Family members are calling for urgent changes after an elderly Indigenous man’s braids were cut off without consent during a hospital stay in Edmonton. Dexter Adams, 84, a Day School survivor, was on a long waiting list for continuing care when his wife, Eve Adams, discovered on May 6 that his braids had been removed.
Kathleen Crowe, Adams’ niece, revealed at a news conference organized by the Alberta NDP that she had to contact the nursing floor manager to find the braids. They were found discarded in the garbage, placed on top of a soiled adult diaper. “Not only was my uncle harmed by the actions of a nurse, but our entire family and community are deeply hurt,” Crowe said.
While a senior staff member interviewed the family, Crowe said there has been no follow-up or formal apology.
She emphasized the emotional and spiritual damage caused by cutting her uncle’s hair. “This act triggered painful cultural trauma that my uncle and our community have faced throughout their lives,” she said. Crowe added that after losing his braids, it was as if her uncle’s spirit was broken.
The family also reported that Adams’s bear grease—a traditional Indigenous medicine—and his eagle feather were discarded.
Due to health risks, Dexter Adams was eventually moved to a long-term care facility, where he passed away within weeks.
At the news conference, Edmonton-West Henday MLA Brooks Arcand-Paul, NDP critic for Indigenous relations, highlighted the cultural importance of braids for Indigenous people. “Braids represent identity, spirituality, and strength. They connect a person to their spirit and the Creator. During the residential and day school eras, braids were forbidden,” he said.
Alberta Health Services responded, calling the incident “deeply regrettable” and stating it should never have happened.
