Jamie Moses joins Team Diabetes in Ottawa Marathon

Eastmain’s Jamie Moses is joining the struggle against diabetes in the Cree Nation, one kilometre at a time. The 33-year-old participated in his second half-marathon with Team Diabetes last month in Ottawa, raising hundreds for medical research in the process.

“Like so many Crees, I have seen family and friends suffer from diabetes,” said Moses. “I wanted to do something about it that would improve my lifestyle and maybe encourage other people to do the same thing.”

Many know Moses as Eastmain’s Cultural Coordinator and the star of the anti-uranium film The Wolverine: The Fight of the James Bay Cree. He cut his teeth as a marathon runner shortly after a Northern Store manager in Eastmain suggested that he consider running for Team Diabetes. It didn’t take long before his wife Cindy also decided to get involved. She ran alongside Jamie in Ottawa on May 24. Together, they raised over $2000 for diabetes research.

Moses credits marathon training with improving his family’s lifestyle and food choices. Next year, he and Cindy expect one of their five young children will be ready to join them on the track. Moses would love to see more Crees out running in the years to come. He believes the sport is something that anyone can enjoy.

“I was intimidated at first because I had never run anything close to 21 kilometres,” said Moses. “But when I was able to accomplish it, I was so happy and so proud. I think it’s important to set personal goals, even if they’re small. It doesn’t have to be 21 km, just work towards something.”

Recent numbers behind diabetes rates in Native communities are staggering. According to Health Canada, the disease is more than three times more prevalent among First Nations people living on reserve than among the non-Aboriginal population. Youth are also being diagnosed at increasingly younger ages as the years go by.

“We know there are a lot of people in our communities suffering from diabetes,” said Moses. “Don’t wait until it’s too late to change your lifestyle, even if it’s something small like walking often and eating more traditional foods.”