Kitamaat Village made national headlines last week on the excellence achieved amongst Haisla diabetics through a federal intervention program.

When the pilot project “Diabetes and My Nation” came to a close this spring, 62 per cent of local diabetics had their blood sugars down to the target level, a number that experts say is low enough to minimize serious complications.

The intervention program was created by Gwawaenuk First Nation chief Robert Joseph, oceanographer and diabetic Hesham Nabih, and Dr. Keith Dawson, medical professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia.

The trio released a report to the World Diabetes Congress in Montreal, detailing how the Haisla community has excelled.

According to Dawson, the Haisla First Nation is actually managing the disease better than neighbouring Kitimat.

Dawson told media outlets that the Haisla nation is well ahead of the national average in having their blood sugars down to target levels.

And he pointed to local nurse and educator Laurel deGoeij as one of the major reasons for the village’s success.

However, she was quick to shift the complimentary words on to program initiator Lucille Harms and the Haisla clients themselves.

“I’m hugely proud of the clients,” she told the Sentinel. “These people, they did it themselves, and without a lot of pushing. I’m not the one living with diabetes. All I am is another tool in the toolbox.”

The Haisla were excited to test the program and a group of 11 diabetics signed up in January 2008 to try it as part of a nationally-funded pilot project. The group attended regular meetings and check-ups.

“This group was really keen,” recalled deGoeij.

Meetings were held Tuesday afternoons at the Elders Centre. Local diabetics came out faithfully to participate in the “Circle Gathering,” where they watched an educational DVD followed by story sharing around the circle using a Talking Feather.

News of the program quickly got around Kitamaat Village, and the majority of diabetics got on board, better managing their diabetes through diet, exercise and medication.

Village elders spearheaded visits to community schools to raise awareness, deGoeij said.

Nabih and the projects pilots led a young warriors program that had youth building and racing a canoe.

Fishing trips and basketball tournaments were organized to help spread awareness.

The pilot team is now hoping to expand the program into other First Nations communities to keep the Haisla momentum going. Aboriginal communities have diabetes rates of up to five times the national average.