“If you understand you cope better with it”: the role of education in building palliative care capacity in four First Nations communities in Canada

Table 1 Community Demographic Characteristics, 2008^a

Community Attribute	Naotkamegwanning First Nation (NFN)	Fort William First Nation (FWFN)	Peguis First Nation (PFN)	Six Nations of the Grand River(SNGRT)
Population^b	675	878	3558	11,634
Proximity to an urban centre with hospital/specialized health services (urban centre)	100 km (Kenora) 537 km (Thunder Bay)	2 km (Thunder Bay)	190 km (Winnipeg)	25 km (Hamilton) 19.3 km (Brantford)
Level of local health infrastructure	- Minimal & need to travel 1 h for services - New Elders residence - Health Centre - Home and Community Care Program^c - Long term care program^d	- Good & easy access to hospital & services in Thunder Bay - Services mainly external - Home and Community Care Program (Dilico)^c -Long term care program^d	- Good & easy access to hospital in Hodgson (16 km - Hub for smaller First Nations	- Excellent & easy access to hospitals and hospices in Hamilton and Brantford - Home and Community Care Program - Long term care program^d - Long term care facility - Assisted Living Residence - Numerous other programs and services available in the community
Cultural Identity	Ojibway	Ojibway	Ojibway and Cree	Haudenosaunee

^aThese were the community attributes at the time the needs assessments were being planned and conducted ^b Population is defined as the number of people living in the community; total populations (i.e., total number of community members, including those who reside outside of the First Nations community) were: Naotkamegwanning, 1142; Fort William, 1854; Peguis, 8558, Six Nations, 23,289
^cFirst Nations Inuit Health Branch, Home and Community Care Program (home care includes nursing, personal support workers)
^dLong term care program (includes home makers and respite care)

ISSN: 1471-2458