Canada: ‘Critical incident’ investigation after Métis elder’s ponytail cut off – Te Ao Māori News

Oct 28, 2024

This article was first published by APTN.

After Ruben St. Charles fell at home, his wife called 911 and he was taken to the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.

It was the week of Aug. 30 and St. Charles, 73, had fractured his hip.

The Métis Elder told APTN News he passed out from the pain during the ambulance ride. St. Charles said he didn’t wake up again until his hip was replaced.

It was then he noticed something was missing.

“I felt my ponytail, no hair,” he said.

When a nurse entered his room he asked, “What the hell happened to my hair? They said, ‘We’ll tell you later.’”

St. Charles said they never did explain what happened.

St. Charles said he had a small ponytail that was intended to be cut only if he lost his sister. He never did get any answers.

A few days later, on Sept. 5, St. Charles was transferred from the Royal University Hospital to a city hospital.

Bonnie Marwood, a patient health advocate with the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, received a call from St. Charles.

“When I first got to know him, he was doing quite a bit of cursing and was upset, and rightfully so,” she said. “But since then, we’ve had many talks. He’s got real-life experiences and a wealth of knowledge. He’s our Elder.

“Ruben deserves to know who hurt him.”

St. Charles received an apology from the director of Inpatient Surgery/Trauma Deborah George for the incident and was told the nurse who cut his hair had been “removed from work,” St. Charles said.

In a statement to APTN, the Saskatchewan Health Authority, or SHA, acknowledged “the deep cultural significance of hair and braids in First Nations and Métis cultures, and recognize that cutting hair without permission can cause emotional and spiritual harm, evoking past cultural trauma.

“The SHA extends its deepest apologies for this individual’s experience and we remain committed to engaging with this patient to understand and learn from this experience.”

The SHA said it has “escalated this situation as a critical incident,” meaning a formal review has been launched to “investigate the incident, implement corrective actions where needed, and monitor progress to enhance patient care.

According to the SHA, “This work will be done in collaboration with the SHA’s First Nations and Métis Health team to ensure these processes respect and include First Nations and Métis perspectives. The SHA has also initiated a third-party investigation to review employee actions in this situation and identify recommendations for creating a trauma-informed, respectful, and safe environment.”

The SHA said St. Charles will be informed of the outcome of the investigation.

St. Charles is at home now – and despite his experience, thank the nurses at the city hospital who took time to know him.

- APTN