I was sitting in the waiting room at the Stoney Health Center recently. A respected Elder who had difficulty walking had to walk outside, around the entrance and back to the pharmacy entrance. The door which led directly to the pharmacy was locked.
I was sitting in the waiting room at the Stoney Health Center recently. A respected Elder who had difficulty walking had to walk outside, around the entrance and back to the pharmacy entrance.
The door which led directly to the pharmacy was locked. Restricted to employees. I wondered why? It’s a door.
As I sat there, I noticed that except for a few employees, most were non-Stoney.
Upon further inquiry I learned that most employees including Community Health Representatives and janitors are non-Stoney.
Most interesting is that janitorial service is contracted out. I wondered why that is and inquired. However, Stoney Tribal Administration did not respond to my inquiry.
I assume it’s to do with regulations. If it is, it could also be an opportunity to build capacity in our community. That is to invest in Stoney people so that they can get the training they need to get that contract.
This practice is not specific to Stoney Health Services. Maintenance at Stoney Education Authority is also contracted out. This is another opportunity for Stoney Tribal Administration administrators to invest in our people. What training do people need? How can we get those contracts?
Acting CEO Ken Christensen and his team should be asking: How can we support the Stoney people so that they can take over these contracts? More importantly, Stoney leadership should be demanding this.
Stoney Tribal Administration is denying employment opportunities to Stoney people when it has to seek external contractors to fill janitorial and maintenance positions.
At a community meeting hosted by Stoney Child and Family Services in August, the department introduced a new model of service delivery. The council member in attendance asked an important question. How many Stoney social workers are working at Stoney Child and Family Services?
His question went unanswered but it was an important one. In 1993, Stoney Social Services partnered with Mount Royal College (now university) to deliver a social work diploma program here in Morley. The intent was to invest in Stoney people so that they can take over service delivery.
Twenty-four years later, Stoney Social Services is no longer a department. Stoney Child and Family Services and Eagle’s Nest Family Shelter are run by non-Stoney directors and Income Support is contracted out entirely.
It is understandable that Stoney Health Services and Stoney Education Authority will hire non-Stoney professionals. There are no Stoney nurses or physicians and there a few Stoney teachers. I am grateful to those professionals who offer their services in our community. However, there are social workers and potential business owners.
No initiative has been taken to support Stoney people to take over contracts. However, Stoney Tribal Administration has invested in non-Stoney employees in acquiring higher education. At least two administrators at Stoney Child and Family Services have earned graduate degrees paid for by the department.
Those administrators did not stay to offer their expertise to our people. However, the children they were hired to serve are still here.
That door I spoke of earlier? I realize now that it represents so many doors that have been closed to our people.
It was another closed door.
