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WINNIPEG - The federal health minister has formally ordered a probe into why the government sent body bags to a Manitoba reserve for flu preparedness, calling what happened "insensitive and offensive."
"As minister of health and as an aboriginal, I am offended," Leona Aglukkaq said in a statement released Thursday. "To all who took offence at what occurred, I want to say that I share your concern and I pledge to get to the bottom of it."
The body bags - sent recently to at least one remote northern reserve which was hard hit by swine flu last spring - were in a shipment of hand sanitizers and face masks.
Aglukkaq had initially said Wednesday that as soon as she heard about the issue she asked her officials to conduct an inquiry. She said Thursday that the results will be made public.
Critics and aboriginal leaders have said the body bags send the message that Ottawa expects aboriginals to die. They are demanding Aglukkaq formally apologize for the shipment and have suggested the bags appear to be part of the federal government's plan to deal with a second wave of H1N1.
Aglukkaq rejected that suggestion.
"I was born and raised in remote communities and I understand the challenges better than anyone - that's why I have met frequently with First Nations organizations," her statement said. "Anyone suggesting that our government's solution to H1N1 is body bags is sensationalizing this situation."
The bags suggest Ottawa has a grim prognosis for aboriginals, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said.
"It sends a message, it simply says: 'We expect aboriginal Canadians to die,"' he said, adding Aglukkaq cannot blame the mix-up on bureaucrats.
"We feel that the minister has been sending out her bureaucrats when what's required is a simple, frank and human apology to Canadians. This just isn't good enough."
Aglukkaq was in Winnipeg for a one-day meeting with provincial and territorial health ministers, and a discussion about swine flu was at the top of the agenda.
A disproportionate number of aboriginals in northern Manitoba communities ended up on ventilators in intensive care when the flu first hit last spring. Many patients were airlifted from some northern First Nations reserves where there are fewer than 10,000 residents.
The shipment of body bags further strains relations between First Nations and Ottawa.
This spring some chiefs demanded an apology after Health Canada delayed a shipment of hand sanitizer to some hard-hit reserves because the cleanser contained alcohol.
Several grand chiefs have also criticized the federal government for not doing enough to prepare First Nations for an expected resurgence of swine flu this fall, leaving communities to raise funds for basic supplies.
"When that's combined with the fact, as the chief says, that they haven't sent preventative measures that can save those lives, it sends a message of callous lack of compassion," Ignatieff said.
Manitoba Grand Chief Ron Evans said a formal apology is in order.
The shipment has frightened aboriginal communities, since many residents have interpreted the number of body bags as the number of people Ottawa expects will die during the second wave of H1N1 in the fall, he said. "I was hoping that it was a rumour but it turned out to be true," Evans said. "I was very disturbed and actually frightened that they're actually shipping that number of body bags to the communities. I thought they were preparing for what the experts were predicting. That's the message the communities are receiving."
"As minister of health and as an aboriginal, I am offended," Leona Aglukkaq said in a statement released Thursday. "To all who took offence at what occurred, I want to say that I share your concern and I pledge to get to the bottom of it."
The body bags - sent recently to at least one remote northern reserve which was hard hit by swine flu last spring - were in a shipment of hand sanitizers and face masks.
Aglukkaq had initially said Wednesday that as soon as she heard about the issue she asked her officials to conduct an inquiry. She said Thursday that the results will be made public.
Critics and aboriginal leaders have said the body bags send the message that Ottawa expects aboriginals to die. They are demanding Aglukkaq formally apologize for the shipment and have suggested the bags appear to be part of the federal government's plan to deal with a second wave of H1N1.
Aglukkaq rejected that suggestion.
"I was born and raised in remote communities and I understand the challenges better than anyone - that's why I have met frequently with First Nations organizations," her statement said. "Anyone suggesting that our government's solution to H1N1 is body bags is sensationalizing this situation."
The bags suggest Ottawa has a grim prognosis for aboriginals, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said.
"It sends a message, it simply says: 'We expect aboriginal Canadians to die,"' he said, adding Aglukkaq cannot blame the mix-up on bureaucrats.
"We feel that the minister has been sending out her bureaucrats when what's required is a simple, frank and human apology to Canadians. This just isn't good enough."
Aglukkaq was in Winnipeg for a one-day meeting with provincial and territorial health ministers, and a discussion about swine flu was at the top of the agenda.
A disproportionate number of aboriginals in northern Manitoba communities ended up on ventilators in intensive care when the flu first hit last spring. Many patients were airlifted from some northern First Nations reserves where there are fewer than 10,000 residents.
The shipment of body bags further strains relations between First Nations and Ottawa.
This spring some chiefs demanded an apology after Health Canada delayed a shipment of hand sanitizer to some hard-hit reserves because the cleanser contained alcohol.
Several grand chiefs have also criticized the federal government for not doing enough to prepare First Nations for an expected resurgence of swine flu this fall, leaving communities to raise funds for basic supplies.
"When that's combined with the fact, as the chief says, that they haven't sent preventative measures that can save those lives, it sends a message of callous lack of compassion," Ignatieff said.
Manitoba Grand Chief Ron Evans said a formal apology is in order.
The shipment has frightened aboriginal communities, since many residents have interpreted the number of body bags as the number of people Ottawa expects will die during the second wave of H1N1 in the fall, he said. "I was hoping that it was a rumour but it turned out to be true," Evans said. "I was very disturbed and actually frightened that they're actually shipping that number of body bags to the communities. I thought they were preparing for what the experts were predicting. That's the message the communities are receiving."
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