EDMONTON — Alberta Health Services says it has taken a number of steps to better train staff, after an Indigenous man’s braids were cut off and thrown away while he was in an Edmonton hospital.

Eve Adams went in May to visit her husband, Dexter Adams, at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital and found the 84-year-old’s braids, his eagle feather and some medicine in a garbage can.

He had been deemed at a high risk of falling and was in hospital waiting for a space to open in a long-term care facility. He died just over a month later.

His niece Kathleen Crowe, speaking on behalf of the family at an Opposition NDP press conference Tuesday, said braids have a deep cultural meaning, and to have them cut off without consent was crushing.

“My uncle was a day school survivor, and in his era it wasn’t culturally safe to have long hair. So as he got older, he grew his hair long … to be able to grow his hair long was very special for him and to his spirit,” Crowe said.

“Basically, it was the essence of his spirit. And to have that cut off — it was a huge change in him.

“The braids were found in the garbage on top of soiled adult diapers … I can’t even begin to describe how awful that was.”

Kerry Williamson, a spokesperson for Alberta Health Services, said the incident was “deeply regrettable and should never have happened.”

He said AHS has since held three classes about the cultural significance of hair for Indigenous people. They were open to all hospital staff and volunteers, and new resources for staff have been added to its internal website.

“AHS is continually working to improve its system and remains dedicated to building stronger relationships with Indigenous communities while ensuring accessible, culturally appropriate health care across Alberta,” Williamson said, adding AHS already has a mandatory Indigenous training program for staff.

Crowe said she doesn’t think that training is adequate after what happened to her uncle.

“It would help in bringing more closure to have the hospital investigate their own systems in terms of cultural safety with Indigenous people,” she said.

Williamson said an internal investigation did take place after the incident, but the results are confidential “as we do not comment on (human relations) matters.”

Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said in a statement that she was extremely concerned to learn about the case.

“Whether this situation was a result of discrimination or ignorance – neither is appropriate, and it is situations like this that cause Indigenous people to feel unwelcomed in our health-care system,” LaGrange said.

She also said the United Conservative Party government recently hired an “Indigenous patient safety investigator and advocate” to address discrimination in health care.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press