Members of the Blood Tribe are speaking out after an official with the Alberta Health Services was caught aiming a racial slur at a First Nations school official.
The slur was used in a text message sent during an AHS seminar for educators on the Kainai First Nation, also known as the Blood Tribe.
The Tribe says one of the seminar participants received a text from an AHS official who complained that she’d been yelled at by someone during the meeting.
When asked who it was, the official responded with a term offensive to indigenous women.
"It's evident that this text was accidentally sent to our KBE employee, not realizing the mistake," said Annette Bruisedhead, deputy superintendent of the Kainai Board of Education.
She added she quickly received a call from the AHS official who sent the text.
Ramona Big Head, the principal of the middle school on the reserve says she was the one referred to in the text message and she wishes the official would have taken time to build a positive relationship with her instead of making such a comment.
“Maybe, just maybe, she would have thought twice before she referred to me as [that racial slur].”
“Our women here at the Kainai Board of Education, along with all our education employees, are modern day warriors that protect our children and we will take this matter very seriously,” said Blood Tribe councillor Robin Little Bear.
Health Minister Sarah Hoffman has already released a statement reflecting her displeasure with the situation.
“I am angry and disappointed that a public employee would use such hateful and racist language. This is totally unacceptable and there will be consequences.”
The AHS has also apologized for the language used and said that the employee has been placed on administrative leave.
(With files from the Canadian Press)
