WINNIPEG - It's been over a week but Canada's health minister said she still doesn't know why dozens of body bags were sent to some Manitoba reserves in preparation for flu season.
Leona Aglukkaq met with aboriginal leaders in Winnipeg Thursday to repair some of the damage done by the shipment of body bags which aboriginal leaders called insulting and horrifying.
Chiefs had called for a personal apology from Aglukkaq, as well as the resignation of senior bureaucrats responsible. While Aglukkaq vowed to get to the bottom of it a week ago, she didn't offer an apology Thursday or an explanation.
"It is deeply regrettable," she said following a meeting with Grand Chief Ron Evans of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.
"I need to evaluate what happened, whether this is an isolated case or whether it's a case that happened across the country. It's important for me to ensure that I have all the facts."
Health Canada shipped dozens of body bags to remote reserves in northeastern Manitoba last week, along with hand sanitizer and other medical supplies. The reserves that received the shipments were those hardest hit by swine flu in the spring.
Many interpreted the bags as a grim prediction from Ottawa that many in those same communities would not survive the second wave of H1N1.
Although Health Canada bureaucrats say the body bags were simply part of a normal restocking process and not connected to swine flu, Aglukkaq said her staff is still investigating.
When the investigation is complete, she said the report will be shared with aboriginal leaders.
That explanation seemed to satisfy some chiefs who had been furious the week before. Grand Chief David Harper, who represents northern First Nation communities, said he's prepared to wait for a full investigation.
"It's still under inquiry so we'll be getting some information as soon as the inquiry is done," he said following a late afternoon meeting with Aglukkaq. "We're pretty satisfied with that."
The national scrutiny and political pressure brought on by the shipment of body bags seems to have had a positive effect, Harper said. Health Canada is finally taking their concerns seriously and is helping communities prepare for the second coming of swine flu, he added.
Last weekend, the government outlined a plan for regular meetings between the Assembly of First Nations and government staff.
Some Manitoba chiefs are meeting again with Aglukkaq and other ministers next week in Ottawa to talk more about flu preparedness.
"Things are moving forward," Harper said. "There is another wave that's on its way. It's possibly here now so we have to deal with this issue as soon as possible."
Evans said they will wait patiently for the report into why body bags were sent to some reserves. In the meantime, he said communication between First Nations and Health Canada has improved.
"I feel we are being listened to now," he said. "We've come a long way . . . It's a matter of now ensuring that the things we talk about at the table are indeed followed through."
