The term “Community Health” encompasses our approaches as First Nations people to individual, environmental, and condition specific wellness. Levels of physical activity, access to nutritional foods, connection to traditional medicines, the condition of our lived environments, and our abilities to prevent and manage common health conditions found in First Nations communities all form the larger picture of community health.
Our ancestors did not have to think or plan for health. For our ancestors there was no difference between work, and working out. Stewardship of the lived environment was critical to survival, both as a food source and a pharmacy. Now, with changes to our lifestyle, and a large number of people working in offices or sitting in all-day meetings, coupled with the effects of the encroachment of development, it is time to rediscover what our elders have always told us about balance, food, & physical activity.
Increased energy, improved moods, and more restful sleep are all immediate benefits that can be achieved through moderate exercise and healthy food choices. We often forget to pencil physical activity into our busy schedules, and find it difficult to make time to prepare healthier meals. The First Nations Health Council has assembled a roster of health professionals available to assist your community in setting and meeting health priorities. This section of our website provides communities and individuals with information, tools, and resources linked to FNHC’s community health initiatives.