N.S. Indigenous health consultant working on Mi'kmaw translation service

A Nova Scotia man is working to make it easier for Mi'kmaqto understand and access health-care programs in the province.

Aaron Prosper was recently hired as theIndigenous health consultant for the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

Prosper, whogrew up onEskasoni First Nationin Cape Breton and is a graduate of Dalhousie University's neuroscience program, said he's hopeful such a service will be in place in the "near future."

"Nothing [is]set in stone yet, but what I can say with confidence is we've actually been making some progress,"Prosper told CBC'sInformation Morning Cape Breton,adding that there is currently no such service.

"For sure, language barriers [are] an issue whether that's not having an interpreter or the accessibility of even public health information."

Prosper said one example of confusion between theMi'kmaw and English languages was identified during the pandemic.

An Indigenous lens

He said the word "COVID" sounds quite similar to the Mi'kmawword "kopit," which means "beaver."

"There was a misunderstanding in what they were hearing in the news of what COVID-19 actually was," saidProsper, now based in Dartmouth, N.S.

The Indigenous health consultant position was developedin partnership with Mi'kmawcommunities,along with the Department of Health and Wellness and the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

As part of his role, Prosper said he will also be supporting the development or redevelopment of a variety of health-care programs through an Indigenous lens.

That means ensuring that any materials that are produced are culturally informed and culturally sensitive, he said.

Prosper's past work

A great deal of that work follows recommendations from Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

"There's a lot of health-related calls to action, or articles, within those two documents and so we'll belooking at how Nova Scotia ... [can] be in line with those documents," said Prosper.

As part of his role, Prosper will act as a liaison between the Nova Scotia Health Authorityleadership and leaders in Mi'kmaw communities.

During his time at Dalhousie, Prosper was known forgetting things done.

He joined others in lobbying the university to install a permanent Mi'kmaq Grand Council flag. It now flies beside the Canadian and Nova Scotian flags in the centre of campus.

He was also the university's first Mi'kmawstudent unionpresident.