Colonization as a SDoH of Indigenous People Flashcards
Terminology for Indigenous Peoples
No universal definition
“First Nations”
- came into place in the 70s to replace “Indian” which was offensive
- no legal definition
- classification under federal Indian Act
“Inuit”
- traditionally lived above tree line of Canada
- currently 4 claimed Inuit regions in Canada
“Metis”
- Group of indigenous people whose ancestry is traced back to intermarriage with Europeans in 17th Century
- Typically excluded from treaty negotiations the Indian Act
“Aboriginal Peoples” (1982)
- referred to Indians, Inuit, and Metis
- Slowly being replaced with “Indigenous”
- Represent relationship to land better
- Not derived from government legislation
Correct Terminology for these People
- specific affiliation
- indigenous is a common used “umbrella term”
Colonialism
The practice of acquiring control over another country, occupying it with settlers and exploiting it economically
Effects of Colonization
- Displacement from traditional lands and lifestyles, policies of cultural and linguistic suppression and forced assimilation, industrial processes’ degradation of traditional lands, and the impacts of interpersonal and institutional racism
- effects recognized colonialism as the most significant SDoH for Indigenous Peoples
- Critical for people working in Indigenous health to have an understanding of these effects on Indigenous people living in Canada
Colonialism Over Time
-has been occurring for over 500 years and is still continuing
-these processes vary according to specific time, geographic location and Indigenous group
Examples of Colonization
-Disregard for Metis Land Claims
-Relocation of Inuit Communities
-Indian Act
-Residential School
-Racism
Indian Act
-Enacted in 1876 as federal law
-Has undergone some changes but the main focus is still intact!
-Used to put into law the assimilation of Indigenous peoples and to appropriate their lands
-Including governing of bands and management of who falls under the act
-Defines “Indian” and sets hard guidelines on who is able to fall under the act and be considered an Indigenous person
-Paternalistic bloodline
Outlawed traditional ceremonies
-Assigned an “Indian Agent” to land
-Control over food, medicine, and travel out of the reserve -This allowed the gov’t to strong-arm them into signing away their lands by withholding resources
-Supported the creation of residential schools
1985 Amendment (Indian Act)
-Gave many women their status back
“Reserve Lands” (Indian Act)
- Act allowed government to remove Indigenous peoples from treaty claimed lands and place them on “reserves”
- Undermined livelihood and local economy of the communities
Indian Act Today
-Basic tenets still active today
-Restricts inheritance of status to children (“Percentage”)
-Contributes to strain in relationship between First
Nations and Métis people
-The relocation of Indigenous peoples fostered disease and infection brought by Europeans
-Continue to suffer from higher rates of infectious diseases such as TB, chlamydia, and rubella among others
Residential School
1870s-1990s
-separated children from families, weakening familial and cultural ties
-Language and traditions
-Goal of assimilation into European culture
Cultural genocide:
-Destruction of structures and practices that allow a group to
continue as a group
-Destroy political and social institutions; seize land; transfer populations; outlaw spiritual and cultural practice; destroy cultural and spiritual objects
Sir John A. Macdonald (1883) Quote
“When the school is on the reserve the child lives with its parents, who are savages…Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence, and the only way to do that would be to put them in central training industrial schools where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men”
Deputy Minister of Indian Affairs Duncan Campbell Scott (1920) Quote
“our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic”
Health in Residential Schools
- Sexual and physical abuse
- Exposure to infectious disease
- e.g. tuberculosis; did not screen/quarantine children with infections
- Lack of adequate treatment facilities
- Assumptions and assertion about inferiority of Indigenous culture, peoples and languages harmed mental health
- Poorly fed and denied access to traditional foods
- Inadequate clothing
- Housed in unsafe, poorly constructed buildings
- Double denial of healthcare; ‘western’ medicine or traditional Indigenous healing
- Death was common
Intergenerational Effect
Trauma from residential schools continues on today through the generations beyond the survivors - Continued socioeconomic marginalization
• Includes loss of pride and self-respect, loss of identity, language, spirituality, culture, and ability to parent
• These are the roots for much of the high the level of family violence, suicide, alcohol and substance addiction
“sixties scoop”
Indigenous families as unable to care for their children; disproportionate apprehension of Aboriginal children by child-welfare continues
• continuation of racist attitudes that underpinned the residential school system
• although some progress, legacy is perpetuated by some contemporary governmental policies
Racism & Colonialism
-Racism is used as an excuse for colonialism
• Intertwined in the policies (Indian Act)
-Colonialism perpetuates racism
• Gives people a reason/justification to be racist
• These both contribute to the development of health and other inequities in Indigenous peoples
-Becomes ingrained in the dominant culture
Culture vs Indigenous Ancestry
-York Conference
• Indigenous Ancestry is a SDH
-Health Canada framework
• Labeled as culture
-Hides specific way in which this identity and the way its treated is asked about
-Misattributes negative health effects to being an Indigenous person
• Product of our racist society
Indigenous Ancestry as a SDoH
- Understanding how social determinants of health affect Indigenous communities means examining what social, political and economic systems produce increased vulnerabilities
- Rather than merely identifying Indigenous peoples as ‘at risk’, ask why they are risk?
- Understanding the history and ongoing legacy of colonialism is central to this endeavour
Health Status Inequalities
- greater health disparities and premature death
- linked to the determinants of colonization
- high rates of premature death
- life expectancy is 5-14 years less
- infant mortality rate is 190x higher
- little info on health status, exclusion from public health assessment
- high rates of infectious disease
- coverage rates for routine vaccinations are lower
- higher mental health issues: linked to colonial processes
- Suicide 5-6x higher
- Ex. Cultural continuity in BC shows effect on suicide
Continuing Experience
- Continued health effects from colonization
- As rates of infectious disease improve as we develop advancements in medicine, effect is diff in Indigenous communities
- Inadequate assistance from government programs
- Need to target the underlying discrepancies of colonialism and address the social determinants of health for long-term solutions
- Historic causes are ongoing perpetuators of injustice
