 20%... However, in 2006 the proportion of positive HIV test reports attributed to Aboriginal persons was 27.3% among the provinces and territories reporting ethnicity information with their HIV reports” (2). We have updated our briefing document on Aboriginal People and HIV which provides a more detailed picture of HIV in Aboriginal communities and can be accessed here.

AIDS Calgary endeavours to serve diverse Aboriginal communities via outreach, partnerships, and capacity building. Specifically, we provide HIV/AIDS awareness sessions for Aboriginal agencies and communities, disseminate Aboriginal focused HIV publications, and provide compassionate culturally sensitive support services to Aboriginal people living with HIV. Approximately 18% of our clients living with HIV identify as Aboriginal. To learn more about our support services visit our website.

Other Resources:
Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network
Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week


1. National Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week 2009: Leaders Gather to Discuss Aboriginal Access. Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network. http://aboriginalaidsawarness.com/AAAWpressrelease.pdf Retrieved December 3, 2009.
2. HIV/AIDS Epi Updates (2007). Public Health Agency of Canada. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/publication/epi/pdf/epi2007_e.pdf Retrieved December 3, 2009.

HIV and Aboriginal Populations

The legacies of cultural denigration, racism, colonialism, and cultural genocide have had a devastating effect on Aboriginal people in Canada and throughout North America. A 2005 study reported in the Canadian Aboriginal People living with HIV/AIDS: Care, Treatment and Support Issues indicates that 16% of the 195 Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS reached in the study attended a Residential School. 60% of the group said that they had a parent attend a Residential School; while 85% noted that they had a parent, guardian or grandparent who had attended. (Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, 2008 p.13)

The effects the Residential Schools have had a long lasting effect on Aboriginal people for generations to come. Often the effects of poverty, discrimination, and the weight of historical events such as the residential school system lead to negative and destructive coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse.

“I came out of a Residential school pretty screwed up, and it has caused way more problems that just don’t “go away”. It caused mis-guidance and poor judgment that led to me getting HIV and Hep C. I can live with the disease, but the “mental” damage from Residential school is a very serious disease.” (CAAN, 2008, p.53)

“Since 1998, the proportion of positive HIV test reports attributed to Aboriginal persons has remained steady, at just over 20%... However, in 2006 the proportion of positive HIV test reports attributed to Aboriginal persons was 27.3% among the provinces and territories reporting ethnicity information with their HIV reports” (PHAC, 2007, p. 49).

In addition to the higher rates of HIV, the epidemic has unique characteristics within Aboriginal communities. Injection drug use accounts for 58.8% of the HIV cases among Aboriginal persons. By comparison, in the non-Aboriginal community; injection drug use accounts for only 24.8% of the HIV cases.

Within the general non-Aboriginal population, the most frequent modes of transmission of HIV are MSM (38.9%), heterosexual contact (31.5%), and IDUs (24.8%). In the Aboriginal population the highest incidence of HIV is IDU (58.8%) followed by heterosexual contact (29.4%) and a much lower rate of MSM (6.8%).” (PHAC, 2007 p.50)

A National Response
Each year the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network releases a new Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week campaign to address the disproportionately high rates of HIV among Aboriginal communities, and to address the underlying causes and inequalities faced by Aboriginal people.

The 2008 campaign includes a poster and booklet with a character named SID who is said to help HIV spread. SID stands for; “Stigma: the negative & often untrue things people believe about HIV, AIDS & Aboriginal People Living with HIV/AIDS, Ignorance: in that most people don’t know as much as they think they do, Discrimination: things people do to treat Aboriginal People Living with HIV/AIDS unfairly” (CAAN, 2008).
An excerpt from the campaign website states

To see this year’s campaign, download free materials etc please see: http://www.caan.ca/aaaw/index.htm

A Local Response
AIDS Calgary is committed to working collaboratively with Aboriginal communities, individuals and agencies to address the prevention and support needs of Aboriginal people living with, at risk for or affected by HIV/AIDS. Approximately 18% of our clients living with HIV/AIDS are Aboriginal.

We endeavor to serve the diverse Aboriginal community via focused outreach, supporting Aboriginal clients living with HIV/AIDS, community partnerships, and building staff competency in working cross culturally. Some activities have included attending health fairs, youth events, school presentations and case conferences in reserves in our service area. We also provide outreach to urban Aboriginal agencies within Calgary as required. In these activities we incorporate Aboriginal specific HIV/AIDS educational materials, designed by Aboriginal groups.

Our work also includes a partnership with Bloodlines, a Canadian Aboriginal magazine focused on HIV/AIDS, in which we provide local connections and distribute the magazine to Calgary and area communities, agencies and individuals. As an example we ensured that all participants of the 2005 Alberta Harm Reduction Conference received copies of the latest Bloodlines issue. To learn more about Bloodlines please see: http://www.red-road.org/bloodlines/index.html

References
CAAN, (2008). Canadian Aboriginal People living with HIV/AIDS: Care, Treatment and
Support Issues. Retrieved November 25, 2008 from
http://www.caan.ca/pdf/CAAN_CTS_English_Final.pdf

CAAN, (2005). (n.t.). Retrieved November 25, 2008 from
http://www.caan.ca/aaaw/index.htm

Public Health Agency of Canada (2007). HIV/AIDS Among Aboriginal Persons in
Canada: A Continuing Concern. Retrieved June 21, 2008, from http://www.phacaspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/publication/epi/pdf/epi2007_e.pdf