Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation opens 1st personal-care home 

Elders, people with injuries and people with disabilities will soon no longer be sent away from Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation when they need basic care. 

The Innu First Nation has opened its first personal-care home along the shores of Lake Melville — something Mary Pia-Benuen has worked toward since starting her career as a public health nurse 26 years ago. 

"It's a dream finally come true for our community," Pia-Benuen said. 

"The community of Sheshatshiu have always wanted a place for our elders. Our elders are very sacred and very special people, and we all love our elders and we would look after them really, really good and respect them."

The Mani Ashini Health Centre held a grand opening of the Hart Haven Personal Care Home on Thursday. The home has two wings with six rooms each. One side has rooms with doors leading outside for people who are more independent, the other is for people who need more care. 

The home will be for seniors who need basic personal care, people who are recovering from injuries and people with disabilities, Pia-Benuen said. People can self-refer to the health authority for an assessment to see if they qualify for a room. 

The two wings are named after two Innu who were top of mind: the Pastitshi wing is named after Sebastian Pastitshi, the first Innu to be placed in long term care in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and the Nuna wing is named after the late Sebastian Nuna, a mental health worker who dedicated his career to helping others, Pia-Benuen said.

She said going into long-term care was hard for Pastitshi.

"It was very difficult for him as there was a language barrier, and in a new scary environment. It must have been a scary place for him," Pia-Benuen said.

The building was built by Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation and licensed through Newfoundland and Labrador Public Health, while Indigenous Services Canada is funding the operations.

"My dream is for our elderly to be looked after in this Hart Haven," Pia-Benuen said. "I'm so happy to be able to say this, that we have our own building for our own people in our own community, in their own culture and language, and be part of a real big family."

The health centre is hiring staff, who will have about four weeks of training through the College of the North Atlantic. Having workers who speak Innu-aimun is a priority, as most elders in Sheshatshiu don't speak English, Pia-Benuen said. 

"It must have been a very, very scary feeling for those people that have ended up in the long-term care home in Goose Bay. They don't speak English, then they don't know anybody there," she said. 

"Here, they will know all the workers.… They will be able to interact with them in their own language."

The staff hope to start welcoming people into their new home this summer. 

Name a surprise to outgoing Chief Eugene Hart 

Chief Eugene Hart said the opening of the personal-care home was a proud moment. Hart, who earlier this year announced he was stepping down as chief, learned the day before the grand opening it would be named after him.

"That was not my recommendation to do that. It did not sit with me good at first, because I didn't want to use the name," said Hart, whose last day as chief was Friday. He ultimately decided to leave the naming decision up to management.

"It was in their hands, so I left it up to them because they're the ones that's running it."

Innu Nation Deputy Grand Chief Mary-Ann Nui said the building is a light for those who need it in Sheshatshiu. 

"I would definitely love to see this building, the same building in Natuashish as well," Nui said. "I feel really good and I feel very happy to be here."

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