Author Archives: Todd Eagle Child

Blood Tribe Wins Annual Indigenous Firefighters Competition

We want to send a big congratulatory shout-out to the Blood Tribe Emergency Services Firefighting team for placing 1st at the 31st Annual Indigenous Firefighter Competition on September 5, 2026. The Blood Tribe hosted this year’s provincial competition, with four First Nation firefighting teams taking part. The teams included Peerless Trout First Nation, Bigstone Cree Nation, Enoch Cree Nation, and our own Blood Tribe/Kainai Nation.

The field competition, or evolutions, was well matched, with each firefighting team showcasing their tactical skill with hands-on scenarios, training, and teamwork. These events test the extreme strength, agility, and technical skills of first responders in full turnout gear and SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus). 

The Blood Tribe Emergency Services Firefighting team came out on top, winning 1st place. The team consisted of: Team captain – Cobi Bevans, Wick Potts, Nicolas Chief Moon, Brianna Breaker-Fox, Brent Coleman, Jakob Soldier, Sherilyn Yazzie, and Daryl Vencino.

The following teams placed 2nd: Enoch Cree Nation – Enoch Fire Rescue Services; 3rd: Peerless Trout First Nation – Fire Service; and 4th: Bigstone Cree Nation – Bigstone Fire Department. 

This year’s event was a huge success, and we want to thank Cobi Bevans and Shaquille Day Chief, who worked hard to organize it. The last time the Blood Tribe hosted the Firefighting Competition was in 2007. 

We also want to thank our sponsors for the firefighting competition, which included: 

• ATCO
• Blackfoot Confederacy
• Perpetual Health and Safety
• Blood Tribe Department of Health
• Rocky Mountain Phoenix 
• AltisMSP Personal Support

We want to congratulate all the teams that took part in the competition and the Blood Tribe Emergency Services on winning 1st place. We also thank them for their hard work and dedication to keeping the Blood Tribe safe, and we wish them good luck and all the best at the National Competition in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, from October 23 to 27, 2026.

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Continuing Care Expansion sod Turning Ceremony

The Blood Tribe Department of Health held an official sod-turning ceremony to kick-start the construction phase for a vital 25-bed continuing care expansion in Standoff on Thursday morning.

The project responds directly to the community’s growing needs. It is designed to increase both capacity and the overall quality of assisted living and dementia-care services available on the Blood Reserve.

Along with the Blood Tribe Department of Health, Blood Tribe Chief and Council representatives, the Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services, and Alberta Health Services attended to witness this historic event: the first On-Reserve dementia care unit in Alberta.

“This day is the result of many years of hard work from many different Department of Health leaders, both past and present, former CEO Derrick Fox, and former Chief Charles Weasel Head; the list goes on,” said Kash Shade, CEO, Blood Tribe Department of Health. 

Renate Good Striker, Kainai long-term care nurse manager, shared the importance of the new 25-bed expansion in bringing Blood Tribe elders back home, as many live off-reserve, to be with their families and be cared for on the Reserve.

“Today, too many of our elders reside in facilities far from home, physically separated from their heritage and traditions; culture is medicine.”

The new expansion unit will include 20 supportive living beds and 5 dementia beds. The apartment-style 3-story building will feature a cultural space, kitchen area, salon care, a secure dementia unit, administrative space, and a gathering space for families. 

Funding contributions provided for the Continuing Care Expansion included $20.5 M from the Province and $3.5 M from the Blood Tribe Chief and Council. 

The Kainai Continuing Care Centre will provide up to 50 beds once the expansion is completed. Construction is set to begin in the coming weeks, with a tentative completion date in spring 2028.

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Community Health Safety Tips For Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)

Hantavirus is rare but potentially deadly. Knowing how to prevent exposure can save your life. Before you start cleaning your shed, barn or house this season, there are some safety precautions you should take to protect yourself against hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). HPS is a severe, and sometimes fatal, respiratory disease contracted from rodents. 

Risk in Alberta 

The species of hantavirus found in Alberta is not the same species as the Andes hantavirus found on the cruise ship MV Hondius. Unlike the Andes strain, the strain found in Alberta does not spread from person to person. 

To reduce the risk of infection from all types of hantavirus, please stay away from rodents, and safely clean and disinfect areas contaminated by rodents. 

• Common house mice are not known to carry or spread hantavirus 
• You cannot tell if a mouse is infected by looking at it, so treat all wild mice as a potential risk 
• Dogs and cats cannot be infected and cannot spread HPS to people 

Contact BTDH Community Health 403-737-3933 / Source: Public Health Agency of Canada 

Fire Ban In Effect For The Blood Reserve 148

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY for all of Blood 148: Temporary restriction put into effect IMMEDIATELY due to High Winds (Chinooks), Cured Fuels, and Dry Ground. Please review poster for full details of what is allowed and prohibited. For more information, please contact the Blood Tribe Fire Department at 403-737-2102.

MMIP & Pink Shirt Day Community Engagement Session & Dance

On Friday, February 27, 2026, the Wellness Program hosted a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) & Pink Shirt Day Community Engagement Session and Dance at the Kainai Multi-Purpose Building in Standoff, AB.

It was an evening of connection, awareness, and community to raise awareness about bullying, promoting kindness, and supporting the families impacted by MMIP. The event was opened with speeches from BTDH leadership, who offered words of encouragement and stressed the importance of events like this to the community.

“It’s really important that we continue to find ways and share some of those experiences, because our kids and our grandkids need to know the importance of some of the struggles that have happened and to some the victims and some of the issues they went through”, said BTDH Board Chairman, Marcel Weasel Head.

The Keynote speaker for the event was Marla Medicine Shield, who is a Child Care Worker and MMIP Advocate, who, along with her family members, spoke up against bullying, lateral violence, and for her family member, Gloria Black Plume, who lost her life through violence.

“Bullying may seem small, but when disrespect is normalized it creates some conditions that allow Indigenous women and girls to be ignored, dismissed, and harmed, and that’s why this conversation matters”, said Medicine Shield.

The evening’s entertainment was provided by the Baby Flats youth drum group, who sang the honour song as family, friends, allies, and BTDH leadership danced for MMIP. Rudz Crew wrapped up the evening as the band played fan favorites, and the dance floor filled fast.

The MMIP & Pink Shirt Day Community Enagement Session and Dance ended on a strong note of community spirit, with people coming together to celebrate one another, to honour MMIP, and to “Sprinkle Kindness,” the event’s main theme.

BTDH Welcomes Blood Tribe’s 2026 New Year’s Baby

The Blood Tribe’s 2026 New Year’s Baby is Brynlee Rose Beatrice Big Swallow.

Born on January 1, 2026, at 10:25 PM, Brynlee arrived weighing 5 lbs 1 oz. Her proud parents are Daylin Big Swallow and Charaya Mountain Horse, and her loving big sister Annatheaya, along with her grandpa Brad Healy, were there to share the New Year’s Baby Celebration.

The Community Health team and the Pace family came together to shower Brynlee with thoughtful gifts and a stunning Star Blanket. This meaningful blanket was donated on behalf of the Pace family in loving memory of Community Nurse Tina Pace, who worked diligently on the BTDH New Year’s Baby Celebration, including the donation of the baby star blanket yearly.

We extend our gratitude to our generous partners for their donations and to the Pace family for honouring and carrying forward Tina’s beautiful legacy.

BTDH Welcomes new Indigenous Patient Navigator, Elizabeth Twigg

Let us welcome our new Indigenous Patient Navigator with the Blood Tribe Department of Health, Elizabeth Twigg, Licensed Practical Nurse. Twigg has 16 years of nursing experience and has proudly served the BTDH for over 10 years.

Twigg has also worked in Home Care, the Mobile Medical Unit, and Long-Term Care. Twigg brings compassion, cultural understanding, and clinical expertise to each role. Twigg is also currently pursuing a Bachelor of Health Sciences and majoring in Indigenous Health at the University of Lethbridge.

In her role as the Indigenous Patient Navigator with the BTDH, Twigg advocates for and supports the health journey of Indigenous clients by bridging cultural and systemic care gaps. Twigg has dedicated herself to lifelong learning and culturally grounded care, which continues to guide her work as both a healthcare provider and an advocate for her community.

Services Restored: Programs to Resume Operations

The water main break in Standoff has been repaired; however, a boil water advisory remains in effect.

All programs will resume operations at 1:00 p.m. today. Staff are being called back to work to ensure continuity of services for the afternoon.

The Long Term Care Centre and Bringing the Spirit Home will remain under precautionary measures. Residents and participants will return on Monday, August 25, once the advisory is lifted and water testing is confirmed safe.

The entrance to the Kainai Continuing Care Centre is currently closed. Road repairs will begin shortly.

Boil Water Advisory

A boil water advisory is issued when harmful germs (such as E. coli bacteria or Giardia parasite) may be present in the water supply. Contaminated water can make people and animals very sick. Boiling water will kill these germs and make it safe to drink after cooling. The advisory is expected to be lifted by Monday, August 25. The water remains safe to use for handwashing.

During a boil water advisory, do not use tap water for:

• Drinking
• Preparing baby formula
• Making juice or ice
• Preparing foods
• Washing fruits or vegetables
• Brushing teeth
• Filling a wading pool
• Giving to pets

Acknowledgement

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners at Alberta Health Services South Zone and the Good Samaritan Society for their continued support in ensuring the safety and care of our Elders.

Public Health advisory: Belly River In Lower standoff

The Blood Tribe Department of Health (BTDH) is urging all community members and visitors to exercise extreme caution when using the Belly River in the lower Standoff area due to ongoing public health and safety concerns.

With warm weather and the upcoming Kainai Powwow & Celebration, more people may be using the Belly River for recreation. However, current conditions pose a direct threat to both public health and environmental safety.

BTDH teams and outreach partners have identified the following serious risks:

• An encampment located near the riverbank with insufficient sanitation, resulting in human waste near the water
• The potential presence of discarded needles (sharps) in the surrounding area and water

Public health and outreach teams are working to:

• Assess and address immediate public health hazards
• Increase sharps collection and safe disposal efforts
• Explore temporary sanitation solutions
• Coordinate a long-term, community-led response to ensure safety

What you can do:

• Avoid swimming or wading in the affected area
• Report any sightings of discarded needles or concerning conditions
• For needle-stick injuries, contact the 24-hour response line immediately at 780-218-9929

Pride Month Message from Bringing the Spirit Home Safe Withdrawal Site

At Bringing the Spirit Home, we honor Pride Month by reaffirming our deep commitment to dignity, compassion, and inclusivity for all people—no matter who they are or who they love.

We believe that healing happens best in a space where everyone feels seen, valued, and respected. Our doors are open to people from every walk of life—LGBTQ2S+, Indigenous, non-Indigenous, all genders, all backgrounds. We are non-judgmental, Culturally orientated, and led by the belief that everyone deserves care that honors their full humanity.

Pride is not just about celebration—it’s about recognition, acceptance, and love. At our site, we walk alongside you with compassion and without judgment, creating a safe space where every person can begin their journey toward wellness with dignity and support.

This Pride Month and every month, we stand with you. You are welcome here. You are safe here. You are loved here.

With pride and care,
Bringing the Spirit Home Safe Withdrawal Site