'Beggars in our own land': Canada's First Nation housing crisis

[Judi Lynn]

In January, an isolated reserve declared a state of emergency over dangerously poor housing conditions. A resident has now died – what will it take for meaningful change?

Greg Mercer in Saugeen First Nation

Fri 8 Mar 2019 06.58 EST

A caravan of trucks carrying material for new homes is currently winding through northern Ontario, on its way to a remote Indigenous community. The trip along a seasonal winter road is a slow one, passing over frozen lakes and muskeg, and involves cutting down trees along the way for the vehicles and their trailers. Members of the isolated reserve, Cat Lake First Nation, say there is no time to waste.

Home to roughly 700 people, the reserve declared a state of emergency in January over excessive mould, leaky roofs and other poor housing conditions. The crisis then deepened when one of its residents, 48-year-old Nashie Oombash, died from respiratory issues. Her family blamed the death on extensive mould problems in her home.

Oombash’s death sparked outrage, and added fuel to concerns that almost half of the homes on Canadian reserves have enough mould to cause serious respiratory problems and other illnesses.

“The government’s complacency is usually at the cost of our people’s lives. There’s just no will to fix the problem,” said Sol Mamakwa, the member of provincial parliament for Kiiwetinoong, a vast district in northern Ontario that includes Cat Lake.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/mar/08/beggars-in-our-own-land-canadas-first-nation-housing-crisis