Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety

Question 1

What did the story “Totem” by Thomas King signify?

Answer 1

The displacement of indigenous people in Canada when the government began to see them as nuisance even though they were here first

Question 2

Abuse of power in roles:

Answer 2

• Indian Residential School System
• Sixties Scoop
• TB Sanitoriums
• Indian Hospitals

Question 3

History of abuse lead to:

Answer 3

intergenerational trauma

• it will take 7 generations to overcome avoidance
• fear of seeking care because it is not a place of recovery

Question 4

Health indicators of First Nations people living off reserve

Answer 4

• poorer health overall
• higher rates of smoking
• higher obesity rates
• higher rates of food insecurity (lack of access, more expensive)
• lack of data due to inability to capture proper statistics

Question 5

Examples of Proximal Indigenous SDoH

Answer 5

Has direct impact on health (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual)

• health behaviours
• physical environments
• employment and income
• education
• food security

Question 6

Examples of Intermediate Indigenous SDoH

Answer 6

Origin of proximal determinants

• health care systems
• education systems
• community infrastructure, resources and capacity
• environmental stewardship
• cultural continuity

Question 7

Examples of Distal Indigenous SDoH

Answer 7

Represent political economic and social contexts

• colonialism
• racism and social exclusion
• self-determination

Question 8

Four Scared Medicines (Indigenous healing)

Answer 8

Tobacco (connect with creator, first plant given from creator)
Cedar (protector of the home, place above door)
Sage (get rid of negativity, spread on skin)
Sweetgrass (connects with mother earth, elicit calming and positivity)

Question 9

What are the seven grandfather teachings?

Answer 9

1. Wisdom
2. Truth
3. Humility
4. Love
5. Bravery
6. Respect
7. Honesty

virtues intrinsic to a full and healthy life

Question 10

Medicine Wheel

Answer 10

Four directions that represent the four elements of life

Health pertains to a balance of all four quadrants

Question 11

Cultural Competence refers to

Answer 11

• self-examination

- foundational to a person’s learning

Question 12

Cultural Safety refers to

Answer 12

• power recognition and shift (power differential, keep care client-centred)
• health advocacy

Question 13

Cultural Humility refers to

Answer 13

• life-long learner
• differences within the same culture
• knowing a culture doesn’t equate to knowing a person

Question 14

Indigenous

Answer 14

First Nations
Inuit (Maritime Circumpolar people of Canada)
Metis (descendants of First Nations + European)

Question 15

Inuktitut

Answer 15

Inuit language

Question 16

Inuit

Answer 16

People

Question 17

Inuk

Answer 17

Person

Question 18

Role of nurses in promoting cultural safety

Answer 18

• prime position as advocates in health care
• establish trusting relationships
• be aware of own assumptions and biases
• be open to learning
• acknowledge limitations
• provision of equitable care
• know how to be an ally

Question 19

Explain the “Calls to Action”

Education to reconciliation 62-ii

Answer 19

provide funding to post-secondary institutions to educate teachers on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms