“At the end of their journey, we wanted to send them to the next world covered in an honouring blanket that reflected their culture and their home” says Roni-Sue Sparvier, the Interim Chair for the Aboriginal Employee’s Forum.
The honouring blankets, also known as dignity blankets were made specifically for aboriginal elders. Sparvier says that “while long term care homes do their best to make everyone comfortable, it was recognized that many of the Aboriginal Elders in the homes were far from the traditions that they grew up with”. When a First Nations Elder passes away while in a long-term care home, the blanket will be placed over them by their family, or a first nations liaison worker and they will be taken to the front entrance. When they are placed into the hearse, the blanket will be removed.
Currently there are blankets available at three separate long-term care facilities: Copper Ridge Place, Thomson Centre and Whistle Bend Place. The blankets were researched by retired Aboriginal Employees Forum chair Marge Beaufeild, and Masie Smith in order to ensure that the design was inclusive for all First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. The project was begun in July of 2019 and 26 Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Yukon Government employees sewed and beaded for 531 human-hours to complete the blankets for the unveiling at the Aboriginal Employees Forum on December 12.
For now, the blankets are only in the three long term care homes, but there have already been requests from hospitals in the Yukon for similar blankets.
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