CHAPTER 13 Flashcards
Indigenous Health in Canada
Who was Jordan and what happened to him?
Jordan was a young boy from Norway House. He died two years later while the federal and Manitoba governments debated his medical costs, which remained unresolved.
What did a CMAJ editorial highlight about Jordan’s case?
The editorial highlighted that Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms forbids discrimination, and many of the services Jordan needed would have been paid for without question if he were a white Manitoban or an off-reserve resident.
What was the bureaucratic issue in Jordan’s case?
The issue was that Jordan’s living on-reserve caused the bureaucracy to choke, leading to discrimination
What was the ruling of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in January 2016?
The Tribunal ordered Canada to end discrimination, citing Jordan’s Principle as analogous to consciously discriminating against children.
What are the key issues related to Indigenous healthcare?
Indigenous healthcare needs are regularly overlooked, the healthcare problem is political, and healthcare costs are rising with no one accepting responsibility.
How did Indigenous peoples traditionally view health?
They viewed health as a balance involving physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, with humans seen as an integral part of the environment.
What was the impact of European diseases on Indigenous communities?
Diseases like smallpox and influenza led to significant population loss, decimated military strength, and impacted Indigenous health and social structures.
What is the concept of balance in pre-contact Indigenous health?
Health was considered an imbalance often resulting from an individual’s failure to respect local moral codes, and people trained in medicinal plants and animals maintained this balance.
What was the result of the loss of elderly Indigenous people due to disease?
The loss of the elderly led to a diminished knowledge base that was passed down to younger generations, impacting the transmission of traditional knowledge.
What was the impact of disease on Indigenous communities and their way of life?
Traditional practices couldn’t counter new diseases, and the spread of diseases was exacerbated by factors like poor nutrition and traditional curative measures like the sweat lodge.
What was the role of the NWMP in Indigenous healthcare?
The NWMP were healthcare providers, and Indian agents discredited traditional healers while limited healthcare was available to a large Indigenous population.
What was Residential School Syndrome?
It is a combination of PTSD and historical trauma resulting from the damage caused by residential schools, where a significant number of children died of tuberculosis and others suffered from lasting psychological impacts.
How did post-Confederation health policies impact Indigenous people?
Many Indigenous people were forced onto reserves, relied on rations, and transitioned from traditional diets to one high in sugar and fat, leading to poor health outcomes.
What were the challenges faced by Indigenous people seeking healthcare, according to a 2000 study?
Indigenous people experienced inadequate access to health services, altered diets, communication barriers, cross-cultural misunderstandings, and feelings of discrimination.
What were the main health issues faced by Indigenous people, according to life expectancy projections?
High rates of poverty, inadequate housing, poor water security, high incarceration rates, and high infant mortality rates were key issues
What is the connection between water security and Indigenous health?
Water security is a human right recognized by the UN, but Canada has no federal water standards or policies, leaving reserves vulnerable with many facing boil-water advisories.
What was the coerced sterilization of Indigenous women?
From the 1920s to the 1970s, at least 580 Indigenous women were forcibly sterilized, and this practice continues in some areas, justified by the belief that poverty required strict family planning.
What is the root cause of poor Indigenous health?
Poor healthcare is often seen as an individual issue, but it is a systemic problem that can be addressed by improving water security, health infrastructure, food security, and reducing structural racism.
