"Greetings Native Savages" sticker

Doctor gives First Nations child 'Greetings, Native Savages' sticker

Listuguj chief Scott Martin wants meeting with head of Campbellton hospital over alleged incidents of racism

By Colleen Kitts-GoguenA physician at the Campbellton Regional Hospital handed out a "Greetings, Native Savages" sticker to a Listuguj First Nations child recently, prompting an outcry within the Listuguj community.

"This is unacceptable, insensitive and was very upsetting," said Listuguj Chief Scott Martin in a letter sent to Gilles Lanteigne, president and chief executive officer of the Vitalité Health Network.

"This level of insensitivity points to a dearth of cultural competency and cultural safety at your hospital," Martin said in the letter.

Martin wants to meet with Lanteigne over allegations of "disturbing stories of discrimination and unprofessional behaviour" on the part of staff at the Campbellton Regional Hospital.The sticker incident explained:As for the sticker incident, Lanteigne said the stickers were ordered in bulk and are from a Dreamworks movie called Home. He said the doctor who handed out the sticker did not realize what was on it.

"The physician did call the mum, and the head nurse did call the mum twice, to explain that unfortunately we had bought these stickers without realizing what was really written on them and that it could be insulting," he said.

"We apologized, we even called the company. We retrieved all these stickers from all our sites," Lanteigne said, pointing out these stickers have been given out, in error, in other parts of the country.Apparently the sticker comes from the Home movie. The alien directs the "Greetings" line to all humans, not to Native Americans. It's undoubtedly supposed to be an ironic play on how Europeans greeted Natives.

So the offense was probably unintentional. Still, someone should've thought of the effect the image and quote would have on Natives. And pulled the stickers long before they were distributed.

This lack of thought is evidence of a subtle bias: a presupposition that Natives no longer exist. It's why people have "savage" parties, costumes, and mascots--because no one is left to be upset. To most people, Natives are as immaterial and irrelevant as leprechauns or unicorns.



Listuguj mother shocked by 'Greetings, Native Savages' sticker

Toddler from Listuguj First Nation given racist sticker by doctor at Campbellton Regional HospitalLanteigne said the stickers were ordered in bulk and are from a Dreamworks movie called Home. He said the doctor who handed out the sticker did not realize what was on it.

"The physician did call the mum, and the head nurse did call the mum twice, to explain that unfortunately we had bought these stickers without realizing what was really written on them and that it could be insulting," he said.

"We apologized, we even called the company. We retrieved all these stickers from all our sites," Lanteigne said, pointing out these stickers have been given out, in error, in other parts of the country.

When asked if he believes there is a problem with racism and discrimination at the Campbellton hospital, Lanteigne said he believes the situation at the hospital "is considerably improved."Lanteigne's explanation seems plausible. But still, you might want to check anything you hand out before you hand it out. A toy could have loose and dangerous parts. A sticker could have an unfortunate misprint. Etc.